Fry, BBS, saltwater and me....

[John_Nicholson]

There has been some discussion on here about feeding BBS. Here is what I do. I know that some other do it differently but I have been doing it this way a long time and it has worked for me.

-john

My hatching jars...2, one gallon glass jars. Started 12 hours apart.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0038.jpg

Getting ready to harvest. Remember they will go towards the light.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0040.jpg

getting ready to collect.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0051.jpg

getting the little boogers out of there.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0053.jpg

I normally cut some BH up and put it in the tanks before putting in the BBS

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0059.jpg

Putting a little in with 108 Santarem's 75 gallon tank

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_1623.jpg

Now back to the BBS

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_1624.jpg

Into 29 gallon with 144 fry

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_1626.jpg

into 29 with 172 fry

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_1628.jpg

a few more of the fry tanks
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0041.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0042.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0044.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/100_0046.jpg

Pictures by my 16 year old daughter with a cheap camera, but I hope you get the point. All of the fry were raised with BBS stright into the tank without rinsing. Also they have been in R/O waste water since they hatched.

-john

[nc0gnet0]

Just out of curiousity John, have you ever tested the salt levels of your fry tanks? Be curious to know what level(s) they are at.

[LizStreithorst]

Just out of curiousity John, have you ever tested the salt levels of your fry tanks? Be curious to know what level(s) they are at.

I doubt that he has ever bothered. It works. That's what is important.

[Eddie]

Great pics John! Them puppies look happy as hippos! And thats a ton of BBS. ;)

Eddie

[nc0gnet0]

I doubt that he has ever bothered. It works. That's what is important.

I don't disagree, it was more a curiousity.......It's hard to tell but he does look like he is using some decent size tanks.

[John_Nicholson]

I have not bother to test my water for a long time. If there is a problem the fish will tell me...LOL. I believe in keeping the water clean and warm. Everything else is just making it hard on yourself.

I have raised literally ten of thousands of discus fry ( the only year that I even came close to counting them all resulted in 3000 fry being sold in a 6 month period so roughly 6000 a year ). AlL of them born and raised in Caddo Mills Texas. Nothing imported, nothing shipped from a friend with my name on it. Most people make this game way harder then it needs to be. Anyone interested in the ins and out of doing this same thing....well I'll see you in Dallas in June.

-john

[Eddie]

I have not bother to test my water for a long time. If there is a problem the fish will tell me...LOL. I believe in keeping the water clean and warm. Everything else is just making it hard on yourself.

I have raised literally ten of thousands of discus fry ( the only year that I even came close to counting them all resulted in 3000 fry being sold in a 6 month period so roughly 6000 a year ). AlL of them born and raised in Caddo Mills Texas. Nothing imported, nothing shipped from a friend with my name on it. Most people make this game way harder then it needs to be. Anyone interested in the ins and out of doing this same thing....well I'll see you in Dallas in June.

-john


Sounds good John, you know I'll be pinging you every chance I get! Great methods!

Eddie

[nc0gnet0]

John,

Never doubted your expertise....my questions where to learn, try to understand, and eventually duplicate (albeit on a minute scale). Thats why the questions........

Looking at your BBS setup (gallon jar) and the amount of water it appears you have removed from one (looks like 1/2, or a quart) that would equate to roughly two tablespoons of salt added twice a day for a total of 4 tablespoons. Subtract 2 tablespoons removed from a 50 % water change, and within about 8 days time your up to a concentration of 8 tablespoons of salt in your fry tanks (this doesn't allow for twice daily 50% water changes or skipping water changes on the seventh day).

Considering your great success, I was wondering if this somehow could have been a factor?

[John_Nicholson]

That BBS was split between 2 tanks so you will need to cut your numbers in half, but other then that you are pretty close. Also about one day a week (if time allows) I will make one of the daily changes a 75% - 85%.

-john

[LizStreithorst]

I've seen what John does. I was in his fish house. He feeds a ton of BBS. Once seeing how he does it I started feeding tons, too. I feed it as long as the fish are small enough to take it. Let me tell you, the fish will continue to eat it up to the tme they reach 3 inches.

[Eddie]

John, what are the parameters of your RO waste?

[kent1963]

This is really interesting. I never rinse BBS, but I've always run my siphon into a net or seine.

[John_Nicholson]

Eddie I have no clue.

-john

[Eddie]

Eddie I have no clue.

-john


:D I'm sure I could take a wild guess.

[Ardan]

This is a good thread. I just started doing it somewhat like this, but I put the gallon jars in a 29 gallon with a few inches of water and a heater to keep it at 82F. I also found that to get the bbs out I use my turkey baster and squirt it into the tank. This method is working really well for me, simple and effective.
Thanks John for sharing this info.
I did use some info from this thread also. Thank you! http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?73479-How-to-hatch-brineshrimp&p=566827&highlight=kitchen%20sink#post566827
I also like the info in this thread http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?98768-Safe-to-raise-brine-shrimp-daphina-for-our-discus&highlight=brine+shrimp
The important info there is that it is the yolk sack of the bbs that has all the nutrition.

Ardan

[DJW]

I do that too, put the hatching jars in a heated 20g. My house is too cold and drafty in the winter to be able to use just a light bulb as heat source.

[RogueDiscus]

I've been basically using this method since I was a kid raising bettas. Wherever I learned to do it at that time, I was told to strain them through a handkerchief, and I've been doing that ever since. I don't bother to rinse, but it does separate the bbs from the salt water. But if this is how John does it, it must be good enough!:)