New Project

[coralbandit]

Pat, what's your TDS? After Tom mentioned it in my thread, and I believe once before, I added humic acid to my tank. It works as well as Roobios tea for allowing Angel eggs to hatch. I don't know for sure if it's even needed.

I have use humic acid myself with the rams and apistos.Not only to stain and soften the water in their tank but in artificial hatching instead of MB or H202.
It was not something I completely figured out dosing for but it was easier and worked more often in the tank .Still got almost got a quart of 'Black Gold' left !
A little goes a long way with that stuff...

[Second Hand Pat]

Sounds like you are ready now just to get the fish to cooperate a little ..
Look for two that even tolerate each other and stay to same area while others are jousting ..
I mentioned in Liz thread about water ..I take my rams to 100TDS for breeding ..
I don't test anything else knowing my taps parameters as a baseline and seeing how little RO changes them .
My tap is 7.6 pH / 2-3 KH / 9 GH with a TDS of 350+
I use RO [no DI] that comes out 17TDS and add it back to my tap to get 100..
80-82+ and that is it ..
Feed the parents BBS especially after the eggs are laid so they know there will be food for their babies .
Some actually theorize that rams eating fry is just them knowing they would not survive where they are due to lack of proper food ?
I have seen several breeders add the BBS or a small amount of vinegar eels near the eggs and turn fry eaters into good parents !
Not my trick something I was shown and make sure to do .
I feed BBS 2-3 times a day to all my fish ..Just habit ..
Good luck Pat I love seeing others raise fry .

Thanks Tom, there is one male I am eyeballing (nice color and fins) and he seems to be paired with a female. I will catch the male first then maybe add the female(s) (I only have four) if needed to id the mate. Water wise I am using tap water for now. I am on a well and after aging my ph is 8.2, KH/GH is the same at about 14/15 and TDS varies between (180 to 220 varies seasonally). I can add a bit of RO to the mix if I need to.
Pat

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, what's your TDS? After Tom mentioned it in my thread, and I believe once before, I added humic acid to my tank. It works as well as Roobios tea for allowing Angel eggs to hatch. I don't know for sure if it's even needed.

Hi Liz, my well water has a TDS of 220 this time of year (dry season). I will start with using my tap water and move to an RO/tap mix if needed. I had the one set of eggs in the 50 and after 24 hours I could see fry in the eggs so comfortable in giving my tap a try.
Pat

[coralbandit]

I have seen my rams breed successfully in my growouts with 350 TDS ,I just don't encourage it .
In the beginning [7 years ago] the 100TDS w3as completely necessary now ??
I would run with your water Pat and see how it goes .

[Second Hand Pat]

I have seen my rams breed successfully in my growouts with 350 TDS ,I just don't encourage it.
In the beginning [7 years ago] the 100TDS w3as completely necessary now ??
I would run with your water Pat and see how it goes .

Will do Tom and no worries. I am well versed in using RO water. I have used it with wild discus in the past.
Pat

[LizStreithorst]

That's good to know. Thanks Tom and Pat.

[Second Hand Pat]

So moved the intended pair to the 10 yesterday. They mostly hide under the heater yesterday and this morning they were out and about with subdued lighting. I placed a white paper towel under the led to dim the light.



You can see they are both showing tubes. I might do a wee WC this afternoon.
Pat

[coralbandit]

NICE ! I would say you'll have eggs tonight !
After they spawn you might want to add more cover like a piece of wood and live plants..
Nothing special but they don't always work together nice nice after the eggs have been laid .
I love the color the females belly gets !

[Second Hand Pat]

NICE ! I would say you'll have eggs tonight !
After they spawn you might want to add more cover like a piece of wood and live plants..
Nothing special but they don't always work together nice nice after the eggs have been laid .
I love the color the females belly gets !

Hi Tom, no eggs yesterday. The pair doesn't quite seem settled yet. Today I am going to do a small water change with a wee bit of ro and perhaps add some rooibos tea. The tea may help to settle them and give them a sense of security. I am also taping white paper to the side of the tank next to the door where I walk into and out of my little fishroom for some added security.

Of course I had a pair spawn last night in the 50 where all the rams are (no other fish in that tank). As I was getting my coffee this morning the rams appeared to be having an egg breakfast. No one seemed to be defending the site. Silly fish. lol
Pat

[Second Hand Pat]

So the pair are preparing to spawn tonight. I have been dripping in a tap/ro mix all day and just gave them some live BBS and things are popping (or will be soon). TDS started at 230 (dry season) and it was down to about 160 and just checked it and it is back up to 190. Salt in the live BBS kicked to TDS up...oops.

I pan over and you can see where I am dripping in the tap/ro mix. The airstone in the pitcher gives a little resistance on the airline slowing the drip a bit.

[Second Hand Pat]

and we have eggs...

[coralbandit]

NICE !

Keep feeding the BBS so the parents know there is food for their fry when they hatch .
This is one trick taught to me that could help explain my parents raising fry more often now .
My buddy theorized that the parents ate fry since there was no food for them where they were ?
He would add vinegar eels the day eggs were laid near the site and that the changed the game for him !

Do you rinse the BBS? I have heard others say the BBS raised their TDS.. They never really touched mine much more then the poop they create ?
In a tank 5g BBS should not touch TDS 2 points IMO??

[Second Hand Pat]

NICE !

Keep feeding the BBS so the parents know there is food for their fry when they hatch .
This is one trick taught to me that could help explain my parents raising fry more often now .
My buddy theorized that the parents ate fry since there was no food for them where they were ?
He would add vinegar eels the day eggs were laid near the site and that the changed the game for him !

Do you rinse the BBS? I have heard others say the BBS raised their TDS.. They never really touched mine much more then the poop they create ?
In a tank 5g BBS should not touch TDS 2 points IMO??

I try to rinse the BBS Tom. I filter the water thru a coffee strainer but perhaps hatching too many eggs as the strainer is not draining well. I have a plan so will get back in that. I do not want the salt in the water either.
Pat

[Sturiosoma]

and we have eggs...

I can honestly say I have never had a ram spawn in a cave, knowing they are substrate spawners I never gave them one that's pretty cool I bet they feel secure in there, congrats on the spawn and good luck with them

Jeanne

[Second Hand Pat]

I can honestly say I have never had a ram spawn in a cave, knowing they are substrate spawners I never gave them one that's pretty cool I bet they feel secure in there, congrats on the spawn and good luck with them

Jeanne

Thank you Jeanne, I appreciate that
Pat