Rosy Barb Fry Breeding

[Anton]

Forgot....bought a pck Hikary VibraBites  few days ago they go mad for it. 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/22/2022 at 12:27 AM, Anton said:

We don't get Ken's fish food, the bites we do get.  I will try again but the fish weren't too keen on the bites, maybe wrong size.

Because i don't use filtration the Hikari promiss and lives up to its promise of not polluting the water, the flakes are meant to be laden with beneficial bacteria or something.  I'm a food junkie though and try most things once. But the above list is the staple.

We live in the hill forest National Park so my water comes from mountain springs, which feed little streams one which comes down the top of the garden where we have some seating where I often work and mend piping 😐 the boars trample them. Its full of interesting little fish, water plants and ferns and bright blue mini shrimp. Including a species of Aphyocypris if I'm not mistaken. Little loaches and things seem the most common but I keep finding new things like river skinks and stuff and the odd fish.

I've never had an outbreak of disease even with all the wild fish in there, maybe because its cool running water all year not sure. Worst I got was a little bright orange and olive water snake came out the hose pipe, they live under the rocks. I have to maintain the filter I have before the pipe running down to the house because in the monsoons the streams turn into ragging torrents.

So this water I use and change or flush about every four months if I'm not too lazy. The PH is just slightly alkline. Do you have any PH preferances?  I throw in the odd bit of soft coral but not sure it's necessary.

 

 

I'm on well water so my ph change with the seasons, so ph doesn't matter to me ...plus with ph swing it'll makes the fish hardier.

You can try xtreme nano pellets..they seem to like that also but it cost was too much for my fishroom and it sink a bit too fast. 

 

Your backyard is beautiful!

[Anton]

On 1/22/2022 at 3:38 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

I'm on well water so my ph change with the seasons, so ph doesn't matter to me ...plus with ph swing it'll makes the fish hardier.

You can try xtreme nano pellets..they seem to like that also but it cost was too much for my fishroom and it sink a bit too fast. 

 

Your backyard is beautiful!

Yah thanks it is, no gardening needed, natures hand is the best.

Ok I took some stills at the market as my own fish are bstd to photograph without disruping the whole works. 

Firstly these which are one of my favorite. They only had very young small males at the moment sadly. But you can see the lovely gleam and good colour already.  Some have more glem thn others but the best have it from head to the tail fin, those are the ones I collect when i see them.

The females are solid gold no red with the same gleam. Not there today but they often have them. 

The male matte version of this is also a very very nice red, no gleam, I also have these. You can always find a couple in a batch of metalic so I've been collecting these on my visits.

Would be nice to see these in long tails but none yet lol

 

[Anton]

Then this is what's left of the long tails, not sure if they're getting more in. Could be as this is already whats left of the second batch they got in. I saw some decent tails again but 12 is enough for now. Think males and females in here not 100% sure. Nice colour for young fish anyway. Some more entirely red than others some less so. 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/23/2022 at 5:27 AM, Anton said:

Then this is what's left of the long tails, not sure if they're getting more in. Could be as this is already whats left of the second batch they got in. I saw some decent tails again but 12 is enough for now. Think males and females in here not 100% sure. Nice colour for young fish anyway. Some more entirely red than others some less so. 

From the photo, they look like fully mature fish. Since their dorsal and anal fin looks full already. Very nice deep red color to them! You should ask where they get their stock from. Finding breeder is the best way to improve your stock. 

[Anton]

On 1/23/2022 at 10:03 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

From the photo, they look like fully mature fish. Since their dorsal and anal fin looks full already. Very nice deep red color to them! You should ask where they get their stock from. Finding breeder is the best way to improve your stock. 

Those long tails are still small, they can get much deeper and bigger bodies, I have seen Rosy's at least four inches.....are the long tails much smaller generaly? The beeder is probably in India....language barriers mean its very difficult gtting info.

