feeding fry

[boydie]

Hey all I've got two week old fry(free swimming) . And im feeding them BBS 4/5 times a day and all is going well.
What/when should I start feeding something else along with bbs. Any advice would be great.
Also when should I move them from parents ???
As I go on holiday's in 2 weeks, for 10 days, and my neighbour is going to feed them and I also was going to set up a drip system for water changes plus he will vacuum tank. If I move the fry.
Any advice would be great.
Cheers Marty

[Rod]

Hi Marty,

Keep up with the bbs for a while yet, as long as they keep eating it. Start adding some finely shaved beef heart , just a little as you add the bbs. Also FD blackworm cubes. I like to press one or two on the glass a cpl times a day.

You can remove from the parents anytime after they accept bbs, but it is possibly easier to handle them if you can wait a week or so longer.

Rod

[boydie]

cheers mate

[Keith Perkins]

Exactly what Rod said, but here's one more thing. A plus about keeping them with the parents is that as you feed your parents beef heart the fry will start picking at it and or begin eating the small bits that break off as the parents eat it.

[DonMD]

Also FD blackworm cubes. I like to press one or two on the glass a cpl times a day.

I agree. Also I usually will slice the FDBW cubes into three smaller pieces using a very very sharp knife. I helps make the worms somewhat smaller as the fry peck at them and they get suspended in the water column. As the fry grow, I'll only cut the cubes in two, then later leave them whole. I also use beef heart flake in an auto feeder. You can dice up the flakes any size you want to make them easier for the small fry to eat. Good luck growing them out.

[Larry Bugg]

Also I usually will slice the FDBW cubes into three smaller pieces using a very very sharp knife. I helps make the worms somewhat smaller as the fry peck at them and they get suspended in the water column

I put cubes in a coffee grinder and grind them up nice and small for fry.

[Keith Perkins]

I put cubes in a coffee grinder and grind them up nice and small for fry.

I do the same, but usually use the shake from the bottom of the bag.

[MD.David]

I love bare bottom no matter what.
But again if everyone was like that this hobby would be borring.

[Jimmy k]

my fry hav started free swmming today ..can i feed dem brine shrimp next day?
if not when..im scared if dey do not eat from parent slim coat dey vill die

[Altum Nut]

I would keep them with parents as they are two small for BB just becoming free swimmers. Lower water level which should help with finding parents. If they latch on parents I would leave it be for approx. 14 days before you introduce BB. Once they take to BB you can remove parents.

...Ralph

[RogueDiscus]

I'll disagree a bit with Ralph. Once the fry have attached I've been successful introducing BBS in small amounts after about 3 to 5 more days. They still feed off the parents for a couple weeks too, but gradually take more and more of the bbs too. You need to be careful to siphon out what they don't eat.

[100fuegos]

Agreed with Steve. After day five free swimming I start the nhbb in small amounts. At first it seems they could care less but they do feed on them. Around day 14 they will start nipping the bh mix I normally feed the parents. By three weeks they will be attacking the bh mix like piranhas and then it will be a good start point to remove the parents or remove them from the parents.

I usually keep feeding nhbb until they show interest that is at around 30 day old.