Feeding fry questions

[bluegrass]

Hello all!

In my other post (Surprised by eggs...) I indicated that my angels are on round two of spawning. Round one ended after one week because I had a community tank and was not ready for raising the fry. The eggs/fry got eaten.

Round two started about 8 days ago. I still wasn't ready with a seperate tank but this time I put a clear plexiglass divider in the middle of the tank with holes in it to allow water flow. Unfortunately the fry are on the power filter intake side of the aquarium. The return flow is in the community side of the tank. I have put a filter on the intake tube so that the fry would not get sucked into the filter.

Both parents have been left on the fry side and they are dutifully caring for the fry. They've moved them many times. The fry have developed fins and black spots for eyes. They occasionally launch themselves and mom and dad retrieve them and stick them back where the others are.

So....my question is this: Soon the fry are going to need food when their yolk runs out. Will the parents provide this food or do I need to? I've read about brine shrimp but am not clear if that is only when I am raising the fry without the parents or even with the parents.

Although it has been very interesting I don't know if I can keep this up for the weeks needed to raise the fry to live on their own. The community's half side of tank is very crowded and the tank needs to be cleaned.

Any advice is welcomed but I am mostly looking for if/how I'm supposed to feed the fry with the parents taking care of them.

Thanks! This has been a great experience and this forum has been very helpful.

[nanaglen2001]

If its possible, lay your hands on "decapsuled Artemia eggs"

Great food for tiny fry. You dont need to hatch anything, just let them soak a bit and then put the stuff in the middle of the fry. The babies practicaly have to swim in the food. And this you repeat about 5 times a day.

When they get bigger you can move to very finely ground flake food, and then to not so fine stuff and so on and so on.

[bluegrass]

Thanks Andrea.

Right now they are stuck on the side of the tank. Not quite sure how I'll put the food "in the middle of the fry". Will they become "free swimmers" before they need food and stay congregated together? Or do I try to put the food where they are stuck to the glass?

Sorry for the newb questions. Never been in this territory before!

[nanaglen2001]

Best thing would be a syringe without a needle. With the help of that, you can place the food directly in the middle of the swarm. Thats the way I do it with my Sajica fry. It works great, but be careful with your hand. The parents will always think you are an enemy and may attack you.

[bluegrass]

OK.....sorry to bother everyone but I need more help. It may take a veteran angelfish breeder.

From what I've read I've done everything wrong yet I still have living fry. They are in a community tank that I have sectioned off with a piece of plexiglass that I have punched holes in to let the water circulate.

Mom, dad and fry are living in one half. That half has the intake of a power filter (Eclipse bio wheel). I have covered the intake tube with a piece of nylon stocking. The fry could get sucked against the stocking but not sucked into the filter.

The other members of the community are in the other half. The return of the power filter comes in on this side.

The fry were laid about 10 or 11 days ago. They seem to be ready to become free swimmers. They are now occasionally swimming and eventually mom and dad see them and put them back on a surface. I have NOT fed them anything.
The water has a rusty brown algae growing in it.
The aquarium has gravel on the bottom. (see, I told you I was doing everything wrong!)

So......it may be too late but I have just aquired two smaller tanks. I could
A) move all the other fish except the angels into the smaller aquariums
B) try to transport the fry into a smaller aquarium. (but how??) with parents
C) same as B but without parents.
D) Let nature take it's course and get ready for the next batch. This is what I've done so far but now I'm growing attached to these little fry and the parents are doing a great job of caring for them.

I'm in a small town that has one pet store that doesn't have any live brine shrimp, only frozen. They've never heard of "decapsuled artemia eggs" as was suggested by someone.

If I'm going to set up another tank I guess I should use water from my current tank mixed with fresh, de-clorinated water. I have a heater and could buy a sponge filter.

Oh what to do!

Thanks to all.

[Collin1104]

the only thing that would make sense to me is to fill a little tank with water from your main tank. then put just the fry in that tank so you can take care of them without having to deal with the parents. as for food, if your up to it, you could culture a batch of infusoria really easily, i did it for my malawi fry and it worked but they didnt really need it cus they were already pretty big. i also bought some food called "first bites" from hikari which is a slow sinking powder with lots of protein lol if you took a syringe or those other tubes that i cant remember the name of and just put them in the middle of the fry they can probably fit that in their mouth... but i wouldnt use a net to move the fry cus that could get messy, try using like a bowl or a plastic bag or something.. goodluck!

[Minderella83]

I would move the other fish to the other tank and leave the fry and parents in the tank you have them in so they arent shocked by new water, the other fish are probably more hardy than the fry.

[bluegrass]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to let nature take it's course and get ready for the next batch. I hate to do it because the parents have been absolutely magnificent in their care for these little guys up until now. But I am simply not ready today. I've got nothing to give them.

Do fry eat algae? What do they eat in nature? Do the parents regurgitate food to them or something?

If they somehow survive I'll let you all know.

Thanks

[Algenco]

Your fry will be free swimming tomorrow.
The algae is a good thing, the fry will be able to find enough food for a day or two picking in the algae


#1 Either remove all the other fish and let the Angels have the tank.

#2 gently siphon the fry into a small tank, they don't need the parents. If you do this they will need 50% wc 2x day, your filter will not be cycled


Live food cultures needed to have been started in advance so dry food is your only option (no decapsulated bs in Frankfort)
If you can't find something like "first bites" you can use regular flake food by pushing it through a tea strainer.

Wait to feed until every fry is up swimming with the parents, most breeder wait another 24 hrs before feeding,try to get the food in their face, they won't go chasing food for several days, it has to hit them in the nose.

Good luck, I have a spawn that just started feeding today

[bluegrass]

Thanks Algenco.

So I've got until tomorrow maybe.

I do have an extra tank my sister bought at a yard sale today. I could set it up tonight and make sure it is warm enough. I have a tube that I use to do water changes. I could start a siphon and suck the little fry into the new tank. Once they become free swimmers I imagine it will be harder to get them into the siphon. Do they school when they start swimming?

For the new tank, half water from my aquarium and half from tap (declorinated)?

The local pet store does have "first bites" I think. I could use that.

When you say "your filter will not be cycled" what do you mean? If I'm going to do 1/2 water change twice a day, do I need a filter at first?

When I do the water change how can I avoid the temp difference? I can warm up the new water but may not get it just right. 1/2 a tank water change twice a day seems excessive, yet that is what I've read in many places.

Thanks again. Glad I'll probably get another shot at this soon.