These are the yellow variety, no metalic, thee are very young tweeny males in bags, the red gets very dark on the belly and the yellow goes crazy like flurecent paint.

Those do look like they have metallic sheen going on....will wait for adults to send another pic of these type, maybe they come in matte and metalic. Also the old fashioned type we get here, Pink males and silver females.

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/23/2022 at 8:53 PM, Anton said:

Those long tails are still small, they can get much deeper and bigger bodies, I have seen Rosy's at least four inches.....are the long tails much smaller generaly? The beeder is probably in India....language barriers mean its very difficult gtting info.

These are the yellow variety, no metalic, thee are very young tweeny males in bags, the red gets very dark on the belly and the yellow goes crazy like flurecent paint.

Those do look like they have metallic sheen going on....will wait for adults to send another pic of these type, maybe they come in matte and metalic. Also the old fashioned type we get here, Pink males and silver females.

Yes longfin are normal smaller in body size.

Those in the photo looks like they have the neon gene

[Anton]

On 1/24/2022 at 10:24 AM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Yes longfin are normal smaller in body size.

Those in the photo looks like they have the neon gene

Yes they do look like they have neon going on , I would call these the neons and the red (first picture) red metalic, or what they're calling Red chilly barb. Not entirely sure. Someone was breeding for pure metalic or gleam, I was corresponding with them in India but lost contact, I guess they could hit the market some time. 

The long tails have a completely different kind of red shade to the rest of the Rosy barbs, very striking fiery red. More like Cherry barb red or Odessa.

When you selected tails initialy were you selecting for long or shape. Broad and wide. You see in that picture, the top tail and the very bottom tail (I timed out down loading it only got half the pic) I would go for the bottom tail because it's fuller, not so forked but it's shorter than the top one which is wider tail wise but not set on wider 🤪The shorter tail fish also has a broader caudal attachment. 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Anton

[Anton]

Some from Thailand. These are probably the most commonly sold here these days and the metalic gleaming ones.

 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

When I pick for breeders I want to see a thick tail, you'll need a string thick tail near the dot to whole up a big tail fin.

As for the fin I look for wide tail over long. Plus the top fin need to be the same length as the bottom. It's easy to make them longer but you'll get a weak tail and tail fin. 

[Anton]

On 1/24/2022 at 7:08 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

When I pick for breeders I want to see a thick tail, you'll need a string thick tail near the dot to whole up a big tail fin.

As for the fin I look for wide tail over long. Plus the top fin need to be the same length as the bottom. It's easy to make them longer but you'll get a weak tail and tail fin. 

Yes! Thought so. Thanks. Yah the precocious young ones with very long tails tend to be weedy and don't develop so well as the more sturdy ones, in goldfish too.

These are gold females I like a lot not sure if the others are males but are much smaller, sold five in bag for much less. Both would look good in long tail, both metalic. Both very nice top view fish, in the sunshine they gleam and sparkle. This is the body shape I like, deep. Think the long tails by the way their eating will grow sturdy this way.

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by Anton

[Anton]

Think I can see the difference between males and females now more clearly in the long tails. The femles tend to have olive green backs the males don't, anyway I have got both which is a good thing.

[Anton]

On 1/14/2022 at 3:53 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

 

These are still young so they still have alot of room to grow and get darker 

Take some photos of your I would love to see what you got to work with

Like these tails in the lighter ones a lot!

Edited January 25, 2022 by Anton

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/25/2022 at 3:54 AM, Anton said:

Like these tails in the lighter ones a lot!

That one was when he was younger

Same fish in front, his tail got longer and wider now. He's not done grow either. 

[Anton]

Fantastic! Real treasures. I wonder where the black comes from in the long tails? I like it, the short tailed ones don't have any at any stage....interesting.

