Apisto cacatoides first time new spawn.

[Apisto.c]

I have a m&f apisto cacatoide from brisbane and I’ve had them For abt 2 months and finally they spawned, the fry are about 2 weeks old, free swimming. I’ve beeen feeding boiled egg yolk crushed up for the last 3 days but I bought frozen bbs shrimp because I can’t afford a hatchery and these are the only fry I have so it’s just not an option to have live bbs for me. How long does it take for the fry to grow up? Also my male has no pectoral fins? (the ones on his belly) there tiny , only abt 2-3mm long and I don’t why he doesn’t have any. I didn’t notice when I bought him. also I’m extremely knew to breeding, my first ever time. Is there anything I should Do?

 

[MacZ]

I can’t afford a hatchery

Google for "brine shrimp hatchery DIY". TONS of options for very little money. Only takes a few cheap parts and a bit of handywork. The most expensive part would be an air pump which are available for less than 15 bucks. Otherwise there are some quite cheap storebought hatchery options, like the hatching dish by Hobby (which should be available in Australia as well.). This one doesn't even require an air pump. The yield is small, though.

Hobby Artemia Breeding Dish

www.aquaristikshop.com

How long does it take for the fry to grow up?

Sale size (4cm): 3-5 months, depending on temp, food and other conditions.

Also my male has no pectoral fins? (the ones on his belly) there tiny , only abt 2-3mm long and I don’t why he doesn’t have any. I didn’t notice when I bought him.

Domestic A. cacatuoides are a really inbred bunch nowerdays with lots of genetic problems. If your parent fish already have deformities the fry have less viability than usual.

Is there anything I should Do?

Rethink whether you should breed and grow the fry out at all.
Also: Do you know where to give the fish once they are old enough? You can't keep them all together indefinitely and as it looks the quality will also not be very good.

 

[Apisto.c]

It's not the hatchery that's expensive it's the eggs, also don't have the time or ability to be hatching them at a regular routine, it's just simply not an option. I don't breed fish for a living so there the only fry I have so it's just not reasonable or feasible for me to hatch them just for a tiny group of fry. I'll just give the fry to some mates so I am gonna keep them because they were 60 aud together and for me thats a lot, im a teenager who's only income is mowing lawns. Will they all have that stunted tail as well? Thanks for the advice and help.

 

[anewbie]

hatching a few eggs for one set of frys is quite easy. The eggs are $5 (in usa). The hatchery does require salt water and the instructions are quite easy to follow (i have that dish and have done it multiple times). The total cost is around $30 and the total effort is about 20 minutes (at least with my tap water which can have some impact on process). The choice is your but without live food the chances of fry survival is very low.

 

[Apisto.c]

hatching a few eggs for one set of frys is quite easy. The eggs are $5 (in usa). The hatchery does require salt water and the instructions are quite easy to follow (i have that dish and have done it multiple times). The total cost is around $30 and the total effort is about 20 minutes (at least with my tap water which can have some impact on process). The choice is your but without live food the chances of fry survival is very low.

I'm in Australia which might be changing things because eggs are very expensive for me and I'm not there to feed the fish during the week because I'm at a different suburb of the city and only see the tank on weekends and I dought my dad can do the hatching and feeding process because from what I have read it take 24-36 hours so he might get confused or forgot or something but the main issue is that eggs are like $80 for a tiny amount and then the next level up I can buy are like $200 and this is because of shipping and stuff and just what I can buy online for some reason and In the fish store it's still very expensive.

 

[MacZ]

Then, hard to accept, if even the DIY solution is out of question and you have no other options... give them all away including the tank.

If you are dependent on somebody looking after the tank while you are away most of the time, this is not the hobby for you. At least not until you get your own place. I take it your parents are divorced and the fact that your tank is at your dad's place tells me you can't have it where you are most of the time.

This is not about you, frankly, it's about animal welfare. If we as hobbyists are unable to care for whatever reason, it's best to give the fish and the whole tank to somebody who is able.

The only thing I see possible for you, given the circumstances, would be a low tech planted tank with some shrimp and no fish. Takes less than an hour of time a week and nobody has to look after them while you are away.

 

[Mike Wise]

I wouldn't worry about being away for long lengths of time if someone is occasionally feeding the adults (2 - 3 times per week). I worked as an exploration geologists and was in the field most of the summer and parts of the winter. Maybe this is why I've celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary this year - out of my wife's hair!

Don't expect many if any fry to survive. Most will die from lack of proper care and feeding, but based on the description of your male's deformity it probably is for the best. Almost no one will buy deformed fish. Just enjoy them when you are there.

 

[Apisto.c]

Then, hard to accept, if even the DIY solution is out of question and you have no other options... give them all away including the tank.

If you are dependent on somebody looking after the tank while you are away most of the time, this is not the hobby for you. At least not until you get your own place. I take it your parents are divorced and the fact that your tank is at your dad's place tells me you can't have it where you are most of the time.

This is not about you, frankly, it's about animal welfare. If we as hobbyists are unable to care for whatever reason, it's best to give the fish and the whole tank to somebody who is able.

The only thing I see possible for you, given the circumstances, would be a low tech planted tank with some shrimp and no fish. Takes less than an hour of time a week and nobody has to look after them while you are away.

I'm there with the tank half the days of the week but I'm not giving it or the fish away. It's not like my father can't look after the fish, he's been doing well this past year. I also don't see how fry can survive off of nothing but live baby brine shrimp, it just doesn't make logical sense. I also don't intend on selling the fish so I don't care about whether they will sell or not. You must think that because I can't afford to spend 200 Dollars on some baby brine shrimp eggs I can't keep a tank.

 

[MacZ]

Nay, it's not because you don't have the money for something, it's also not because I don't think they survive. Given the information you provided you made the impression of being in far over your head and underestimating the space you need and the work it will take.
Let's say you manage to raise 20 fry. In the meantime the parent fish will still produce more offspring. Either you let those go down or you raise them too. You get more and more fish nobody will take off of your hands and run out of space at one point. And what then? You get what I'm saying?

 

[Apisto.c]

Nay, it's not because you don't have the money for something, it's also not because I don't think they survive. Given the information you provided you made the impression of being in far over your head and underestimating the space you need and the work it will take.
Let's say you manage to raise 20 fry. In the meantime the parent fish will still produce more offspring. Either you let those go down or you raise them too. You get more and more fish nobody will take off of your hands and run out of space at one point. And what then? You get what I'm saying?

That won't happen because there in their own breeding tank, the male has been removed back to our community tank and when she goes back to a community tank they won't breed, they didn't until I moved them and if they do the fry will definitely be eaten in the community tank, presumably by either the male or definitely by the barbs.

 

[MacZ]

Little hint for the future: Give more info, then people won't take the little you tell them for face value. You made the impression of a very desolate situation here.

 

[Apisto.c]

Little hint for the future: Give more info, then people won't take the little you tell them for face value. You made the impression of a very desolate situation here.

I get where your coming from but mate you shouldn't assume someone can't take care of or keep alive their fish just because they said they were unable to constantly hatch brine shrimp just for a few fry and because they were shafted with a fish that had bad gemetics

 

[MacZ]

It's still NOT because of the brine shrimp, but because you made the impression you're never present and hence unable to do anything in terms of maintenance and so on.

Good luck still.