It’s been one month since my last update so I put a bunch of stuff together for this week. On a personal note, I’ve been donating my time at the Food Bank of Delaware. We feed approximately 250,000 people a year (1 in 4 Delawareans), mostly children. It’s an epidemic and I’m proud to be part of the solution. Back to the fish.
The brood stock are approximately 8.5-10.5 months old now. Of the three pairs, two seem to be doing very well. Unfortunately, the Alpha pair has not bonded to the same extent of the Beta or Gamma pairs. The Alpha female has rejected her male and he is not ascending into the social order. He remains a non-sexual juvenile, lacking the coloration and body development of the other males. The Alpha female remains a beautiful specimen and I’m already making plans with another breeder to find her a replacement male. On the plus side, this may eventually lead to a healthier gene pool and variety in her offspring.
The Beta pair has begun displaying the same cleaning behavior that the Gammas have been doing for over a month now. They take turns twitching and cleaning the bottom most portion of the clay pot.
The Gamma male has developed more than any other fish in the last month. He has put on significant weight, developed deep coloration and my pictures don’t do justice to how handsome this fish has become.
The following pictures and videos were taken with the assistance of a florescent light. If the fish appear spooked, it’s because they are.
They are looking good. It might be soon. they are maturing and morphing still. I’m sure. But usually at about a year they could be ready to spawn. Im still betting on april-june.
Glad to hear you support the Food Bank. I do too with donations , sometimes a check, mostly food donations. I grocery shop many times a week. a little at a time, and when i find bargains, or the old two-fer-ones i buy extra for the food bank, as my budget allows. It’s a good thing. I have noticed a lot more people of all walks of life coming in for some help the past couple years. I got another shopping cart full to drop off soon. See you there.
So that’s a good point, let’s not blow it all on tanks, leave a little to help our fellow Delawareans.
But your system still looks good! Nothing quite as fun as a science project.
I’m quickly developing some bad habits as I try to put the brood stock out of my mind for now. I’m falling way behind on weekly water changes and the poor fish are not getting fed nearly as often as they had become accustomed to. My best guess is that the fish are now 9-11 months old.
The alpha male continues to be the runt of the liter. He hasn’t developed in months. The female continues to chase him away from her territory but occasionally seeks him out for some companionship.
The beta and gamma pairs are the most likely to produce some offspring. The beta pair seems to be more developed, especially when it comes to the female having a fatter belly. However, the gamma pair seems to be displaying more cooperative behavior. It’s a toss up as to who will spawn first. The gamma male looks like he is getting a little heavier. I noticed his anal fin has a gap between the black coloration today which I think it’s a result of the fin growing recently.
The male is tending the eggs. That leads me to believe there is a good chance they are fertilized. Only about 30 eggs visible. They are a healthy orange color.
That is Awesome! Very exciting to get some spawning out of the If you need any pointers about growing rotifers and collecting eggs, just ask ken, chris or barb, or I and any of us could help out a lot! Good luck and keep us posted!
[quote=“Jcling, post:85, topic:573”]
That is Awesome! Very exciting to get some spawning out of the If you need any pointers about growing rotifers and collecting eggs, just ask ken, chris or barb, or I and any of us could help out a lot! Good luck and keep us posted![/quote]
Thanks, I just spoke to Chris and Barb and they don’t have a rotifer culture going atm. We might split the cost on ordering a culture. Did you have an active culture going? Maybe I could just borrow a rotifer or two from you. I know I’m going to need to order a concentrated phyto to feed them. What brand are you guys using?
[quote=“moliken, post:88, topic:573”]
you’re a grandpa! very nice. reduced prices to drc? right?[/quote]
If it was a little earlier I’d give them away for stocking stuffers. :BEER But yes, I’m eventually going to sell them online or to local fish stores and I will be giving a MASSIVE discount to my friends who have been so supportive throughout this process.
I think PatB has a current roti culture growing. Maybe you can score a cup of roti’s from him to start your own. They probably won’t be ready in time for this batch of eggs (I forget how long it takes the eggs to hatch) but you’ll have a nice dense culture in about 2 weeks.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:91, topic:573”]
I think PatB has a current roti culture growing. Maybe you can score a cup of roti’s from him to start your own. They probably won’t be ready in time for this batch of eggs (I forget how long it takes the eggs to hatch) but you’ll have a nice dense culture in about 2 weeks.
My roti culture expired a year ago. I gave the last of my Phyto frozen concentrate to Craig about then. but since you have to buy some frozen concentrate algae from Reeds, you can get the live rotis too to start.
or try some of these dried rotifer cysts to start. they come in a tiny sealed glass vial. looks just like a spec of dust for 3000 cysts. but plenty to start a culture. put them in water and they hatch, then feed them the green stuff.
When it rains, it pours. My second set of Picassos is now PROOVEN!!!
I came home tonight to find a pretty healthy looking egg clutch on the base of the frogspawn in the 90 gallon reef tank. I knew the pair was up to something, they’ve been cleaning and cleaning the base of the frogspawn for a couple of weeks now. This is too awesome.
If you need any pointers about growing rotifers and collecting eggs, just ask ken, chris or barb, or I and any of us could help out a lot! Good luck and keep us posted!
