~~~My First Batch Of Fry~~~

Ok I figure I just start a blog and document my experience. I'm starting this blog roughly 48 hours after the fact.

Recap: Day 1

Came home to find some eggs stuck to the inside of my flower pot on the top. After freaking out and getting advice I removed the pot and mom ( Honduran red point ). I noticed a few eggs turning/turned white mom took care of them. Maybe she ate them I'm not sure.

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Bad pic of a sleeping mom

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pics of the eggs. You can just make out some white ones. The rest seem
greenish brown.

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full shot of there home for now.

Recap: Day 2

I intially thought the mother fish sucked and was ready to return her to the main tank. She always hid when I would come closer or hide at the slightest vibration or noise. Mom, pot with eggs were in a 6 foot tank. Moved to a ten gallon by themselves. But after more research ( key word research ). I found out that the HRP ( Honduran red point ) don't guard as aggressively as convicts do. After a minute of standing back she would return to fanning the eggs and plucking off the white ones.

Going into 48 hours ( present ) I notice the eggs getting darker and have small black spots to them. I don't see anymore white eggs which leaves me to believe that mom
is still doing a good job about tending to the batch of eggs.

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48 hours after the fact. Compare crappy pics. This picture shows darker eggs.

Another note to make is mother fish still skittish but more eagerly returns to the batch.

Awesome! very exciting! congratulations, your doing a great job with your first batch.

Thanks man!! My son already says we have to keep a couple lol I see more tanks in the future lol. I told them they are for the dovii. Although I think it would be neat to see what the fish look like given that they are some form of hybrid. So who knows maybe a couple will
make it into general population.

Thanks for all your help man! I won't forget it. I know how to return a gesture or atleast like to
think I do.

Day: 3

To recap earlier today. I Looked into the pot that the eggs were in and notice they didn't look like perfect balls.

Present: Day 3

So I came home and ran my regular schedule of checking on the fish. First thing I notice in the 10 gallon tank is no eggs on the top of the pot. Instead a pile of wiggly little beads on the bottom of the pot.

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Not much movement but I do see some kind of Slight bouncing around. Out of no where I'm brought back to my childhood in hawthorn California and Mexican jumping beans comes to mind. Wow time has passed. Anyway.....

So seeing how Everything is progressing I went ahead ( advice from wa box memebers ) and put my sponge on the intake/suction part of my hob filter to keep my fry from being sucked up into the filter. Note tiny beads are tiny think the little sprinkles on the pink sugar covered animal crackers. That's the best way to describe it I think.

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I believe my filter is a marine land 100. So the sponge I bought fits perfectly over the intake. Water flow is still good filter doesn't seem to be working harder then need be. Although I still notice quit a bit of suction which is both bad, and good??? There may still be a chance weaker fry may not be able to pull away. Trial and error I will have to wait and see.

Last note to make mom fish isn't nearly as shy but still skittish if that makes sense?? When I come up to the tank she runs less then a minute and she comes right back. Putting my hand in the tank to cover the intake of the filter she didn't seem very stressed at all. A task I doubt I'll do with my dovii lol.

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Mom fanning fallen beads lol.


So if anyone would like to comment, how am I doing so far? How is this looking to the more experinced out there. Please remember I've had fish throught life but only started taking it serious less then a year. Any advice constructive critism I'm open to. Thanks for looking and I hope to help more newbies like me with this Blog.

Everything is looking perfect! you are doing a fantastic job, I dont have one thing to even add.... You got the foam filter cover, you got wigglers, only thing left is to wait... and do frequent water changes.... the more water changes, the faster you fish will grow... I did my WC every other day for my convicts. Are you goin to try and do live baby brine shrimp? trust me, its very simple and very rewarding when you see how fast thoughs lil' guys grow. you'll also see there lil transparent tummys filled with lil orange brine shrimp! If you are goin live, as soon as you have everyone free swimming you should start you first batch.... they will be eager to eat, and your brine shrimp will be ready the following day. Good job, and good luck with the remaining challenges... keep this blog updated for us! and i love all the pictures!

I did get the first bite fry food. But like with all my fish I have every intention of feeding a mixed diet even if they are feeders. I figure the healthier they are the better they will be for my savages. I actually do have one question though. How do keep the water warm when. I watched that video you posted in my thread but I doubt it will just stay at 80 degrees. Do I put a heater in it? Also thank you for your support and advice. It is much appreciated believe that!!

