Red Pigeon Fry

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I have still been loosing a few of these a day which is not uncommon for me during the first week of artifical rearing of fry. I am keeping these in straight tap water which has a pH of 7.8 and a TDS of 200ppm. Changing the water three times a day with a feeding of live BBS at each water change.


http://youtu.be/4C2Z2FuQBys

[dprais1]

are those the brine shrimp or the discus? LOL they just look like specks in a bowl. guess they are prob in a tub

[nc0gnet0]

Kraig,

Are you hard set against using egg yolk powder made into a paste?

Rick

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I would try it but too late on these. Not sure where to get it. Do you use it Rick?

[nc0gnet0]

Kraig,

Yes I have used it with success. IMO, while some fry will accept BBS from day one, not all will/or are capable. I get mine from:

http://www.bulkfoods.com/whole-foods.asp?wholesale=4050

The drawback is it can fowl the water quickly and needs to be used sparingly.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Thanks for the link Rick. I knew it fouled the water quickly and that is why I have never used it. My work days keep me from home about 12 hours. Thanks again!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

The fry are eating FREEZE DRIED CYCLOP-EEZE, FREEZE DRIED COPEPODS, DECAPSULATED BRINE SHRIMP CYSTS AND NEWLY HATCHED BABY BRINE SHRIMP.


http://youtu.be/6hHlW1dVfuA

[rdiscus]

Looking great ... much bigger, good job Kraig

[trusty]

Very nice fry I ca see the growth in them pups....

[chaoslite]

They look great Kraig!

Mishka

[MKD]

2 thumbs up for Kraig artificially raise frys. hard works but pay back with healthy frys.

thank you for sharing

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Thanks guys for the support. Since I posted I have been losing a couple to a few fry a day? It seems to only happen when I do a water change and they die instantly. Their bellies seem to burst open from the water change. Force of the water hitting them when pouring them from pan to strainer to pan. I have never seen this happen before. Pat suggested the freeze dried food I have been feeding, until a few days ago, may not have been re-hydrated well before feeding and swelled in their bellies. I think she has a valid point. I hope these guys will make it still have a few more than 30.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hope they make it Kraig.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Hope they make it Kraig.


That is one of the best things about this forum. Advice. I got your idea about the freeze dried food and I do think that is what it is. I think I have damaged their gut. Just because I am a sponsor here and have been fooling around with discus for 25 years or so sure doesn't make me a expert. I have much to learn.

I was reluctant to join this contest as I was worried about not making the grade, especially with Josie around, LOL. I think this contest will show how hard it is to raise top notch fish, especially when you are taking care of thirty tanks and trying to make a living elsewhere. I finally figured what the heck, if I fail at least I won't be thinking next year I wish I would have joined.

Thanks Pat!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Look at it this way Kraig. My contest fish are wild F1s which do not grow as fast as domestics plus they are F1 greens. :o Talk about a handicap :D. My goal is to grow them out well and I will be happy with that.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Look at it this way Kraig. My contest fish are wild F1s which do not grow as fast as domestics plus they are F1 greens. :o Talk about a handicap :D. My goal is to grow them out well and I will be happy with that.

They sure have nice shape though Pat, I think you will be proud of them. I have never grown fish out at the rate I am seeing here. Since the 90's I have raised fish from 1 inch to Adult 6 inches plus. They grew until 18 months of age or so. Learning much here as usual!!!

[Skip]

good luck kraig.!!! wishing ya the best!

[nickfish39]

Great work so far Kraig. To say I am impressed is an understatement!
I think Pat might be one to something with the idea of the food not being re-hydrated enough. Have you tried golden pearls or freshwater rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus)? They grow on a culture dish and don't require the upkeep of brine shrimp, and since they are freshwater, they won't fowl the water as quickly if at all. Just an idea. Might be a little past that stage though. Let me know if you would like me to send you some of the rotifer cysts.
Good luck and keep up the good work!

[Pardal]

I have still been loosing a few of these a day which is not uncommon for me during the first week of artifical rearing of fry. I am keeping these in straight tap water which has a pH of 7.8 and a TDS of 200ppm. Changing the water three times a day with a feeding of live BBS at each water change.


http://youtu.be/4C2Z2FuQBys
Kraig
That is pretty much the same way I do it with Albinos, the Dick Au method but without air hose, I use the bigges bowl I can and with water changes 3 times a day not need for air until they grow a little bit.
I also used to decapsulated the brine shrimp eggs I decasulapte about a week worth and keep it the fridge with a brine to hatch their daily feeds a lot of work but definately rewarding.
I also think that timing for the first feeding is the key, I usually have my bbs in clean salt water waiting for the fry to be free swimming and looking around for food. Of course I time it for a couple of hours tops don't want to let the bbs loose their nutritional value either.
Sincerely
Julian.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

good luck kraig.!!! wishing ya the best!

Thanks Skip I am going to need it. I will be lucky to have 30 fish by the time they reach dime size.


Great work so far Kraig. To say I am impressed is an understatement!
I think Pat might be one to something with the idea of the food not being re-hydrated enough. Have you tried golden pearls or freshwater rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus)? They grow on a culture dish and don't require the upkeep of brine shrimp, and since they are freshwater, they won't fowl the water as quickly if at all. Just an idea. Might be a little past that stage though. Let me know if you would like me to send you some of the rotifer cysts.
Good luck and keep up the good work!

