Feeding newly born fry

[MSBolognese]

I´ve got a couple of discus pairs that simply wont take care of their fry, so I´m trying to raise them by myself.

My main problem has been getting them to feed, so eventually they end up dying after a couple of days of free swimming.
I´ve tried using powdered egg yolk mixed it with water from the tank and smeared it in a black pvc that I place with the fry. Some nibbled a bit but lost interest right after. Also tried to feed microworms with little or no success.

What´s you experience in this fase?
How should I proceed? Any tips or guidence would be very much appreciated.

[100fuegos]

I have no experience in this myself so what I am about to say I read it here from some experienced members that did it themselves in the past. You need to hit them in the face with newly hatched brine shrimp, lots of them, all the time. There is a particular strain of brine shrimp known as the tiny brine shrimp, artemia franciscana they call it. Never used this strain myself but the smaller the nhbs the better to one day old free swimmers.

[MSBolognese]

I´ve heard about it too, but it´s not viable for me since I live in Brazil and it´s nearly impossible for me to have access to this brine shrimp.
I have to use a more traditional approach.

[brewmaster15]

I´ve got a couple of discus pairs that simply wont take care of their fry, so I´m trying to raise them by myself.

My main problem has been getting them to feed, so eventually they end up dying after a couple of days of free swimming.
I´ve tried using powdered egg yolk mixed it with water from the tank and smeared it in a black pvc that I place with the fry. Some nibbled a bit but lost interest right after. Also tried to feed microworms with little or no success.

What´s you experience in this fase?
How should I proceed? Any tips or guidence would be very much appreciated.

Are you trying this in the fishtank? Artificial works better in small containers, imo. Try removing the eggs and hatching them in a small tank..even a 1 gal bowl with an airline can be used initially.


Al

[MSBolognese]

Are you trying this in the fishtank? Artificial works better in small containers, imo. Try removing the eggs and hatching them in a small tank..even a 1 gal bowl with an airline can be used initially.


Al

Hello brewmaster15,

My problem is not hatching them. The problem is the feeding part.
I have placed them in a small container that floats in the same tank as the parents are.
I used a sponge filter to elevate and feed water to this container so I guarantee the water change with a slow flow.
This container has a thin mash on the botton so the water can get thru.

The thing is getting them to feed.
Any tips?

[CliffsDiscus]

Did the fry get sluggish and stop eating after the first
feeding, from then on it was downhill?

Cliff

[MSBolognese]

Did the fry get sluggish and stop eating after the first
feeding, from then on it was downhill?

Cliff

To be completly honest I don´t think that they are eating at all.

The fry I get from other pairs that the parents raise for at least 5 days I can manage to get them fully developed.
Tomorrow I´ll have another free swimming fry that probably will be lost due to this issue.
Don´t know what to try next.

[Second Hand Pat]

If you have fry on other pairs perhaps you can add the just hatched fry in with another batch. You also might consider adding the eggs in with another pair (with eggs) and see if the pair will tend both.

So you do not have access to brine shrimp eggs?
Pat

[MSBolognese]

If you have fry on other pairs perhaps you can add the just hatched fry in with another batch. You also might consider adding the eggs in with another pair (with eggs) and see if the pair will tend both.

So you do not have access to brine shrimp eggs?
Pat

That has been my MO, but the problem is that I don´t have that many pairs laying eggs now so I cannot trick another pair into raising both fry.

I hatch a brine shrimp daily to feed all other fry. I´ve tried feeding new free swimming fry but they don´t seam to be interested.
I don´t know if my brine shrimp is of a species that´s small enouth for them to eat.
That´s why I was trying the egg yolk. I know that if I can manage to get them past the 4 to 5 days barrier I can raise them easily.

[MGKelly]

this may help, i don't believe discus fry can eat even the smallest newly hatched brine shrimp.

http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/..._rearing.shtml

[MSBolognese]

this may help, i don't believe discus fry can eat even the smallest newly hatched brine shrimp.

http://www.simplydiscus.com/library/..._rearing.shtml

Thanks. I´ll try adding spirulina and some other kind of protein based powder.

Will keep updated.

[CliffsDiscus]

To be completly honest I don´t think that they are eating at all.

The fry I get from other pairs that the parents raise for at least 5 days I can manage to get them fully developed.
Tomorrow I´ll have another free swimming fry that probably will be lost due to this issue.
Don´t know what to try next.

Usually on the first of feeding day you will see yellow in
the fry stomach, this is from the yolk. If there are no
yellow they were not eating and feeding from their
own eye sac, once the sac is empty the fry will die
in 3 to 5 days.

I don't use water from any tank water, all water are
drinking water clean, you might want to try this.

As for another food I use ARP made by OSI.

Good Luck,
Cliff

[Fishquake]

what are you putting the egg mix on in order for them to eat it?

[CliffsDiscus]

what are you putting the egg mix on in order for them to eat it?

Metamucil, spirulina, ARP and powder egg yolk.

See NADA for detail article and pictures.

Cliff

[Fishquake]

Metamucil, spirulina, ARP and powder egg yolk.

See NADA for detail article and pictures.

Cliff

no not what's in the mix, on what surface are you putting the mix on?