The thirteen I have now (the number goes up and up. Got to watch I don't overstock the temp tub or optimum growth will be affected before release) have doubled in girth since I've had them. This is a good sign, means they don't have internal parasites or anything going on. A few have scales missing which is why I used a medicated bath as they arrive. This comes from customers 'fishing" too clumsily and aggressively. Males and females mixed up is also a problem, so I'm trying to keep the temps on the lowish side to prevent spawning.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Anton

[Anton]

So look I wondered, in winter do you give your fish a rest.....how does that work in a fish room. Is it heated? 

I don't disturb my fish over the cool season at all, which is now (no water changes, no breeding no netting, nothing) and only feeding when they become active which is when the temps are above about 16%C or around 55%F. This year has been ridiculously warm so they've been eating bar a few short days intervals almost continuosly. 

Think they might live longer with a cool season but I guess in a fish room everything is speeded up so you can get more than just a few generations a year, chop chop? Which makes things a lot easier.

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/25/2022 at 7:39 PM, Anton said:

Fantastic! Real treasures. I wonder where the black comes from in the long tails? I like it, the short tailed ones don't have any at any stage....interesting.

If you notice the regular rosy barb have a small black tip on the dorsal and sometimes analfin, that's where all the black comes from. Atleast that what I bred for.

My fishroom is 62-65 degree in the winter and 70-75 degree in the summer 

I breed mine indoor early in the year so when April-May comes they will be put outside to get natural sunlight. The lowes temperature I kept them outside was 35 degrees. I normally only get 1 generation with rosy barb since they take so long to mature and come into their true body.

 

It was hard to take a photo while he was swimming but this is how he hold his tail the whole time. He will surely surpass his father.

[Anton]

On 1/30/2022 at 1:52 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

If you notice the regular rosy barb have a small black tip on the dorsal and sometimes analfin, that's where all the black comes from. Atleast that what I bred for.....

It was hard to take a photo.........

Stunning! I saw some very much like this on YouTube! They said they had taken them over from their son who had gone into guppies, could be you....if not would be a good contact for expanding the gene pool.  They showed very nice males with this full wide tail. I will try and find the link/vid again.

Back to the market again today. Bought some live food and a few (marketed as) "extra red" short tail cherry barbs. These always get better in colour at home when they settle and relax anyway. Bought Bug Bites Spirulina flakes.. always thinking veg veg veg.  They better not like it too much as its ridiculously expensive @ 65$HK.

Saw these little goldies but I've got enough adult females this colour just for their own sake, the males were a bit off colour for me in that bag with the one gold fish (female, i think at least) but very tempting for just her, the other goldies in the other bag looked a bit sick, redness around the fin areas, too long in the bag already and not mature so they could redden but nice sheen......I've noticed some have pearled scales like the first picture, raised bumps on the scales.....those bumps are shiny, sometimes sold as "pearled Rosy barbs" on the net.

Yah they do fine here outside, nothing like 34%F though.....more like the 60-80's F%.  We had a "polar vortex" or something for a few days a couple of years ago when it dropped to single figures C but they were fine. I think that it's good you give them seasonal changes, sure it promotes longevity and health in the Cyprininae.

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Anton

[Anton]

No I don't see black on short tail's fins these days here except for the dot near the tail, they seem to have bred it out, even extra large sizes no black not even tips. None of my short tails develop this either. 

[WhitecloudDynasty]

Yes I took over my son project a few year ago, I was showing him how to line breed and how to be patient, but he wanted to change it to guppies. 

This photo isn't mine

If you notice the dorsal have a small black tip. I believe all of your stock have been bred the black dorsal out of them.

[Anton]

On 1/30/2022 at 10:24 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Yes I took over my son project a few year ago, I was showing him how to line breed and how to be patient, but he wanted to change it to guppies...... 

 

Well done you! You saved and improved a very nice line of Rosy barbs. Unique. Yes I see that blak tip in the photo. Interesting because goldfish sometimes develop that black from ammonia spikes. Comes and goes, however in some lines its permanent, bred into them. Maybe just the same with long tails. Yah and bred out of them in short tails which sometimes don't even have the black dot.

