Bolivians with Fry

[jklntx]

Prolific little buggers...their 4th bunch in 2 1/2 months...they are getting better as parents (and I am getting to be better caretaker?) as these fry are lasting longer and growing faster.

http://houstonfishbox.com/modules.php?name=gallery2&g2_itemId=138122

[armthehomeless]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Congrats!

Do you use almond leaves in your tanks?

[jklntx]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Mom is watching from front and dad's got their back. Whats neat is when one parent goes to forage or chases a "visitor" when it comes back it "tags" its partner and it's their turn to forage or patrol the area.

[jklntx]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Yes... Almond leaves, Peat and R/O with plenty of wood.

[Zulaab]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Absolutely awesome :)  Congrats :)

Now comes the fun part - feeding them as many times a day they will accept food :)  hehe :)  that is such a great sight :)

[fishysue]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Very nice picture.  Good luck with the fry.  Bought two pair at TCA in April but they haven't produced fry.

[AK-71]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Congratulations! Great sight!  
Did they get it right the first time?
What do you feed the fry and when do you start?

(I am in second attempt with Blue Rams, and first time eggs dissapered after ~36 hours  :( )

[jklntx]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Hi AK,

I feed them First Bites but I am not sure they are eating it. Their numbers are diminishing so I am not sure if its the food or they are getting picked off. I'm thinking of moving them to a 10 gal tank I have but it might be too small. My other option is set up a net partition around them to keep away predators.

These guys have been handling parenting very well. They deposit eggs on a stone in back (They are in a 75 gal community) and then dig a pit where you see fry in pic and move eggs to it. This time around they dug 2 pits and moved eggs several times back and forth.

In my other 75 gal I have German Rams who have laid eggs but they are terrible parents and forget about their eggs and leave them unguarded.

[AK-71]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Partition didn't work well for me 1st time, just couldn't get close enough to the walls to keep tetras out.
Not sure if it was a problem as parents guarded eggs at all times (and probably ate them at the end)
This time I got them 10gal tank, and separated female next day after spowning - at least I'll know who ate the eggs if they are gone :).Male is still guarding the eggs on the stone and they made a pit too.
I am going to hatch some baby brine shrimps and try to make some infusoria again - not sure when to start feeding though (after[if] they become freeswimming[?])
Good luck,
AK

[jklntx]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Yes good luck to you too...

I started feeding the moment I saw them free moving...This morning I see the parents have moved them (moved with them?) to the middle front of tank. The last 3 times they did this they did not last long.   :(

You used 10 gal as a temp hold for female? I was looking to just move pair with remaining babies  to their own  tank, but I read 10 gal is too small. Im not buyig them another tank so I may give it a go and see what happens.

[AK-71]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

No I used 10 gal as a breeder - I've read some people do it, fishgallery said should be OK too, but mainly because my wife wasn't OK even with this small 10gal...

[finfan]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

any update on the frys?

[jklntx]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

They're gone..interesting I really watched them this time and I don't think they got picked off because parents stayed close at all times warding off the curious by Monday PM they were all gone. They were barely getting off bottom Monday...maybe they were stared to death?

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Sucks that you lost them....have you considered removing the parents and trying to rear them yourself?

I had rams and my Gold cacatuoides breed and start to raise free swimmers but nothing past that. Eventually I plan on starting a breeding tank only and rearing the fry myself.

[AK-71]

Re: Bolivians with Fry

Sorry about the fry. Were they big enough to try BBS? I hatched some - it was very easy. I've read they should be able to eat them in a couple of days after they swim.