Oh and I was talking about the brine shrimp. Do I put a heater in that.

no need for a heater.... room temp is fine... just start them out with warm water, they hatch quickly that way.... they only live for about 72 hours max in that small container anyway, then you start a new batch. Let me know if you have any question on hatchery, or hatching, or harvesting... Ive always done brine shrimp for my fry... ALWAYS.

Sweet. Need to meet up with Betty Wednesday so I'll snag some at PAC AVE.

Congrats! The first batch of fry changes everything.

Sonicdog- thanks for the incouraging words much appreciated. I'm
glad you took the time to check out my blog thanks a bunch!

DAy 4:

So roughly 4 days after I noticed eggs, I know have small wigglers and notice I'm starting to see tails growing. There is still one lonely eggs stuck to the pot. Not white looks like the others. I wonder if it's just a late bloomer??

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mom fish tending to fry.

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small wigglers still growing. Besides the tails which won't show up
in the pic nothing much else has changed. Mom is only slightly skittish now, I'm guessing it's only cause she is used to seeing my face up in the window lol. No real details to add. Just a waiting game at this point.

Recap Day 5-6

There wasn't too much difference in size or actions. Mom still did fine just wasn't anything to really tell that I could notice at least.

Present Day 7

Woke up today and checked on the fry. Alot more movement and some are kinda floating. Watching for a few minutes I noticed that some fry shoot themselves I'm any given direction like short range torpedos. Lol. I thought that was kind of cool. Seen some shoot right out of the pot. I hope they'll be ok in the gravel. The fry still have small yolk sacks to them so I will be getting ready to do some brine shrimp. But probably not until Sunday at the soonest. My house will be hosting a birthday party for a 1 year old so I don't need a bunch of little
kids messing with the solution.

Mom isn't nearly as skittish and more elaxed with me in front of the tank. Again that probably due to the fact my face is always in front of the window lol

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wiggly fry starting to move around a bit.

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mom fish more ok with me being around.

Ok there really isn't much to report on the whole experience this far. Mom still hides but readily comes out after a few seconds. Fry are free swimming and looks like tiny balls with tails. Lol. When they move it looks like a small dark cloud inside the water.

Fry are eating first bites fry food. This stuff litterally looks like dust. I have yet to drop a packet of brine shrimp to start t hatching them. I got everything I thought I needed. But the epsom salt. And I don't have baking soda either so I have to wait till I get to the store. Wind was rough today so I just wanted to get home after work. I'll upload pics of my algae filled tank with a a dark cloud in it. I have however been doing water changes regularly. Every other day. Roughly 20%.

I'll upload pics in a bit. Just some info for now.

sounds like you are doin everything perfect! and you dont need epsom salt for your hatchery.... just regular table salt.... but you do need a pinch of bakin soda... get on that! trust me, your fry will appreciate it, and grow allot faster.

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haha my ghetto brine shrimp hatchery. Going to be intreasting to see how this pans out. Eggs were way tinier then I excpected. Looks like dust. Just a quick update.

Side note. I may pull mom away from fry. They are all doing fine fending for themselves.

I wouldnt, as soon as you pull her I bet they will be under attack, its the presence of her there that keeps the fry from being attacked. What other fish do you have in there with her?

Nobody. I seperated her from the group after I seen the eggs. There won't be anyone in the little tank but the fry and mom.

pulling mom shouldnt be any problem once they are eating well. you will probably get more survival rate from mom munchin on a few here and there if you pull here.... just make sure they are eating the fresh brine shrimp with no problem.

Your hatchery looks better than mine! seriuosly.... the only thing I see a problem with is you wont be able to see the orange color you get when the lil' guys hatch, thats how I tell mine are ready, the whole container turns an orange color... then I unplug the air, let it settle for 5 minutes... and pull water from the bottom with a syringe.

Yeah man somone through my clear 2 liter away. But I figure it would still work.

Ok so I'm going to conclude this experience the fry are all free swimming and eating healthy. I did see one dead one floating around. Other then that they are cool.

I hope I was clear in enough to help
some else who may be new to the hobby. To understand what to expect and around the time to expect it. Thanks for reading.