Questioning "bare-bottomed" gorw-out

[mooman]

I am currently growing out about 25 hongsloi fry in a bare bottomed 20g long tank. The fry get live bbs at least once if not twice a day. Tank gets 50% WC weekly.
Right next to this tank is a sand bottomed breeding tank that is overrun with java moss, algea, water lettuce, and has a moderate amount of mulm built up in corners. There are currently 3 trifasciata and 5 small pencil fish in this tank. This tank only gets live bbs (leftovers) every other day or so. The rest of the time it gets pellets and a mix of frozen. The tank gets smaller less frequent water changes (I have to haul RO from grocery store) than the grow-out tank as well. There is a single hongsloi fry in this tank that got missed when I transferred his siblings. He is easily three or four times the size of the other fry!!!!!!

Question: Is a bare bottomed tank and frequent massive water changes really the best way to get fast growth from fry? I know it's dogma, but it really seems like a "wild" tank grows them up alot faster. Is is just that these tanks are harder to maintain? Any thoughts?

 

[Mike Wise]

To grow large numbers of fry quickly requires both multiple feedings each day and frequent water changes to keep the water quality good. Bare tanks permit this (particularly cleanliness & maintenance of water quality) more easily than more "natural" tanks. Your odd fry is larger only because, the population is lower (= good water quality) and it has food (naturally occurring in the sand, mulm, & plants) always available. If you had fed the fry in the bare tank 4 or 5 times each day & changed 10-20% of the water daily, they would most likely be the same size as the one in the more natural tank. So, if you are really willing to work at growing the fry to their best potential, a bare tank is the best. If you are a bit lazier (like ME!), then you let nature help you and accept slower growing fry.

 

[nightowl1350]

Bare bottomed tanks for grow out are the way most go. It is easier to get alll the poop out that would cause amonia spikes. Large w/c, good food (bbs etc) and they will grow. The smaller numbers the faster they grow, but large w/c can compensate for larger numbers. DAILY w/c will make the fry grow much faster

If you have a spawn growing out and split it to 2 tanks they grow much faster till they catch up to the amount of space and need to be moved again.

 

[tjudy]

I use bare tanks with planted driftwood and java moss or naja grass. I also water change every day and feed four or five times a day. I start fry (after separating from parents) in a 10 gallon... sometimes up to 50 - 60 at a time. After one month (or so) I move the spawn to a 40 breeder. If I have an empty 40, I will split the group after a month and let them grow faster. Using this method I can grow 50-60 A. cacatuoides to sexable size (1.25" - 1.5") in three months from free swimming.

 

[nightowl1350]

That is pretty quick Ted. Can anyone tell the sexes by then, or are you just real good at it? LOL I tried on some of my blue rams I raised, but every now and then I was wrong (they were 4+ months)

 

[tjudy]

Cacatuoides triple red males are very red in the fins by then. I do not raise rams, so I cannot compare. Many males are already showing, but I am sure that there are more.

Here is a picture of a male that was free swimming on January 2, 2006. He and his siblings were placed in a 40 Br at just under 1/2" on Feb. 15. He is now 2 months old and 3/4" (not including tail). There are about 50 fish in his group, of which about five are as colored as he is. In another month all the males should be well colored. Females are hard to pick at this point.

Here is the latest picture of the father of the fish above.

 

[nightowl1350]

Thanks for the pics Ted. I have a spawn of rams I pulled and there were a few Apisto C. in as well. They were layed on the same day, but only about 6 or 8 of the apisto wigglers made it. They are just free swimmers, but I can tell who is who.