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the luxury problem - baenschi breeding

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
hey all!

my fantastic a. baenschi couple recently showed their new batch of cool kids (-her shown as blurry blobs).
IMG_4677_2.jpg

-which i'm ofcause very happy about.
the problem is that earlier this year, when i she only had one batch of fry to look out for, i swaped tanks, so the little family could get a nice cosy 54 liter tank all to them self (exept for 3 ember tetras).
i got 2 full grown males in the "big" (110 liter) tank. -i'm trying to find a new home for these two.

the kids from the first batch is around 7mm. - 1,3 cm.

-so here's the question....
what would you suggest. should i move all the big kids to the big tank and let the new fry stay in the small?
i'm uncertain how the 2 large males would react if i add too many potential competitors. -though i have spotted one little bugger i caught:)

another question. how large/old should a apistogramma be to be sales ready?

here's a few bonus views of the tank.
IMG_4687_2.jpg

IMG_4689_2.jpg


thanks in advance.

-r
 

TCMontium

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
179
Location
Germany, Kassel
Around 1 cm is pretty small. I think they might be bite-sized for adult males, but I don't know how big and aggressive your males are. You can try putting 1 or 2 fry and see what happens, if you aren't certain about their aggression. I sell my fry when they are grown around 3,5-4 cm, that's when they start having adult-like body and fin shape and coloration. My fry were around 6 months old when they reached that size (ortegai "Pebas", all males).
But there are people who bred and sold hundreds and even thousands of fry, they would give much better advice.
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
thanks a lot for the advice bugra. one of the big males are clearly the alpha and bugging the other, but they both seem to let the single fry that is in the big tank alone. so maybe i should try add one more..
in the small tank, the father of all the fry doesn't really seem to notice any of the fry.

it's nice to know just about how long time it takes for fry to grow up.

-r
 

TCMontium

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
179
Location
Germany, Kassel
thanks a lot for the advice bugra. one of the big males are clearly the alpha and bugging the other, but they both seem to let the single fry that is in the big tank alone. so maybe i should try add one more..
in the small tank, the father of all the fry doesn't really seem to notice any of the fry.

it's nice to know just about how long time it takes for fry to grow up.

-r

With more water changes, more protein-heavy feeding, more dissolved oxygen, a bigger tank and more heat fry will grow faster. I had 20 fry in 60 liters at 26 celcius There wasn't much surface movement or water circulation for increased oxygen levels. I fed them only once ir twice a day with BS or dry food and did around 60% water changed every 3-5 days. That wasn't much of a "growth care", so I believe you can easily grow them in 5 maybe 4 months to 4 cm with more intense care (if baenschi aren't "slow-growers"). ;)
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
thanks for the great advice...
it's nice to know there is still so much to learn:)

-r
 

Bart Hazes

Active Member
Messages
228
I've had a baenschi pair start a new spawn while the previous few week old fry were still in the 20 gallon long tank. The mom focused on the new spawn and chased the others but no damage to the older fry was done by either parent as far as I could see. It becomes harder to feed the older fry as they disperse throughout the entire tank. But with a jungle tank like yours, my style as well, they can find food and shelter for themselves. I like to grow fry until they can be sexed, unless someone wants to buy a group of young fry to raise for themselves but that hasn't happened yet.
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
thanks bart!
i'll see if i can borrow an extra tank, so i can take some of the "stocking load" of the tank since it's only 54liters.

-r
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
-a little update on this...
so the last batch of fry mysteriously vanished (-so much for luxury problems, huh? hehehe)... -plus i sold the two males from the "big" tank, so i moved the parents back into that tank. so now the fry (only got 7) is only sharing their food with 3 amandae tetras.
the biggest of the fry, i have identified as a male, because the red band on the tail is starting to show.

-r
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
hey all!

thought i'd post a little update here...
yesterday i got happily surprised to see that my little kids have grown big, and now one of the females is guarding some eggs in a small seed pod.
now! i don't know if i'm ready to become grand-fish-father, yet... -still feels like yesterday. blah blah blah.. bad joke.
joke aside they are still quite small i think. the male is just around 3,5-4 cm (so i guess he is okay), but the female is just 2,5-3 cm.
hope it will all go just fine. now i just need to get the rest of them out of the tank.

here's a few pics of the young mother and mr. handsome.
IMG_4826_2.jpg
IMG_4827_2.jpg
IMG_4828_2.jpg
IMG_4829_2.jpg
IMG_4831_2.jpg


have a nice weekend all.

-r
 

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