What to feed fry?

[Rob_General_Lee]

After about 15 failed spawns, my pigeon blood and marlboro red has struck gold. Their spawn from Monday this week resulted in about 10 black eggs after about 30 hours. The other 70-80 eggs were still amber or had already turned white. I felt that the fertilized eggs had a better chance of going full term if I removed the dead eggs around them. So, with a threading needle I picked away all the dead eggs. In getting all the eggs off the clay pot I accidentally picked away 3 of the fertilized eggs. So, the pair has been fanning and guarding 7 fertilized eggs for the past 4 days. The eggs have turned into wigglers and from wigglers they have turned into fry with sacs. They are still attached to the pot but they are feverously trying to free themselves. I have removed a Milleneum 2000 filter and have put a large net to cover the intake valve of a fluval filter. I did this because I read somewhere that newly hatched fry have a tendancy of being sucked into the filters (is this accurate?). The 2 sponge filters are running as normal.

The 15 other spawns all ended in entire batch of eggs turning white. What I have recently done to change the water parameters is add Discus Essential RO water conditioner to add trace minerals, and add PH neutralizing salt. The water changes are still being made with 100% RO water (just can't trust the muni water here in Diamond Bar, CA).

I am still feeding the pair with live blood worms (but in very small amounts - 4 times a day). I do water changes after 2 feedings. My question to everyone is - WHAT DO I FEED THE FRY when they became free swimming? I know that the first week or so is spent feeding off the parents' body slime, but what do you suggest for food after that point? I don't think I have the time to attempt hatching brine shrimp. So, is there a frozen or freeze-dried alternative? Please let me know what food (other than live baby brine shrimp) has worked for you the best.

[CliffsDiscus]

Lee,
If you don't have the time to hatch brine shrimp egg, try
the decapsulated brine shrimp eggs.

Cliff

[United21Soccer]

You could try to get them to eat egg yolk...

A few fry is not worth the trouble of hatching BBS . They will soon disappear from the parents. I know it's exciting to have the first wrigglers. Just let nature take it's course and let the parents to have a chance to carry the fry until they are ready to spawn again. Find out the conductivity of your R/O and add tap water to keep it under 150 ms. Depending on the strain of your pair to adjust Ph according. Most domestic will be just fine betweenPh-6.0 -6.8. No need to add anything. You are sure now to have a pair and a fertile male. If your spawning medium is the flowerpot which is sometimes too low for the large male to fertilize the eggs at the bottom. Try raising the level and turn off the power filter and use only sponge filters.HTH
Jimmy.

[Rob_General_Lee]

United - how do you prepare the egg yolk? Is it just given raw?

Jimmy - What would you suggest to raise the flower pot? Should I stack a couple pots together?

Unfortunately, the seven wigglers disappeared in the span of 2 days. Although I did not actually witness it, I feel that one of the parents ate them. Anyone have similar incidents? Then the next spawn the pair ate the eggs almost immediately after fertilizing them.