I would love to try the rotifer cysts. Golden pearls I need to try too. Thanks for all the help it is much appreciated.


Kraig
That is pretty much the same way I do it with Albinos, the Dick Au method but without air hose, I use the bigges bowl I can and with water changes 3 times a day not need for air until they grow a little bit.
I also used to decapsulated the brine shrimp eggs I decasulapte about a week worth and keep it the fridge with a brine to hatch their daily feeds a lot of work but definately rewarding.
I also think that timing for the first feeding is the key, I usually have my bbs in clean salt water waiting for the fry to be free swimming and looking around for food. Of course I time it for a couple of hours tops don't want to let the bbs loose their nutritional value either.
Sincerely
Julian.

I have often wondered about the needed air for the little ones. Thanks for the sharing this information good to know.

[Chad Adams]

Kraig,

Your fish sure look great and you seem to be having a lot of fun. That's great to see.
Congratulations on some nice fry buddy.

Chad

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Kraig,

Your fish sure look great and you seem to be having a lot of fun. That's great to see.
Congratulations on some nice fry buddy.

Chad

Thanks Chad I hope to do as good a job as you did with yours.
Thanks again my friend.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Red Pigeon fry after being moved into a 2.5 gallon tank. They are getting twice 98% water changes and being fed at least three times a day. There are just under 30 in the tank as I had a few die off last week after making a mistake of using P.P. on fish this young after having a few of my other contest fish turn dark. I have these fish away from my fish room at a different address along with the other contest fish and the two show fish and some others.
Thanks for looking,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auKGlwBjdcs&feature=player_detailpage

[rdiscus]

Great job!

[DLFL]

Looking forward to watching their development.

Dick

[TammyG]

Awwwwwwwwww.....God love em. Look at em. lol They look great too, Kraig.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Great job!
Thanks, yours are doing very well too.


Looking forward to watching their development.

Dick
They seem to have finally stabilized Dick, thanks for looking and for the positive comments. Much appreciated.


Awwwwwwwwww.....God love em. Look at em. lol They look great too, Kraig.
I guess you liked them so much Tammy you just had to come over and see them in person. Great to visit with you this rainy afternoon!

[Eddie]

Looking great Kraig! Nice work!

[TammyG]

Thanks, yours are doing very well too.


They seem to have finally stabilized Dick, thanks for looking and for the positive comments. Much appreciated.


I guess you liked them so much Tammy you just had to come over and see them in person. Great to visit with you this rainy afternoon!

I did! They are so sweet! Looking very good! I can't get over them....lol

[nickfish39]

I'm impressed with how round they are at such a young age! Great job Kraig.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I'm impressed with how round they are at such a young age! Great job Kraig.

Thanks Nick. I think Hans has the best Pigeons!!!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

No more newly hatched baby brine shrimp. Feeding cyclop-eeze, copepods and decapsulated brine shrimp cysts and my seafood mix.


http://youtu.be/ZF05hulRvDA

[Skip]

how do you like the cyclopeeze

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I like bacon and eggs better Skip!!!!!

Seriously, I don't know yet. I am using freeze dried and I have mixed the Cyclopeeze, copepods and the decapsulated brine shrimp cysts. They seem to be growing very rapidly.

Thanks for telling me about them.

[Eddie]

Looking good Kraig!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Thanks Eddie!!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Here are the Red Pigeon Fry.

Just moved the tank after knocking it off of the 20 gallon it was sitting on earlier today. Yes I know it was a bad spot to set a tank. I managed to keep all but four in the tank as it fell. Two ended up on the floor and two in the 20 gallon it was sitting on. They seem fine. They are eating Al's blackworms in the video. Also I am trying to get them used to my seafood mix and beefheart mix. They are still given the freeze dried foods mentioned in the last post.


http://youtu.be/2m70OeDscHk

[Kingdom Come Discus]

These little guys are doing great and are seen here eating Al's Freeze Dried Blackworms. I usually perform 2 99% water changes daily. pH 7.8 200ppm. Straight tap filtered through a radical carbon filter.


http://youtu.be/KmEGjUnKhDU

[DLFL]

Those are some healthy babies!. Color already showing. Good job.

Dick

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Those are some healthy babies!. Color already showing. Good job.

Dick

Thanks for the nice comments and for looking Dick.

[chaoslite]

Good job with those Kraig.

Mishka

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Good job with those Kraig.

Mishka

Thanks so much Mishka!!!!

[Oscarsx]

What size are they now and how old kraig?

- oz

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Oz. They went free swimming around 08-30. Size varies a little. That is a quarter taped to the tank for size reference. This batch was reared artificially, so they have some catching up to do.

Thanks so much for looking,

[bonginator]

Wow - I am impressed with your rearing skills along with keeping a full time job. Impressive!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Sandy my workers would probably drop over dead if they heard someone say I had a full time job!!. I do have a small construction company, but I am home more than most who work!!!

Thanks,

[Kingdom Come Discus]

http://youtu.be/tumG_DWUC98

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Now two months old. I will take the next two days and pick my eight. Quarter on the side of the 2.5 gallon tank.


http://youtu.be/nGRX8pBNXlo