Two "Raising Fry" questions....

sueandherzoo

Active Member
I know I said I wasn't even going to attempt saving any Reidi fry until next fall or winter but how can you resist when you see these tiny lifeforms floating around the tank!?!?!?!
I'm not going to full effort into it (therefore I know the chance of success is slim to none) but I want to at least put a few in some fishbowls with an airpump. I've got some baby brine hatching and have some frozen rotifers (I know, I know - they won't eat that) but I still have to do SOMETHING! My two questions are:
How much Amquel do you use to try and keep the ammonia in check in the tiny containers (I'm thinking a drop or two from an eye dropper?) and how do you carefully move the fry from one bowl to another when doing water changes? I'm thinking instead of siphoning and refilling water I would just move them to a clean bowl while I clean out the other one, and back and forth. (Of course they won't last more than a day or two but I HAVE TO TRY!)
Thanks in advance. I hope this fall and winter to set up a more complex hatchery and will continue to research and read and learn all I can between now and then, but whenever I see babies in the tank I just can't help but try to save a few!
Sue
 

rhondad

New Member
Originally Posted by SueAndHerZoo
http:///forum/post/3040798
I know I said I wasn't even going to attempt saving any Reidi fry until next fall or winter but how can you resist when you see these tiny lifeforms floating around the tank!?!?!?!
I'm not going to full effort into it (therefore I know the chance of success is slim to none) but I want to at least put a few in some fishbowls with an airpump. I've got some baby brine hatching and have some frozen rotifers (I know, I know - they won't eat that) but I still have to do SOMETHING! My two questions are:
How much Amquel do you use to try and keep the ammonia in check in the tiny containers (I'm thinking a drop or two from an eye dropper?) and how do you carefully move the fry from one bowl to another when doing water changes? I'm thinking instead of siphoning and refilling water I would just move them to a clean bowl while I clean out the other one, and back and forth. (Of course they won't last more than a day or two but I HAVE TO TRY!)
Thanks in advance. I hope this fall and winter to set up a more complex hatchery and will continue to research and read and learn all I can between now and then, but whenever I see babies in the tank I just can't help but try to save a few!
Sue
I used measuring spoons to dip my N. Erectus fry out of tanks. Not sure on the Amquel dose. Just be sure to match PH & temp on both bowls before you transfer them. My fry ate BBS from the beginning and unlike S. Erectus fry northern fry are tiny. They did not start hitching until they were between 3 weeks to a month old. Good Luck.
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Thanks, Rhonda. I see that was your first post - welcome to the boards! I (and others, I'm sure) would love to see pix or hear about your fry raising set-ups. Do you use fishbowls? A 10-gallon tank? Have you ever tried raising any in green water?
I can't stop staring at these amazing creatures through a magnifying glass..... the detail and the tiny little fins flapping just amaze me. They're three days old but I don't expect them to make it much longer so I'm enjoying them every moment that I can. Some day . . . .
Sue
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
So Teresa - how do you know how much Amquel to use in the fry water in between water changes? The bottle says to use a teaspoon in a 10 gallon tank but I don't know what that comes down to in a small plastic fishbowl. Have you figured out a smaller ratio? Is there such a thing as OD'ing them on Amquel? Is it better to err on the side of too little Amquel or too much Amquel?
Sue
 

teresaq

Active Member
I would do about an 1/8 of a teaspoon. I dont think too much will hurt them. I just pour it, never really measure. Just be sure to have food air flow, it can lower oxygen levels.
T
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3041317
I would do about an 1/8 of a teaspoon. I dont think too much will hurt them. I just pour it, never really measure. Just be sure to have food air flow, it can lower oxygen levels.
T
Thanks, Fellow Nightowl.
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Sorry to drag you guys along on a wild goose chase - there's only a few remaining this morning and they look very weak.
I'm thinking it might be kinder to next time just let them become fish food rather than prolong their lives by 3-4 days if I'm not equipped and ready to give it a full effort. It breaks my heart to watch them try to be functioning little specimens only to watch them grow weaker and ultimately become floaters.

I have fairly easy access to ocean water..... would there be any benefit in me hauling home several gallons of that over the next few months? The water is probably still too cold for much phyto to be living in it but maybe as it warms up here? You would THINK natural sea water would be the best but since it's not native water to the fry I guess it could cause more harm than good. Just wondering if there is microscopic life form in it that could serve as food - should I start culturing a 10 gallon tank of natural sea water?
Sue
 

spanko

Active Member
Oh thank you, gee..........
Just interested in what the Seahorse group does here. Have not had them before and I love the way the look and react in their environments. You all seem to really love them.
 

