Water Changes when breeding please help

[scoob]

Hi All,

Could you please let me know how much water should I be changing when before and after free swimming please, this is my first pair so I'm not sure what to do.

cheers
Mike

[ILLUSN]

Once free swimming i change 5-10% morning and night (helps remove all the uneaten food0.

[scoob]

No water changes before free swimming is it ? I have been just vacuming the bottom of the tank and not refilling the water.

[Discus Planetarium]

hi first thing first have you got eggs or fry as yet you can still do water changes when i have fry i lower my water take sponge filter out if black use air stones etc

[swampy1972]

No water changes before free swimming is it ? I have been just vacuming the bottom of the tank and not refilling the water.

I think that's ILLUSN is getting at. The amount of water it takes for you to vac the floor should be sufficient while they're still very small, increasing the volume as they start to take more food..

Just ensure the incoming water is the same in terms of temp, ph, etc, etc so the fry aren't having to cope with changing conditions.

All the best with them and I look forward to seeing some pics.. ;)

[scoob]

Thanks for the advise guys, it has been 48 hours they are black and ready to hatch.
I've been feeding the parents lightly with blood worms and vacuming the bottome of the tank every night.
I haven't refilled any water, the only thing in the tank is a sponge filter and a heater,
I am thinking of lowering the water as I vacume the tank.
When do I start adding new water back into the tank ?
Do I remove the sponge filter when the fry go free swimming ?
I have some rainwater with the same ph and temp ready to go, will post some pics soon.
Another thing was I have a table lamp sitting on the tank is that ok ?

Thanks
Mike

[ILLUSN]

small water changes are done to lower the water level and remove waste, idealy you want just enough water to cover the parents/filter, lower water level will make it easier for the fry to find the parents.
you can start topping up once they fry attach, once the start to get some shape, ie you can see top and bottom fins begining to form you can start doing 2x daily water changes of 5-10%.

Once they start looking like propper tiny fish you can do 10-15% twice daily, once they are 5c piece size you can do 15-25% changes up to 2x daily.

more water changes = fatser growth, just make sure temp and pH are an EXACT match, by 10c size you can do 50% up to twice daily, at 20c size do 90% changes and watch them grow day by day.

heavy feeding once they get to the 5-10c size will help them grow, my juvies got 3-4 feeds a day.

have a look at the rose red pair in the photo album and just watch them week to week.

[Discus Planetarium]

you can take the sponge filter out because the fry need the parents for food there slime coat the fry will go to the darkest thing in the tank and if you have a sponge filter in they will go to it and not the parents and yes you can do water changes just dont suck them up lol..

[scoob]

Thanks Illusn that is great information my last question is lighting, I have placed a desk lamp on the glass lid of the tank and in the past I found that fry wonder off to the corner of the tank hang around their and never find their way back to the side of the parents is that normal ?
Should I be removing them and placing them back close to the parents ?
Some wonder off towards the filte and get lost.

cheers
Mike

[ILLUSN]

i used a desk lamp with a 4w cf globe next to the tank it seemed to help them find mum and dadin the dark

[scoob]

Thanks all for the advise I will keep you guys update got home form work today and mostly all of the eggs are black hopefully I will get a good hatch rate.

Cheers
Mike

[scoob]

I have moved the desk lamp from the top of the 2x2x2 tank to next to the tank and wrapped the tank walls with white paper, sponge filter wrapped with white filter wool, see how we go...

Cheers
M

[scoob]

Looks like the fry were struggling yesterday, the temp went up to 38C and the tank is in my garage, the water temp was about 32.
The fry were swiming around every where and not feeding of the parents lots of fry in the conors of the tank.
Woke up this morning and some start to feed again.
Any ideas how to keep the tank cool, luckly the temp is 35 today.

cheers
Mike

[goodoo]

frozen bottles. Fan. Ice. Or get your girlfriend to wave a fan over it.

[ILLUSN]

If you blow a desk fan over the surface (lids off) the evaporation will help cool the tank.

otherwise a frozen 300-600ml bottle is the cheepest easiest option.

[scoob]

No worries I will try the fan trick and chuck a couple of Ice bottles in the freezer.
Thanks all, I guess if they survive for a couple of days I'll might have a good chance.

I find that fry wonder all around the tank especially in the cornor of the tank and the mum and dad have to go collect them, is that normal ?
Is that why you use a smaller thank I think a 60g tank is too big.

cheers
Mike

[ILLUSN]

thats the biggest problem with a big tank, you wont get this problem in a 10-20gal.

[scoob]

Hi All

I have about 30 fry left, they have been free swiming for 6 days and seem to be growing nicely.



http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/kyawmoe/th_DSC_0065.jpg (http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy231/kyawmoe/?action=view&current=DSC_0065.jpg)