How To Setup Breeding Tank ???

[Crazy Bunny]

Hi all,
Warm greeting !

2 of my female Apisto. Cacatuoides had about 30 to 40 babies. They're about 10 days old.
Currently I am feeding unlimited supply of BBS at least 2 times a day.
Their belly are size of their head ! CUTE !!

I have a ADA 60F (2' x 1' x 8inches height) and would like to set up a breeding tank so I can remove
all the babies to there later.

Tank setup will be basic sand bottom with almond leaves, alder cones some yamata stones and colloa woods..
so my question is:
Do I need to invest any lighting ? I do plan to put some low light plant like Trident Java and fogbit.

When I move all the babies, should I move their mothers together with them ?
or the whole family ?

Please advise.
Thanks a bunch !
CB

 

[Mike Wise]

Do you want a breeding tank or a grow-out tank? They are 2 very different things. From your description, you are thinking of a grow-out tank. If so, simple is best since you'll need to keep it extra clean and change water more often. I usually suggest a sand bottom. Other prefer a bare bottom because it is easier to keep clean. Other than basic heat & filtration, the only other thing in the tank you really need are hiding places. I find pieces of PVC pipe scattered around the tank in 'jackstraw' fashion works great. It might not be especially pretty, but it's easy to remove when catching fish, easy to clean, and when necessary easy to sterilize. FYI your 60F (~10 gallons) is rather small for 30 to 40 fry. It will take a lot of work - and water changes - to keep that many fry once they start growing.

 

[Crazy Bunny]

Hey Mike,

Yes ! you are right ! it is Grow-out tank to be exact.
Thank you for the expertise.
I know that the tank will be too small for that much of fry. I only intent to grow them big enough so I can
giving out all. yes ! it's FREE !!! so anyone around the Bay Area, San Francisco and want one just give PM me.

I also have another question about those BBS.
I can successfully hatch them but they never can keep more then 1 day... are they THAT easy to die ?
Can I put it in the fridge for one more day.
Am just trying to lazy on hatching those every single day cuz' the pump driving me nuts !!

Please advise.
Thanks in advance
CB

 

[Mike Wise]

Do you feed your BBS? If not they will quickly starve. Keeping them in a refrigerator will slow their metabolism and extend their life somewhat. Me, I hatch BBS every day. If the pump is humming then you need a stronger pump because the pressure on the diaphram(s) is/are too great. Other option is to put a large dictionary or several volumes of an encyclopedia on it to dampen the vibration. Err ... does anyone even have these anymore??

 

[Larry Rogers]

as long as food is eaten you cannot over feed growing fish. If their food supply is heavy they just grow faster. If it is too light they become stunted. the thing you have to remember is growth rate equals food need. Typically apistos are going to double their size three times in the first week free-swimming and once a week for the next six weeks afterward. Assuming your clutch weighs .5 grams it takes ten times their weight for them to double size=5 grams of food. Now they weigh a gram and it takes 10 grams for them to double. And to round out the week your two grams of fish require another twenty grams of food. 35 grams for the first week, 27 grams = 1 ounce.

 

[Crazy Bunny]

Thank you Thank you for all the advise. ;-)
Time for some update:
I now from 40 free swimmers down to around 20. Don't know why... but I guess that's why they laid not just one egg. lol.
1 of the mother already give up guarding her new born and went to travel around the tank. But the other mother are still
doing her job. But I can see she start loosing her color ? (The black band across her body start to appear again)

But the rest of fry doing good. feed them BBS 2 times a day (I wish can do more but gotta make a living ya know)
One funny fact is that once I feed them. They all sink to the bottom with a pink belly. Guess they all went to
food coma or something.

I am going to get some Mirco worm culture or Vinegar eel ? So I hope they won't bore up with the BBS.

J

 

[Larry Rogers]

Thank you Thank you for all the advise. ;-)
Time for some update:
I now from 40 free swimmers down to around 20. Don't know why... but I guess that's why they laid not just one egg. lol.
1 of the mother already give up guarding her new born and went to travel around the tank. But the other mother are still
doing her job. But I can see she start loosing her color ? (The black band across her body start to appear again)

But the rest of fry doing good. feed them BBS 2 times a day (I wish can do more but gotta make a living ya know)
One funny fact is that once I feed them. They all sink to the bottom with a pink belly. Guess they all went to
food coma or something.

I am going to get some Mirco worm culture or Vinegar eel ? So I hope they won't bore up with the BBS.

J

Predator defense mode. A moving fry I'd easily detected. Any time they are satiated they will drop and freeze. When digestion catches up they go on the hunt again. Partially this is because they are neither as fast nor as nimble when full.

 

[Larry Rogers]

Predator defense mode. A moving fry I'd easily detected. Any time they are satiated they will drop and freeze. When digestion catches up they go on the hunt again. Partially this is because they are neither as fast nor as nimble when full.

#&((! Phone. Is not i'd.

 

[Crazy Bunny]

Predator defense mode. A moving fry I'd easily detected. Any time they are satiated they will drop and freeze. When digestion catches up they go on the hunt again. Partially this is because they are neither as fast nor as nimble when full.

lol.... yeah.. it does... they just like lie on the bottom on the leaves and coma !!
soon the belly goes away, they swimming around.

 

[Crazy Bunny]

#&((! Phone. Is not i'd.

What's that ?? mean ???
J

 

[Larry Rogers]

I posted with my phone and it changed it the word is to i'd.