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To pull the eggs or not pull the eggs, that is the question.


Brandy
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1 hour ago, Brandy said:

I was not prepared with a CONTINUOUS supply. I underestimated how critical that would be.

I have 3 cones going at all times making a fresh cone every 12 hours so there are always just hatched napulii. It is not as hard as it sounds once you get a system.

These days I usually end up letting my fish breed in community tanks. The few surviving babies have fitness out the wazoo.

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7 hours ago, Brandy said:

Well. lesson learned. they need more food than I seem to be getting into them. The attrition rate has been BRUTAL. 😭 There were so many, but I am down to about 20-30. Admittedly I had no way to raise 100+, but this is still sad.

I feel like this is the main con of having them in a tiny box... No infusoria or biofilm or anything else to eat between feedings. They definitely need to be fed 3-4 times a day in that box most likely. 

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I was feeding several times a day, hikari first bites, vinegar eels, bbs, but they did not seem to get enough that way either likely the other foods I was offering just were not enough. Mom was not able to protect the ones she had either--they were eaten. This was not supposed to happen only a few weeks after getting "juveniles", lol. If I had known they were about to breed I probably would have kept the tank empty except for the happy couple!

The adults have put on some decent size in the past month also, so that is good.

Happily as @Larrimore says, they will likely spawn again and this time I won't be caught off gaurd.

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A thought...I may leave this box in the tank to develop biofilm. I will clean the screens regularly enough to maintain flow, and then see if the extra film improves the outcome.

I will count this time a raging success if I make it to the 1 month mark with 3 left. I have never bred any fish but live bearers, and my rams never hatched a single fry on their own in their community tank. The EBA are much better parents, but I still would like to raise some of these up to at least the 1 inch mark.

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15 minutes ago, Paul_Obermiller said:

What does it feel like for a EBA to bite you? Like a little nip/pinch?

Put it this way, I work with many animals who draw blood if they bite and I am used to that. I was prepared for her to go after my hand as I had seen the video @Fish Folk has up on youtube. I still couldn't help flinching. I added the music to cover my yelp the first time she nailed me.

It is a serious hard bite for such a small fish. No way even NEAR to causing actual injury, but she MEANT it. Think a hard mean pinch. Guppies nibble your hand and it tickles. She wants you to hurt. I have a healthy respect for her and avoid her corner when I clean the tank.

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1 hour ago, Brandy said:

It is a serious hard bite for such a small fish.

This is one reason why it’s always risky to recommend E-blues to a community aquarium with smaller fish. Usually they’re fine... but you know... if they decide to “off” some offender, no doubt they’re good for it! 🤪

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23 hours ago, Brandy said:

Put it this way, I work with many animals who draw blood if they bite and I am used to that. I was prepared for her to go after my hand as I had seen the video @Fish Folk has up on youtube. I still couldn't help flinching. I added the music to cover my yelp the first time she nailed me.

It is a serious hard bite for such a small fish. No way even NEAR to causing actual injury, but she MEANT it. Think a hard mean pinch. Guppies nibble your hand and it tickles. She wants you to hurt. I have a healthy respect for her and avoid her corner when I clean the tank.

I am getting into cichlids just now after like 2-3 years of fish keeping, I am getting some apistos and angelfish soon and I really want them to bite me just so I know what it feels like. None of them have the mouth the size of the EBAs but idk... It going to be fun!

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I always like to put an algae covered plant, rock, or piece of decor in with baby fish so they have something to graze on when I'm not feeding them. Baby fish process food very quickly and unless you're feeding them every couple of hours, which is very hard to do, you're apt to starve some of them. Something that's heavily crusted in algae likely has lots of other stuff living in it also, so it gives baby fish more of a fighting chance for food whenever they want it. 

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I had a twist of moss in there, and a mini water lettuce. I think my flow was a little too strong on the box which probably burned too much energy and discouraged foraging. There is such a thing as too clean. I have decreased it, and the survivors seem happier and visibly larger.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So no further losses, bbs hatching issues sorted out, everybody is getting bigger...

This morning the parents were looking at a rock intently. I went to clean a 10 gallon, came back, and caught them in the act! Male is easy to determine now, with longer dorsal and larger size overall. 

PXL_20210214_191555808.jpg.7c022307a6b5e01506846e547918adb9.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
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