Rearing LDA08

jon b · Post by **jon b** » 02 Feb 2007, 22:06

Ho folks,
I'm posting as I'm a bit perplexed by my LDA08 fry. From everything I have read Ancistrus fry grow quickly but my LDA08's are quite sluggish with the largest being about 1" after about 4 months. The fish always have fresh food (zucchini, spirulina-algae or alge tablets), have plenty of bogwood and vigorous water changes. Is this normal or should they be growing faster. Admittedly the parents are both only abot 2" SL at about 3years old.
Also the babies are still with the parents so with all the extra feeding my female keeps getting ripe and spawning. Should I pull her out and put her in another tank to rest.
Thanks
Jon

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 03 Feb 2007, 02:13

Last August I bought 8 F1 Ancistrus claro at maximum size of 3/4 inch and they recently all died from an accident but in the time I had them the largest one was not over 1 inch long. I don't know why they were so hard to get any growth out of them. They did not really like anything except earthworm pellets. Reg Ancisrus sp 3 grow that big in a month or so after emerging from the care of the male. It's really too bad because they are a nice fish and their small adult size makes them perfect for so many community tanks.

Post by **Barbie** » 03 Feb 2007, 03:44

For regular types of Ancistrus, 2" in 4 months would be extremely fast growth. You're basically growing them to half their adult size in 4 months ;). Just be patient, they'll mature at about 8 months or so. I keep them colony style, with the females and male all left together with the fry, with no problem. They tend to grow in spurts and jumps, IME, but I think your growth rate is probably right on target with them.

Sorry to hear you lost yours Larry

. My male is finally back on another spawn. Talk to me in 6 months ;).

Barbie

jon b · Post by **jon b** » 04 Feb 2007, 12:02

Hi folks,
Thanks for the advice, I'll just keep going and keep patient as the fish are still growing.
One thing that I forgot was that I lost my initial 2 batches of fry who ignored any standard Ancistrus food that I fed. I noticied that later batches, which have survived, did seem to show a feeding (frenzy) stimulus when fed frozen cyclops or baby brine shrimp

. Thinking back both my adults also appeared to ignore zucchinni/algae tablet food for some months after I first purchased them but would have recieved small foods as they were sharing with livebearer fry.
So it might be that some fish need the stimulus of small foods to feed, either when just hatched or after import. So if you get some more of these fish, Larry,it might be worth trying small foods if they are fussy feeders

Post by **Barbie** » 04 Feb 2007, 20:25

Larry had some of my fry. They are raised on NLS grow formula, flake, hikari algae wafers, sinking wafers, cyclopeeze and whatever else might be in my hand when I walk by their tank. I think Larry ended up losing his the same way I lost most of mine, through a bug that slipped through a quarantine process (obviously not a really well regulated one at my house anyway!). I was sloppy and paid for it dearly ;). Thank goodness I still have one female left and the male is finally raising me more fry.

Barbie