Frank's F1 Growouts from Wild Parents - A Pleasant Surprise!

[fljones3]

Thanks again Liz. Helpful
We will see how things proceed.

Choose the best to keep yourself. Try not to choose all the largest ones. There's a better chance they will be males. When when I contact you (it will be 3 weeks or a month from now) choose for me and all the other people who will want them from the rest. I may be able to point you to where you can buy good bags of the right thickness. I havent Googled it lately but I bet there are lots of videos out there on how to bag fish and how to make a fish box. I might just be your first shipping experiment!

[peewee1]

Franko, to add to what Liz said and I do not recall if it was Forrest or Kenny who told me that the female tend to have more color than the male early on. So maybe keep that in mind when you are sorting and keeping.

[coralbandit]

I try to mix small prepared food in with BBS so the change is no big deal .
For me when fry eat the BBS I mix in a little of my smallest Golden pearls so they are already enjoying prepared foods.
Also many prepared foods are vitamin /nutrient packed so make a great addition to BBS.

[fljones3]

Thanks Tom. I did just that starting a couple of weeks ago.
I feed mainly at this point, BBS. As many have noted, I have had excellent growth doing this. I do mix in a time or two a day, FDBW, Tropical D-50 baby pellets and/or golden pearls. Their favorite food is FDBW, next BBS, and a close third D-50 generally tied at this point. Generally, they are just eating machines. I have tried some flake food but they greatly prefer the above.

I try to mix small prepared food in with BBS so the change is no big deal .
For me when fry eat the BBS I mix in a little of my smallest Golden pearls so they are already enjoying prepared foods.
Also many prepared foods are vitamin /nutrient packed so make a great addition to BBS.

[fljones3]

Got some semi-decent shots today except for the reflection in the background. Pretty pleased. In one of the photos, you will see a single fry with the damaged gill plate. I have not culled it yet. Since these little ones are hard to net, I have been waiting until it might be a little easier. It's also probably one of the least timid and showing no illness.

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[peewee1]

Nice photos, Frank. You may be able to eliminate the reflection by placing a blanket behind you.

[fljones3]

Lazy on my part. I have not taken the trouble.

Nice photos, Frank. You may be able to eliminate the reflection by placing a blanket behind you.

[danotaylor]

Beautiful looking fry Frank. You're doing a great job with them mate

[fljones3]

Another update.

4 week size: around 20mm
5 week size: around 30mm
5.6 week size: between 35-40mm

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[LizStreithorst]

I have rarely seen baby F1's so beautiful at such a young age. You are a master raiser. Keep it up.

[fljones3]

Thanks Liz. "Master Raiser" I am not, but do appreciate the strong encouragement to keep going forward.

I have had several key inputs which have kept the babies (I hope) on the right path. Winnie's Discus pointed out and confirmed the lack of wriggler attachment was too strong lighting. I would have lost them instead of just half of the spawn. Brian and Al have assisted on questions and encouragement on present issues and how to move forward. Tom helped me greatly on getting the BBS going. Numerous people on this post. Numerous people on past posts and threads. Pat (affectionately labeled -by the fry - as their godmother) has answered patiently a LOT of newbie questions. She even told me to stop hyper-ventilating once (I was)! LOL! I am sure I left out someone. At the end of the day, we can (using agriculture terminology) plant and water, but the Lord gives the growth. Liz, you have been part of that process and encouragement.

I have rarely seen baby F1's so beautiful at such a young age. You are a master raiser. Keep it up.

[fljones3]

A couple of more pics. The top center discus is the one with the bad gill plate, which I am close to removing. I am having more of the larger ones bypass BBS for pellets and/or Al's FDBW. Maybe another week or two before BBS will be finished? They are 6 weeks tomorrow morning.

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Playing in the WC, which is a major one mid-morning and a lighter removal of waste in the late afternoon.

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[peewee1]

These are browns but are you seeing any hints of color yet, Frank. My hope for when I buy a fish is that the bars are evenly spaced and not crooked. With that said I do have two Heckel that do not meet that criteria. But when I breed them the offspring will have those bars that I am looking for. You fish look great! They grow fast, don't they.

[danotaylor]

Your tripping the light fantastic Frank! Fabuloso

[fljones3]

No. No discernible color yet outside the black. I don’t know about Wilds but I would think I am at least an inch or two or growth away. I agree with the bars. We will see what the parents bred in the future.

Thanks for the encouragement. They do grow fast. I am guessing that in the past three weeks they are averaging around 1/4 inch per week.

These are browns but are you seeing any hints of color yet, Frank. My hope for when I buy a fish is that the bars are evenly spaced and not crooked. With that said I do have two Heckel that do not meet that criteria. But when I breed them the offspring will have those bars that I am looking for. You fish look great! They grow fast, don't they.