Feeding the mother Apistos, postpartum (after birth) while with the fry

[Robi]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the beautiful world of Apistogrammas and definitively new to this forum. So far bred succesfully about 4-5 species of Apistos (Cacatuoides x2, Bitaeniata, Aggies, Rio Mamores). I have noticed that the mother, while taking care of her brood, is taking a considerable amount of BBS and other food I feed to the fry, yet, still hungry. I also noticed, that if I feed the mama's additionally to this, mainly frozen BS and sometimes few bites of small size frozen BW (which I decided to stop recently) they easily develop constipation, I even lost one of my favorite double females from acute bloat, related to this issue.

I would like to ask you guys, who breed Apistos regularly, do you feed the mother postpartum while with the fry, or just let her feed on the BBS and micro-worms, or whatever the fry gets?

Thanks for the answers,

Robi

 

[Mike Wise]

I just feed all my apistos mostly BBS, be they fry or adults. If the female needs more food, just feed more BBS. Better yet, feed the same but add an additional feeding for both mom and the kids.

 

[Robi]

Sounds good Mike! Thanks

 

[Larry Rogers]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the beautiful world of Apistogrammas and definitively new to this forum. So far bred succesfully about 4-5 species of Apistos (Cacatuoides x2, Bitaeniata, Aggies, Rio Mamores). I have noticed that the mother, while taking care of her brood, is taking a considerable amount of BBS and other food I feed to the fry, yet, still hungry. I also noticed, that if I feed the mama's additionally to this, mainly frozen BS and sometimes few bites of small size frozen BW (which I decided to stop recently) they easily develop constipation, I even lost one of my favorite double females from acute bloat, related to this issue.

I would like to ask you guys, who breed Apistos regularly, do you feed the mother postpartum while with the fry, or just let her feed on the BBS and micro-worms, or whatever the fry gets?

Thanks for the answers,

Robi

the mother will feed with the fry but if you feed her a larger flake she will break it up for the fry. The fry are a bigger worry. If the fry are properly fed they will double their size three times the first week after they become free swimming. This means they must eat a lot. To double weight they need to eat ten times their weight in food. Let's assume the weight of your fry in your brood is 1/2 gram. Ten times their weight is five grams and now they weigh one gram. Ten times their weight is ten grams and now they weigh 2 grams. Ten times their weight is 20 grams and now they weigh 4 grams. Ten times their weight is forty grams and now they weigh 8 grams. We have now reached the end of the second week and you have fed 64 grams of food, over three ounces. Water quality will suffer if you do not do water changes and accelerate filtration.

 

[Robi]

Thanks Larry, great comment. I do feed my fry 3-4x /day live food mainly (BBS and micro-worms) as well as 50% containing baby flakes or granules for protein supplement daily. 100% agree with the filtration and water change peace, I believe the most important is the bio-filtration (many ways to do it), in my fry tanks, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is always zero. I do not do grams, I just feed them until their belly is full

 

[Larry Rogers]

Thanks Larry, great comment. I do feed my fry 3-4x /day live food mainly (BBS and micro-worms) as well as 50% containing baby flakes or granules for protein supplement daily. 100% agree with the filtration and water change peace, I believe the most important is the bio-filtration (many ways to do it), in my fry tanks, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is always zero. I do not do grams, I just feed them until their belly is full

I am a filtration radical. My two 180 gallon system's (3@60&1@30::&9@20) each has a filter that holds 400 gallons. By the time water gets through the filter all waste products are eliminated.

 

[Larry Rogers]

I am a filtration radical. My two 180 gallon system's (3@60&1@30::&9@20) each has a filter that holds 400 gallons. By the time water gets through the filter all waste products are eliminated.

Typo should be 3@ 50 gallons and 2@ 30 gallons

 

[bbetta]

During the breeding period I'm trying to feed the female Live Grindal Worms at least once everyday. This is enough as she eats some of the fry food as well, as you mentioned.

 

[Larry Rogers]

During the breeding period I'm trying to feed the female Live Grindal Worms at least once everyday. This is enough as she eats some of the fry food as well, as you mentioned.

Live foods are good for your fish but they also require variety. Switching their foods, or keeping a ''dirty'' tank will provide for variety and better nutrition.

 

[bbetta]

Live foods are good for your fish but they also require variety. Switching their foods, or keeping a ''dirty'' tank will provide for variety and better nutrition.

Grindals are high in proteins and fats, so a small amount of them can help the breeding female cope with the difficulty of her task. I don't want to say that we should feed only Grindals while breeding, but it is good to increase the amount of live foods they consume. IMO, Grindals are the easiest food to maintain there is.

Billy

 

[Larry Rogers]

Grindals are high in proteins and fats, so a small amount of them can help the breeding female cope with the difficulty of her task. I don't want to say that we should feed only Grindals while breeding, but it is good to increase the amount of live foods they consume. IMO, Grindals are the easiest food to maintain there is.

Billy

Billy
I have actually never tried grindals. I have never found a clean starter culture. Partially from moving around a lot and partially from lack of effort. I have done every well with a variety of fresh and frozen foods. So I can make every few comments on grindals. My observation was to address people utilizing one food exclusively and then not understanding when their fish fail to thrive or develop immune deficiencies. No one food by itself can address all of a fishes dietary needs. And when someone tries to site parasitic species, few greater varieties of a single organisms chemistry occur in nature than in the day to day blood supply of an animal.

 

[Robi]

Hey guys, just an update, I took Mike's advice, brew them more BBS, I think that is the safest. I also feed my fry micro worms, I found a pretty good and sustainable batch of culture. I feed about 2:1 BBS/MW ratio to fry. Mama fish get re-conditioned solely on this diet eating with the fry, if I still feel they look skinny or not re-conditioning well after a week or so, I give them few frozen garlic-spirulina-brine shrimps, that does the job. I stay away from any type of worms in general.