Both parentaly and artificially raised fry doing well so far.

[kaceyo]

This is the 5th spawn for my Yellow Crystals and although they have been doing a bit better each spawn I decided to try to artificially raise a few so I had something to do while waiting for them to get it right. I seperated about 100 fry from the group when they started going free swimming on Tuesday. I gave them their 1st feeding of egg yolk mix on tues evening for about an hour before putting them in clean water for the night. I start feeding again about 6 to 6:30 in the A.M. and let them eat for an hour, then back to the clean water till 11:00 or 12:00. I feed them like this 4 or 5 times a day. I remove some old water while they are feeding and replace wth clean so I can let them eat up to 2 or 3 hours at a time. I've lost exactly 5 fry since I started so I have high hopes that things will continue like this.
Meanwhile, the parents have been allowing their fry to feed for the first time and although the # of fry seems to drop from day to day the ones they do still have are doing great. If only they will keep taking care of them and not eat anymore I'll be very happy.
While all that was going on the remaining 2 Yellow Crystals spawned and are gaurding a small clutch (is it a "clutch" with fish?) of about 75 eggs. That would be nice if I get two pairs out of the 4 Y.C.'s Danny sent me. I thought the last two were both females but in 24hrs only 5 or 6 have fungused.
Wish me luck,
Kacey

[Howie_W]

Hi Kacey,

Above and beyond, it sounds like you ended up with even one more parent than you counted on...yourself! http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/love/new/love-smiley-021.gif

It all sounds great...wishing you much luck! http://users.pandora.be/eforum/emoticons4u/fingers/fing02.gif

Also...I believe clutch is usually used when referring to fowl laying eggs...but why not? Most often eggs are reffered to as a spawn.


Howie

[Cosmo]

Hey KC,

Way to go :)

Jim

[kaceyo]

It's day 5 since first feeding and I'm down to 30 hand raised fry. They were going along pretty well till about day 4 when they started dropping like frys, er...flies. I may have let myself get a little lax in keeping the water as clean as I had been. The parent raised fry are huge compaired to the artificials. I started adding small amounts of BBS yesterdy and I'm pretty sure the big guys are eating them but not so sure about the artif-raised. I'm still hoping for at least a few survivers from the hand raised group but my method is pretty unorthadox so it could go either way. My money is on the parent raised now so I hope they don't get the munchies.
Later,
Kacey

[Carol_Roberts]

Experiments like this are a great learning experience :) Keep us posted on your results.

[BGTW]

Keep that water extra clean.

[kaceyo]

Today is day 11. So far both groups have been doing well. The parent raised are however MUCH larger and today the artificial group is not going after the food as they usually do. They are staying in a group around the airline outlet at the bottom of the bowl instead of chasing around after the BBS like they usualy do. I've been keeping them in a 7"X4" bowl floating in a ten gallon tank.(remember there are only 10 of them) I change at least 50% of the water just before each feeding aprox every 2hrs, and again just before lights out. The only change in the last couple of days is that I switched them from Meth.Blue water to my aged water that every body gets. Maybe I need to go back to the M.Blue? If you have any ideas on what might make them act as I've described or what I can do about it let me know.
Thanx,
Kacey

[Greg Richardson]

Hi Kacey. Do you have pictures of the parents available?

[kaceyo]

Sorry Greg,
The only pics I have of the parents are from when I had just bought them. I think Cosmo (Jim) may have some of those but I have no way to post them plus they were much younger, of cource. They are the Yellow Crystals Danny from DiscusFantasy was selling last October.

[Greg Richardson]

Hi Kacey. Okay. Maybe I'll find a picture.
Come on over and post here. Hoping to collect a list of posters in these area's.
Should help you when it comes time to sell some of those.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=43052