Food for baby german rams

[lado]

Have a bunch of baby rams .Perents taken out need advice on feeding .THey are in 5 gal tank with sponge filter and some java moss.Could hatch BBS ,but these guys are so tiny.

[AmberC]

You have a few options. I always chose to hatch my own baby brine shrimp until they were big enough for very finely crushed flakes. I've also known people to use cooked egg yolk. Mashed up real fine as these guys are TINY. OR you could use a liquid fry food, but these are rather messy and since its difficult enough as it is to clean a fry tank, especially when they free swim, I'd stick to the BBS.

hth.
Amber

[AmberC]

BTW... you didn't need to remove the parents. Rams generally make excellent parents and I tend to like to let them handle it themselves. Makes your job easier. (Unless you have had eggs before and know that this particular pair are not good parents?)

Oh.. an established java fern is really good for fry as well as its got micro-organisms that the babies can feed off of too.
Amber

[Sharn]

never seen fresh babies but would infusoria (sp) be worth looking into?

[brewmaster15]

This article by one of Simplycichlids members may help...

http://www.simplycichlids.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95

I would Pm the author at Simplycichlids.com

Curtis Johnson... aka mematrix ...http://www.simplycichlids.com/forum/member.php?u=22



The article has just been published...

http://www.simplycichlids.com/forum/showthread.php?t=366

I'm Curtis can give you some pointers...

-al

[JeffreyRichard]

I've successfully raised Rams (and apistos) on live baby brine shrimp. I'm now experimenting with a product called Cyclops-ease. There are a number of bbs replacements out ... check Mike Reeds site and Brine Shrimp direct.

[JeffreyRichard]

You have a few options. I always chose to hatch my own baby brine shrimp until they were big enough for very finely crushed flakes. I've also known people to use cooked egg yolk. Mashed up real fine as these guys are TINY. OR you could use a liquid fry food, but these are rather messy and since its difficult enough as it is to clean a fry tank, especially when they free swim, I'd stick to the BBS.

hth.
Amber

I agree with you about the other foods ... typically liquid fry food and egg yolk are only necessary for VERY small fry (discus, anabantoids). Ram fry are similar in size to angelfish fry ... they'll take live baby brine shrimp immediately.

[lado]

Immediatly you mean after they start free swiming,one day or couple of days?

[Willie]

I've always fed baby rams with bbs and have raised lots and lots of them. However, I've always felt that the smaller ones were starving. Frankly, they are so prolific that I didn't bother to try something smaller -- like microworms. I started the feeding once they became free swimming. In a planted tank, there would be plenty of microflora on the gravel, roots, etc. for them to feed.

Willie

[JeffreyRichard]

Immediatly you mean after they start free swiming,one day or couple of days?

Rule of thumb ... once all the fry go free swimming. At this point most have used up their yolk.

Willie makes a good point regarding microworms ... it wouldn't hurt to supplement BBS with microworms; it is an extra step however.

[wheeler]

what about vinegar eels??? just a thought!

[nightowl1250]

I've raised rams and IMO the best first foods (other than what they can pick off your real plants) are microworms. If you can get a full blown culture from someone it is best. Vinegar eels will work as well, but I've never used them. After a few days you can start to mix in some bbs and the larger ones will eat them.

I've raised both rams and angels and trust me the rams are much smaller. If you go bbs you will get a die off of the tiny ones that just can't eat them. It depends on how many you want to live.

My rams make terrible parents. The original pair ate their eggs before I could see they layed them. If I didn't "catch" them in the act I would never be able to raise any. I know have the original female paired up with one of her sons (bigger and nicer colours than the original male) I know my first pair were parent raised....but they wont do it. The son got the eggs to close to wiggler stage (kept the female on the other side of the tank) before he ate them. I raised him but he still has the instinct. Not sure if he freeked when they started to wiggle, but he will have more chances as I can't raise every spawn. The first Mom son spawn I pulled has over 150, now 3 week old survivers :)

Good luck with the spawn.

[lado]

Well I judt started a culture today .I like micros too. Just had bad luck using a cornmeal to feed culture.You are right ,all the litlle ones died off .But there is still 25 left.You are right about parenting too .Had half dosen spans and they all ended up eaten ,but this one that I pulled and hathced separetly.Tell me some more about feeding schedules and WC.THanks

[nightowl1250]

I feed microworms as needed. They don't die off and foul the tank so if you see there are none left add a bit more. I also have very small (1" or so) baby BN plecos in the tank to keep the bottom very clean. I breed plecos so I have a good supply of little ones. After about a week I start adding bbs to the morning feeding and feed just bbs before I do the nightly w/c.

I do a daily w/c of about 50% using aged water at the same temp as tank. My hose it an airline tube and you need a finger on the exiting end to stop the flow before you suck up a tiny fry :) It is a bit of a pain, but just bail out the rest of the water with a small container or cup once the bottom is cleaned off. Without the plecos you will need to wipe the tank bottom down to remove the coating you will get. Let the tank settle, then vacume up the bottom.

Good luck with them.

[lado]

Well may mating pair laid eags without me noticeing any of action some time back.Now I have another batch of wigglers.Got some placed in growing tank with older sibilings.Are they gona eat them up since new fry arent freeswiming yet?