Melanot. fry and eggs
Ted Northrop (ted at astro.ocis.temple.edu)
Tue, 23 Jul 1996 19:16:08 -0400 (EDT)
YO,
I am having problems with rearing fry of some Melanot. species. I get
the eggs to hatch fine, but when it comes time to transfer the fry to the
rearing tank from the hatching tray, I acclimate them and place them
in the rearing tank but it does not seem that any (well maybe two or
three) are surviving.
O.K. I collect the fry with a spoon into a cup with water from the
hatching tray, float the cup in the rearing tank to adjust the temp.
Also I add small amounts of water from the tank into the cup over a
period of four to six hours to get the water in the cup the same as in the
tank. I add a little food to the cup maybe three times during this period.
Then I transfer the fry with the spoon from the cup into the rearing
tank. I never see the fry at the surface of the water in the tank???
I don't think they are making it, any tips???
Tank conditions for the rearing tank are:
pH=8.2, temp=84, dGH=11, nitrates=less than 12 ppm,
ammonia/ammonium=0, crushed coral in the power filter, The power filter
is turned down very low so there is some but very little surface
agitation. Tank where fish are spawning is about the same
parameters, only the dGH is different and that is about 4 degrees
higher.
Food, here is where I am clueless as I could not find APR so I
am using tetra's egg layer formula which looks like APR. And a liquid
product called liquifry. I also have green water but I have been afraid to
use it as I was afraid of thingy's hurting the fry or stinging them, si this
an unfounded fear??? I feed about five times a day just a little. But
like I said I don't see fry swimming at the top.
Ted