Red Cap Medaka

[Ty Crosby]

Hello,

I thought I would share some photos from my red cap medaka breeding project now that a few have grown to maturity. I started breeding these guys in a colony of 10 fish, about four months ago. The process started slow but, now I hatch out around 50 to 100 every two weeks. I've started slowing down on hatching now that I have around 500. I also keep a few orange medaka as well as some blue medaka and rainbow shiners that are not pictured.   

Image 1: 17gal Muck Bucket with Red Cap and Blue Medaka fry + juveniles

Image 2: 17gal Muck Bucket for Red Cap Breeding 

Image 3: 55gal Red Cap grow out tank from above 

Images 4,5: 55gal Red Cap grow out tank from the side  (Sorry that the fish are out of focus the iPhone camera can only do so much)

[Taco Playz]

Those look super nice! I'm just getting into ricefish so could you share some info on how you bred them? Thanks

[Taco Playz]

Also welcome to the forum!!!

[timQ]

Awesome! Im starting my red cap and Pearl Galaxy line right now. 

Have a strong Platinum line going but I love the variations and how hardy they are

[Ty Crosby]

Hey Taco Playz and Mako13, thanks for commenting! 

Taco Playz, good luck breeding medaka, it'll be a fun experience. I use spawning mops to collect the eggs and will usually leave them in the bucket for about 1 to 2 weeks before I remove them. I put the mops in a separate container that is heated for another 2 weeks but, most of the eggs will hatch after 10 days. I don't use methylene blue just cycled aquarium water. I add the fry to the larger bucket a week after they stop hatching. I feed aquarium co-op's fry food everyday, they start eating just a few hours after hatching. I have not tried baby brine shrimp but I'm sure it would be the best food for all of your ricefish. I change the container water after I complete a hatch.

Mako13, that'll be a great project! You'll have to post the results, I'd love to see that variation. 

Here's a fun update from my fish room. I found some rainbow shiner fry in my 250gal indoor pond. They are the newest inhabitants of the pond and are accompanied by orange and blue medaka, medaka fry, cherry shrimp, bladder snails, rams horn snails and the adult 5 rainbow shiners. The first photo is of a shiner fry so you can see the difference between it and the medaka fry.

I've also added a photo of my most recent red cap hatch.