Hello, everybody. I'm breeding cacatouides and agassizii, but I have serious problem keeping the population. Only 10% of the youngsters make it through the first month. I use a 10g breeding tank with moss and oak leaves. 30% daily water change. Feeding microworms and dry food. I loose half the babies the first week, and then the numbers slowly drop to 5-10 per spawn? I read some of you guys took out up to 90%. How do you do that? Are there some medicines I should treat the water with? 10x in advance.
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How to icrease survival rate?
- Thread starter filio
- Start date
- Messages
- 44
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I suggest you need to cut out the dry food until they've reached 4 weeks old. Newly hatched don't need any food until they becomes free swimmers. Then they will take on small live food (BBS, microworm, etc). Until they reach a decent size at about 4 weeks old, there's not much point of offering them dry food as most will not be eaten and ended up fouling the water.
I've found a good source of live food is the key for better survival rate (providing the water quality isn't any issue) with apisto fry.
I've found a good source of live food is the key for better survival rate (providing the water quality isn't any issue) with apisto fry.
For me baby brine shrimp is the key. Once you learn to hatch them they are a great food. Micro worms are a great first food but as the fry grow it is hard to keep them well fed with them.
If you can;t culture the shrimp try using the decapsulated eggs. You feed these directly ans some breeders report success with them.
Based on your description I would have to say that the biggest problem is food.
Bob
If you can;t culture the shrimp try using the decapsulated eggs. You feed these directly ans some breeders report success with them.
Based on your description I would have to say that the biggest problem is food.
Bob
Hm. I always thought BBS spoil the water faster than microworms, since they cant live in freshwater. I'll see what I can do with the next batch. This dry food I mention is for the parents. But I noticed the babiеs take the leftovers. I think it is good for them to get used to it. Those decapsulated eggs are nowhere to be found around here (Bulgaria). And we all know babies like their pray alive and moving. I guess I will start feeding BBS only. Both parents and fry.
Ok, another question. How old should the young fish be, before I can introduce them to my community tank? There is always another female willing to spawn, and I need the small tank free asap. I had a couple of spawns in the community tank, but the newly hatched don't stand a chance. Apistos, small cory cats, nannostomus and neon tetras for roomies.
Ok, another question. How old should the young fish be, before I can introduce them to my community tank? There is always another female willing to spawn, and I need the small tank free asap. I had a couple of spawns in the community tank, but the newly hatched don't stand a chance. Apistos, small cory cats, nannostomus and neon tetras for roomies.
- Messages
- 44
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
BBS don't spoil water as badly as the adult will enjoy them so they'll be all eaten within time.
As for fry surviving in a community tank - they can providing the female is persisting she is. I've had a two baenschi that got paired up and enjoyed some teenage fun in the grow out tank with a group of baenschi and macmasteri. The first three attempts non of the fry survived. The forth time, she has done such a great job guarding them most reached juvenile with other adult apistos in the same tank (around 25 apistos in a 20 inch tank).
So it really depends on the type of species, some are more agressive hence able to guard the fry better.
Good luck.
As for fry surviving in a community tank - they can providing the female is persisting she is. I've had a two baenschi that got paired up and enjoyed some teenage fun in the grow out tank with a group of baenschi and macmasteri. The first three attempts non of the fry survived. The forth time, she has done such a great job guarding them most reached juvenile with other adult apistos in the same tank (around 25 apistos in a 20 inch tank).
So it really depends on the type of species, some are more agressive hence able to guard the fry better.
Good luck.
- Messages
- 707
- Location
- Clarkston, WA
Breed in 20 longs so you aren't already overcrowded the day they hatch.
Don't leave them with the parents more than two weeks. Transfer the breeders out. I have also found using enough hollow ceramic noodles as bottom cover gives each fry a private hide and reduces line of sight aggression. Once the fry reach one inch then keep no more than one per gallon to assure good continued growth.
I use newly hatched brine shrimp that I keep chilled in brine in the refrigerator. Feed no more than what the fry can eat in 15 minutes as often as you can. At least four times per day. Chilled brine shrimp fall to the bottom where the fry do most of their feeding. The food value of chilled brine shrimp is as good as living shrimp and by far better than frozen bbs.
Don't leave them with the parents more than two weeks. Transfer the breeders out. I have also found using enough hollow ceramic noodles as bottom cover gives each fry a private hide and reduces line of sight aggression. Once the fry reach one inch then keep no more than one per gallon to assure good continued growth.
I use newly hatched brine shrimp that I keep chilled in brine in the refrigerator. Feed no more than what the fry can eat in 15 minutes as often as you can. At least four times per day. Chilled brine shrimp fall to the bottom where the fry do most of their feeding. The food value of chilled brine shrimp is as good as living shrimp and by far better than frozen bbs.
I did it :biggrin: I got about 50 babies out of the breeding tank. They were 1 and half month old. The mother was with them all the time. I only fed BBS. I transfered them to the community tank and I put daddy back to mom. It has been a month now since I moved the small ones. I can count about 20 coming out of the bushes for dinner. I did it :biggrin:
- Messages
- 25
- Location
- Near Groningen, The Netherlands
I have very little experience (2 batches of cacatuoides fry), but I have 60 left over from both spawnings, which I hear is a really good number.
I fed liquifry in the first few weeks and I have javamoss which is teeming with "dust".
Mine were in the 20 gallon community tank for the first 3 months of their life and now they've been moved to a grow out tank.
I fed liquifry in the first few weeks and I have javamoss which is teeming with "dust".
Mine were in the 20 gallon community tank for the first 3 months of their life and now they've been moved to a grow out tank.
