dwarf cockatoo fry, only 15 in 10 gallon, is there enough micro organism foods?

[apisto420]

there is only 15 tiny fry just started free swimming, i have a 10 gallon that has a good amount of plants in it about half full..

could there be enough micro organism foods in there for the frys? i dont want to buy micro worms again, i mean like its only 15 fry and chances are they probably wont all survive. i do have another bigger 46 gallon, fully planted medium lighted tank with co2 which grows ALOT of duck weed and every week i have to scoop them all out... could i take all this duck weed and squeez the juice out of it? could this possible be a good source of fry food which could contain good amounts of micro organisms?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

i dont want to buy micro worms again

Why don't you buy them again and then keep the culture going? They are incredibly low maintenance. Even when I haven't got any fish I keep my cultures going, it costs pennies and takes hardly any time.

could this possible be a good source of fry food which could contain good amounts of micro organisms?

The micro-organisms are on the surface of the plants, so you really want something with a lot of surfaces, I'd recommend "Java Moss", but Ceratophyllum, Utricularia gibba, the roots of Pistia all work. I don't think squeezing the Duckweed will help,but you could try squeezing out a filter sponge, they are a good source of rotifers etc. and I've often used them in an emergency. I usually squeeze out the sponge and then swirl the moss in the resulting suspension of mulm and water, before putting it back in the tank. I like to have a spare sponge filter in the tank to provide a "browsing surface" (good for shrimps, Corydoras pygmaeus and Otocinclus as well as fry), as well as offering spare biological filtration.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

If I read your question correctly, you don't plan to feed the fry any kind of live foods other than what can be found naturally in the aquarium. My experience is that you won't be very successful over the long haul; maybe a few days to a week before most, if not all, starve. I would do the same as Darrel or keep a supply of brine shrimp eggs on hand.

 

[Apistomaster]

The last time I raised some Apistogramma cacatuoides the pair was set up in a ten gallon tank but despite this confined space they raised over 150 fry.
Of course after about two weeks I had to move and divide the fry betwen a couple 40 gal grow out tanks.
I may have used mikroworms sometimes but I mainly fed the fry bbs. This was the largest single brood of any Apistogramma I have ever raised.
I don't think there is much chance of more than a handful of fry surviving long enough to take prepared foods. Below a certain number, many Dwarf Cichlids will not provide brood care.
Then again, I have had very tiny young Apistogramma trifasciata manage to raise five or six fry even in a 29H tank containing other breeding small A. trifasciata.

 

[apisto420]

i have some brine shrimp eggs laying around somewhere, hopefuly they are still good. i will eventualy hatch them after next water change(if fry is alive still) in another week. that should give enough time for the fry to get big enough to eat the BBS. i will eventualy buy some microworms if the fry do good after a few weeks.

 

[D9VIN]

http://freshaquarium.about.com/b/2007/12/30/infusoria-culture.htm

You could try out some infusoria. It would probably be quicker to just hatch out some brine shrimp though.

 

[apisto420]

yeah i just rememered i could of made infusoria when the eggs were laid, i didnt think they would hatch though since its the first time the female has spawned.. so far i cant find much fry left, i think the damn hydras ate them, the hydras are tiny though..

 

[Apistomaster]

A. cacatuoides fry have no trouble eating bbs or mikroworms as their first foods.
Infusoria cultures are not of much use for Apistogramma. Tetras and Betta spp fry often need infusoria for a few days to ten days depending on the species.

 

[Apistomaster]

yeah i just rememered i could of made infusoria when the eggs were laid, i didnt think they would hatch though since its the first time the female has spawned.. so far i cant find much fry left, i think the damn hydras ate them, the hydras are tiny though..

Hydra are now easily eradicated without risking any harm to plants, fish, shrimp or bio-fillter with just a pinch of 10% flubendazole powder.(1/8 tsp/20 gal)
If you live in the USA you can easily obtain some from Charles Harrison, www.inkmkr.com/fish
Treat all your all your tanks so you eliminate them from all your aquariums and prevent reintroducing them by transference.
They begin to wilt in minutes are are all dead within a week.