rhondad

New Member
Thanks for the welcome Sue. I've been a ghost here for awhile and finally decided to jump in. Now to answer your questions. No I didn't use fish bowls or green water. I started out with a 10 gal tank but the fry were so tiny I down sized briefly to a 5 gal. I've raised many batches of fry and there was a lot of trial and error. So here is how my final rearing sequence goes.....for now. The newborn fry go into a 5 gal tank with just a sponge filter. 1 gal water changes everyday and formulan doses every 2 days. They are in a 5 gal for 7 days then I move them to a 10 gal with a regualr filter and a airstone. I used a tank divider to keep the fry away from the filter intake. I had very little die off once I put the fry in a tank with filter, I can only guess that the water conditions were much more stable. Water changes at this point were done twice a week, 10%. I fed BBS for about a month, again N Erectus fry are very tiny. I then slowly started to add cyclopeeze to the BBS feedings. Once their on mainly cyclopeeze I then added frozen daphnia to the mix, the only frozen small enough for fry to handle, which they loved. From the daphnia I moved on to chopped mysis. I would occasionally add gut loaded adult brine for treats. Don't rush the "get them on frozen" part. They'll gladly except frozen once the brine isn't enough, sorry don't know how else to explain this part. The most important tool needed when raising fry is a brine shrimp net or 2. I fed my fry 3 times a day and now as fry producing adults they eat twice a day. I had 2 brine shrimp hatcheries going at once, 1 day apart. This is my basic setup, now take what you want from this and find what works for you. That is the most important fact I can give you. Rearing fry is a long process so find what works for you. The more comfortable you are with your procedures the higher your survival rate. Good Luck Rhonda
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Thanks, Rhonda - the more information we can gather and share, the better all of our chances are of raising fry. I'm real new to this so I'm sure I have a LOT of trial and error to get through but as long as each attempt gets me closer to success it's a rewarding labor of love.
I just received two packages today, one from SWF.com (outstanding livestock, as usual!) and another filled with supplies, including a 10 gallon tank divider kit. I think my next attempt at fry will be in a divided 10 gallon so I can keep a filter and chaeto and other hardware in one half and keep the fry safely in the other half. It's so hard to keep the water pristine in a fishbowl.
Question for you, if I may: how do you keep the fry away from the surface? Not only do they get stuck up there but they also accidentally snick air and I think they are doomed once that happens. Right now that seems to be my biggest problem with Reidi fry - the fact that they don't hitch. How do we keep them off the surface without agitating the water too hard which is also detrimental to them?
Sue
 

rhondad

New Member
I used a small canister filter for the 10 gal. I made a spray bar for the outflow end and ran it across the back top of my tank out of the water. When the flow is directed right it created a circular flow. The fry were in constant gentle circular motion.
Also I read where you going to use ocean water for your water changes. I wouldn't recommend this as ocean water has alot of polutants in it. You might also introduce hydroids to the tank, which are deadly to fry.
If you think newborn fry are cute wait til you come home from work and discovered they have decided to change colors. Yes, I jumped up and down with excitment over that one.
 

rhondad

New Member
Ooops, I forgot. You might want to think about 2 tank dividers. That way when you have to clean your divider you can place the clean one behind it and remove the dirty one without the fry swimming everywhere.
 

sueandherzoo

Active Member
Wow, more great ideas, Rhonda, thanks! Sounds like you've been doing this a while. How long have you been into seahorses? Do you have or have you had any type other than Northern Erectus? What do you do with the fry - sell them or keep them?
 

rhondad

New Member
I've been into seahorses for 6 years. I had and raised S. Erectus for about 3 years. One day I did my water change as usual and the next day everything started dying. I thought a contaminate got into the tank somehow so I did another water change. My water came from one of those 25 cents a gallon stations. Well by the end of the week everything was dead, horses, fry, corals and inverts. Hind sight says it was the water but I'll never know for sure. I stripped and sterilized the tank. After 6 months of seeing an empty tank my husband went into cahoots with my Mom and setup a new tank and new horses. They didn't know what species to buy they only knew they had to buy them from the same source. That's where I'm at today.
Some of my fry I kept, I had to their my babies ya know. The others a friend who runs a not so local pet store sold. Hint. When selling to pet stores make sure to tell them not to release your name as the breeder. I didn't care one way or the other but my friend said it was not a good ideal.
 

teresaq

Active Member
Welcome rhonda, I have southern erectus. I have only had one brood, they lived 6 weeks. I cant wait for my next ones.
Sue, This will be a good time to research for winter broods. Something you might do is see is there is someone local on the other board that want to try and raise them. There are always people wanting to give them a try.
T
 

rhondad

New Member
Sue, you may also want to keep a count of how long your male holds eggs before he gives birth. Mine was 18 days on the dot. After awhile I could tell when he was a day from giving birth. His pouch seemed to blow up over night a few days before and then he would actively court his female at length the day before. By keeping track you will be able to time your brine shrimp hatching to your fry birth and all will be ready at once. Like I said trial and error and alot of it.
 
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