Re: [RML] Fry raising advice

Julie Zeppieri (bowluvr at hotmail.com)
Thu, 24 Nov 2005 20:25:28 -0800

For growout I have successfully used as small as 2 gallon "Kritter Keepers"
w/an airstone VERY slowly bubbling, up to 10 and 15 gallon tanks with sponge
filters (again, on slow bubble). I even have raised a handful of fry
successfully in a 1-gallon jar -- a'la killifish, except bows need a bit of
water movement. I raise many of my killi fry in plastic deli cups with a
handful of Java Moss and lid. Bows don't like that so much.

If the mop has lots of eggs I prefer a larger tank (at least 5 gallon) as
they are touchy about being netted and moved until they are about an inch
long. In the bigger tanks I have more time to grow them out before space
becomes a concern. :-)

Julie <'><

>From: Scott Davis <unclescott at prodigy.net>
>Reply-To: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
>To: r_m_l at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [RML] Fry raising advice
>Date: Thu, 24 Nov 2005 06:32:34 -0800 (PST)
>
> >I have had an unplanned breeding in a planted tank
>with M.praecox.
>
>Hey Conway!
>
>It wasn't unplanned by them! ;)
>
>Just check any morning at first strong light.
>
>My limited experience agrees with Hank's. Our Praecox,
>at least in a relatively roomy aquarium, were/are
>quite tolerant of fry, if they are well fed. They
>could well be called, "the guppies of the
>rainbowfish."
>
>I began keeping rainbowfish after keeping killies. I
>too tried keeping rainbow fry in small containers, a
>la the killinuts. It didn't work for my Madagascars.
>(And then my son directed me to the half dozen tiny
>Madagascar fry coasting along an inch or two from the
>small power filter intake on the parent's 20-gallon
>tank.)
>
>Killie are amblers and aquarists get by, raising them
>in smaller tanks, though they would be impressed if
>they raised the same fry in 20-longs. That isn't
>always possible I realize.
>
>But your rainbows are swimmers, not amblers and even
>the fry need space. Their mouths are so small (even in
>the case of larger looking fry such as the Bedotia)
>that they need the tiny powdered fry foods such as
>APR, Tetra egglayer or one of the many other new foods
>commercially available. I found it useful to set them
>up in greenwater tanks, with lots of snails to clean
>up the extra powdered foods. They can browse the
>protists in the greenwater when not feeding on the
>powdered food. The greenwater's photosynthetic
>properties may also keep the water a little safer.
>Militant and frequent small partial water changes, as
>they grow up, doesn't hurt. YMMV
>
>I still transgress in keeping the smaller rainbows in
>20s with power filters. Once in a while a larger tank
>is available. I would be interested in what others use
>for their adult rainbowfish. Hank mentioned dropping a
>praecox mop in a rearing tank. How big do people go
>with grow out tanks?
>
>Thanks and all the best!
>
>Scott
>Park Forest, IL