My first bee brood to keep
Re: My first bee brood to keep
When doing daily water changes with the fry, consider storing some water in barrels if you have them, this way you can match the temp, ph, etc. as closely as possible. The fry are super sensitive but after the first few weeks of survival they'll start growing and become less temperamental.
Re: My first bee brood to keep
Makes sense now, I see why you'd do daily water changes with a bare bottom tank. I've got a lot of biological filtration going on but almost no mechanical, so I can see how a bare bottom setup would've been easier to maintain.waveborn wrote: ↑Sat May 17, 2025 4:27 pm Just had my first and I'm freaking out, got a bad case of new daddy syndrome lol.
For the first time, I separated a holding female cichlid at around 2.25 weeks, and I didn't expect her to release her fry within an hour, about 5 days ahead of schedule. It's like she checked the calendar or something. I know if she feels safe, this could happen, but still.
Is mom okay with them? Should I put her back in the main tank? That's my main concern. I've always let them spawn in the main tank before and watched them get picked off with zero survival. Any advice? I really want to keep them this time.
Re: My first bee brood to keep
I've recently set up my 4th tank and decided to try a bare bottom setup, and I'm glad I did - the amount of debris on the glass bottom is staggering. With a bare bottom, it's easy to see and remove any uneaten food or detritus, whereas with a substrate, it's easy to get a false sense of cleanliness. The small particles of food and fish waste can be hard to spot on the substrate, which can lead to poor water quality. I'm using a JAD SF104 Sponge Filter and a Fluval U1, both of which are rated for larger tanks, and I'm still getting a lot of debris on the glass - it just goes to show how important it is to keep on top of maintenance.
Re: My first bee brood to keep
Makes sense, useful info from experience - thanks for sharing.
Got a couple of pics to share - these are pseudotropheus Acei fry.
Filter looks a bit grimy due to how I power cycled it with mulm from an existing filter - just an FYI.
Bag in the background of pic 2 is full of mature media, just in case.
Water stats are looking perfect, so that's a plus.
Really looking forward to raising these little guys - I've counted around 28 fry, which is pretty impressive considering she's an immature fish and this is her first batch. Way to go, Mamma.
I've also got 2 yellow lab females holding, each has swallowed or spit in tank her fry at least once, but I'm prepared to raise them this time. Might strip them, though, since I can't put them in a tank with existing fry - but I'm sure the fry will grow and eat with the rest easily enough.
Since it's a 20 long, I could throw in a divider, but for learning's sake, I might just try my hand at stripping to see if I like it or not. Or if I'm even capable, for that matter.
I know I'm overdoing it with the "bag of mature" and all that, but it makes me feel better, and I'll outgrow my pragmatic approach eventually - lol.
Got a 55 on standby, just in case they grow too fast. Plan is to use the sponges for filtration unless I find some extra cash - might negotiate a sale to LFS of excess at 1-2".
Got a couple of pics to share - these are pseudotropheus Acei fry.
Filter looks a bit grimy due to how I power cycled it with mulm from an existing filter - just an FYI.
Bag in the background of pic 2 is full of mature media, just in case.
Water stats are looking perfect, so that's a plus.
Really looking forward to raising these little guys - I've counted around 28 fry, which is pretty impressive considering she's an immature fish and this is her first batch. Way to go, Mamma.
I've also got 2 yellow lab females holding, each has swallowed or spit in tank her fry at least once, but I'm prepared to raise them this time. Might strip them, though, since I can't put them in a tank with existing fry - but I'm sure the fry will grow and eat with the rest easily enough.
Since it's a 20 long, I could throw in a divider, but for learning's sake, I might just try my hand at stripping to see if I like it or not. Or if I'm even capable, for that matter.
I know I'm overdoing it with the "bag of mature" and all that, but it makes me feel better, and I'll outgrow my pragmatic approach eventually - lol.
Got a 55 on standby, just in case they grow too fast. Plan is to use the sponges for filtration unless I find some extra cash - might negotiate a sale to LFS of excess at 1-2".
Re: My first bee brood to keep
When combining fry of different ages, be mindful of the age gap. For instance, mixing 4-week-old fry with 2-week-old fry is generally fine, but introducing newly hatched fry to 2-week-old ones might not work out.
I utilize a JAD Double Net Breeder Aquarium Fish Isolation Twin Breeding Trap in a couple of my fry tanks for holding females. This setup allows me to keep newly hatched fry separate from the larger ones, which helps prevent any potential issues.
As your fry grow, you'll need a grow-out tank to accommodate them, and you'll want to keep your fry tank available for new batches. Those females just keep on breeding, after all.
Stripping eggs from a female can seem intimidating at first, but trust me, it's easier than it looks. Just be calm, gentle, and handle the fish with wet hands. You'll get the hang of it in no time; it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the process.
I utilize a JAD Double Net Breeder Aquarium Fish Isolation Twin Breeding Trap in a couple of my fry tanks for holding females. This setup allows me to keep newly hatched fry separate from the larger ones, which helps prevent any potential issues.
As your fry grow, you'll need a grow-out tank to accommodate them, and you'll want to keep your fry tank available for new batches. Those females just keep on breeding, after all.
Stripping eggs from a female can seem intimidating at first, but trust me, it's easier than it looks. Just be calm, gentle, and handle the fish with wet hands. You'll get the hang of it in no time; it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the process.