I also found the fry take awhile to develop, they seem to stay small for a long time then suddenly turn into sub-adults. Could be they hide so well in the guppy grass as fry.  I net them by the net full and put them into an empty tank or the adults eat them readily. They hunt the in packs like sharks......the dark side to the Rosy barb LOL. The long tails can be very shark like with that excited erect huge doral fin and dusk and dawn hunting activity.  I see my long tails doing this across the Java ferns in the morning and evening looking for dwarf platy fry. They definately hunt in packs like sharks on a reef, covering all escapes and flushing prey. They leave the adult dwarf platy alone which is handy.

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/30/2022 at 7:05 PM, Anton said:

Well done you! You saved and improved a very nice line of Rosy barbs. Unique. Yes I see that blak tip in the photo. Interesting because goldfish sometimes develop that black from ammonia spikes. Comes and goes, however in some lines its permanent, bred into them. Maybe just the same with long tails. Yah and bred out of them in short tails which sometimes don't even have the black dot.

I also found the fry take awhile to develop, they seem to stay small for a long time then suddenly turn into sub-adults. Could be they hide so well in the guppy grass as fry.  I net them by the net full and put them into an empty tank or the adults eat them readily. They hunt the in packs like sharks......the dark side to the Rosy barb LOL. The long tails can be very shark like with that excited erect huge doral fin and dusk and dawn hunting activity.  I see my long tails doing this across the Java ferns in the morning and evening looking for dwarf platy fry. They definately hunt in packs like sharks on a reef, covering all escapes and flushing prey. They leave the adult dwarf platy alone which is handy.

Yes rosy barb are pigs, I can't even put 2 generation of fry together, since they have a big mouth they will eat anything that fit.

 

This is my first set this year from 3 breeding pair.

[Anton]

On 1/31/2022 at 12:46 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Yes rosy barb are pigs, I can't even put 2 generation of fry together, since they have a big mouth they will eat anything that fit.

This is my first set this year from 3 breeding pair.

Oh wow that's exciting, would love to see them develop. Are these sorted yet? How soon can you sort for desirability? I used to get eye pains sorting baby Bristoll shubunkins, but you get used to reconising what you're looking for, very quickly. Jikin are the easiest, just two twin common tails set fan shape, usualy the ones swimming like a mosquite larva lol.

Are the tails all similarily forked at this age or can you see the ones with "flag" shape already? The fry are not as relaxed as goldfish fry that's for sure, so it must be quite a challenge.  

[Anton]

On 1/31/2022 at 12:46 PM, WhitecloudDynasty said:

Yes rosy barb are pigs.......

On the piggy front, one of my tubs I left mixed sexed rosies in there, just forgot I had. They were spawning and breeding like crazy, dense with guppy grass. They just stopped coming up for food entirely, it became a self sustaining tub. All they were interested in doing was hunting their own off-spring and making more. Utterly insane. Even if I put food in they would ignore it entirely. That tub is still going strong along the same principle. Almost unbelievable. Only thing they will eat is live daphnia when i could be arsed to give them anything anymore. Always a few fry make it to adult hood too.....so really a completely self sufficient happening. I guess they eat guppy grass too. They look plump and healthy LOL.......

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 1/31/2022 at 2:43 AM, Anton said:

Oh wow that's exciting, would love to see them develop. Are these sorted yet? How soon can you sort for desirability?

Are the tails all similarily forked at this age or can you see the ones with "flag" shape already? The fry are not as relaxed as goldfish fry that's for sure, so it must be quite a challenge.  

These aren't sorted yet.

At this age till 6 month they will be condition to be sorted. Fry that as are born and raised in clam water won't get long or wide enough, and they'll have a weaker tail.

I raise the current little by little till its maxed out. It keep them moving their fin and burning off the high protein food I give them. I need them to build up that tail muscle since itll be carrying alot of weight soon. At this age all of them looks forked but with a good length on it already.