Raising GBR fry - Help?

[Atlantis Child]

My German Blue Ram pair spawned a couple of days ago. This time around they both took care of the eggs but when I saw the eggs getting rather developed I moved the small piece of slate the eggs were on to a floating net box. This is only their 2nd spawn and I don't really trust them to not eat them again or just abandon them.

When I came home from work most were out and wiggling. They'll be needing food very soon. I've read up on what to feed them but answers are very diverse and sometimes contradictory. I would love to hear first hand what you guys have fed German Blue fry that worked out.

Help please?

[Cliff]

I've never had Blue Rams or Blue Ram fry, but I had used the below food for fry that I have raised:

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/revi...duct=83&cat=12

Might be worth looking into for your fry

[Aeonflame]

+1 on the Hikari first bites. I used it to feed my geo fry and they grew like weeds.

[Atlantis Child]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find that for sale. It's pretty much a powder right? Does it go cloudy once in water?


I just checked on them when I came home from work. Most have died since this morning but there are still few. Not sure why, but I moved the net box out of the corner to where the water can flow through better. Will be doing clean-up and start feeding ASAP.

Those alive have grown a bit already (still ridiculously small though...)

[Cliff]

I'm not to sure of were you are in Alberta, but if you are in Calgary Big Als carries it

http://www.bigalscanada.com/Stores/L...y/calgary.html

[Atlantis Child]

I live near Edmonton. They got a Big Al's here too. Have only been there a few times. Pretty awesome place.

Will keep that in mind the next time I notice the rams decided to spawn and get ready ahead of time. The last of this brood died this evening. :(

[rmthomso]

First Bites doesn't really cloud the water.. it seems kinda like a really tiny slow-sinking pellet, basically. What I do is mix some up in some water (I use one of the API test tubes for mixing the stuff, just make sure it's clean) and then kind of "pour" it out over where the fry are. You can kind of see them go crazy for the stuff.

Also if you want the parents to learn how to raise their fry, just let them do it. They may eat a few batches but then they will do a good job of keeping the fry in one area, fanning eggs before they hatch, etc. It's kind of fun to watch, too. They get all mad at your hand and the syringe or test tube or whatever you're using to feed.

[Atlantis Child]

Yeah, watching them look after is adorable.


So they spawned again a few days ago. This time it's back to the "Dad looking after and chasing Mom (and ogling humans) away"

There were few eggs this time, though they looked bigger right from the start. I'm taking that as a good sign?


She laid batch on a narrow fake rock structure. I saw the eggs a day ago, even one wiggling tail (aww...) but now all the ones that looking viable are gone.

Mostly eaten, though I think some have fallen off the back side as Dad is being *very* protective of the area rather than given up.

Can't for the life of me see them in the dark gravel though. Maybe after whatever happens with this batch happens I'll change to white sand or something. lol. Current set-up also sucks if they wish to spawn too.

I bought some Nutrfin Max baby fish formula just in case of live fry reaching feeding stage. Couldn't find any Hikari. It's a very fine powder too. Was that or the liquid egg stuff.

[Sandz]

I know this is kinda "out there" on raising your fry but I have had a lot of success using different flake food. even some of the seaweed based salt water flake has given me great results in a pinch. I use a grandstone to get it to powder and a pinch 3-6 times a day has raised many different cichlid species. the first bites are great and pretty much anything we would feed adults would be good for the babies if you get it small enough.