Pseudacanthicus sp L25 "Scarlet" : another breeding tale

[husky_jim]

Cute little monsters.....

[five]

Hi Eltofi, I understand your fry are kept in a nursery tank. May I know how do you maintain the cleanliness of it? Do you clean it every day?

I am just curious what is the best way to do this.

[ElTofi]

oh yes... twice a day...

the ground is cleaned in the morning and in the evening... the floating nursery doesn't need to be cleaned, as it stand in a very strong stream. You can see pictures and explanations on my other topic, the one about Pseudacanthicus sp L320.

[five]

Hey alright, thanks.

I always have dirty nursery tank.

[ElTofi]

Day 10...



Everything seems fine... The yolksacks are getting sharper backwards. I'm getting more confident in the success of this spawning... I pay more attention to the 3 adults and I'm almost convinced that I have 2 males for only 1 female.

Odontodes on the alpha male and on the 3rd individual are amazing. It seems that the "lost" of the clutch had an effect on the alpha male's mood. He stays deep inside a cave, in the back of the tank. He's fanning... nothing at all, but still... He hides and just get out to eat... at night... So, the 2nd male is taking advantage of it and begins to set his rules in the whole tank. The only "serious territorial fight mate" is the alpha Panaque LDA63 male, which is 5-8 cm smaller, but much more rough with the bodyshape (thicker).

I can sometimes see them down under a root, when I witness a "sand storm" flowing into the stream... You can guess they cause "sand vortex" with their caudal fins, fighting for "the right place to be". Generaly, a few seconds later, one of them leaves the place, beaten... No wound yet, as the tank is big enough for the looser to escape. But I'm very carefull about it.

[tadj]

awesome job well done the fry look cool

[ElTofi]

Day 12... and there you can see that they didn't hatch the same day... Those 2 little guys have around 2 days of development's differences...





And I'm getting more and more convinced that they hatched too early... This 2nd picture doesn't match with a "normal 12th day development"...

[husky_jim]

Nice!

How is the development of the fry that are outside of the breeding trap.Any differences?

[ElTofi]

Nice!

How is the development of the fry that are outside of the breeding trap.Any differences?

It's very similar... with the same differences of development, depending on their date of hatching... The only thing I can see is that the fry in the tank is always stucked together, in a 5x5 cm area, under the filter, in a corner of the tank.

[ElTofi]

14th day from hatching for this one :


and 2-3 days less for this one


they're getting cute, aren't they ?

[Cristoffer Forssander]

Its lovley to see!!!

And they are getting more and more color! In a few weeks they are going to be amazing!!!




Cristoffer

[ElTofi]

3 pictures of the "demo" Pseuda Babys at day 16 :





Tofi

EDIT : by "demo" Pseuda Babys, I mean the ones I took out of the nursery to take good pictures... of course... sorry if somebody missunderstood it

[DutchFry]

They look great!!

they all survived?

[husky_jim]

Demo or not they are beautiful!

[ElTofi]

They look great!!
they all survived?

if you read the post, you will see that I've been unable to raise them up properly... At this morning's countdown, they still were 42 ! Better than nothing... but so sad for the more than 200 others...

[Haavard Stoere]

They look beautiful. Looking forward to seing them develop into sub-adults

[ElTofi]

Day 19... I began to serve food for them (Sera Viformo and micro pellets, reduced in powder)... No real proof that they already eat, but I prefer beginning now, than seeing them starve tomorrow...





see you in a few days...

[Cristoffer Forssander]

Great!!! Now we are just waiting to see them coloring up! Perhaps in two week, they will have some more colors!!!

I hope you vill have over 200 fry next time!



Cristoffer

[ChristosB]

Absolutely amazing pictures Eltofi!

Congratulations!!!

[ElTofi]

Exactly 3 weeks from hatching...



I guess 25-26°C is definitely not enough for a "normal" development. The nursery (installed in a hurry, if you remember) is right inside the airflow venting the fishroom... That's why I can hardly raise the temperature above 26°C, even if my heater is set up on 28°C. And I don't dare moving the nursery, afraid of loosing the last juveniles...



You can partially see the yolksack, which is about to disappear... I've been unable to see their digestive system work till yet. Actually, they didn't try to feed on my usual "Fry Food"

Waiting, watching, thinking...

[Haavard Stoere]

You should move them or otherwise resolve the heating problem. If you want to move to breeder box to another warmer tank you just lift it out of the water in a large bowl. The slow metabolism in cold water can have ill effects on digestion and maybe even development. I would aim for around 28-30 degrees and a lot of aeration.

[ElTofi]

I thought about it yesterday, and I finally took a decision... Instead of moving them, I will simply cover the tank with a glass cover... it will help me to keep a decent temperature in this tank. It's not that 26° isn't decent, but I can see it's not enough for larvae.

[Haavard Stoere]

An increase of just 2 degrees is a lot when it comes to metabolism. I bet they will start eating very soon.

[ElTofi]

the temperature raised from 26 to 28-29 in a day (12 hours)... It seems that the fry inside the tank developped a suddenly "moving attitude"; they get out in the wild even during the light time... I put 3 small Hypancisturs caves and they begun to set them as a new territory...

the ones in the nursery are as usual moving up and down the box...

I'm gonna check it those 2 next days and I'll try to feed tomorrow...

[ElTofi]

fascinating changes in 24 hours... they get out of their hiding places, they come into the air pump stream, much easier to take pictures...





and I saw today the first prooves they eat... (micro shits ) good news...

[Haavard Stoere]

This is so exiting

[husky_jim]

Great News!

We all learning valuable things from your experience with them!

Keep us updated!

[ElTofi]

It has been a while since I last posted a few pictures...

Just because I drop the floating nursery into the nursery tank with a few hiding caves. So it's much more difficult to capture a few good picts... This morning (day 30), I went "fishing" and took out 8 fry into a plate... here are the shooting session's results :







I counted them in the tank : 32 fry

At least I know what I would do better next time :

1. leaving them with the father (if not possible, prepare a nursery long time before)
2. setting a nude bottom nursery with at least 30°C and a heavy filtration
3. day to day water changes of 15-20%

I plan to realise a more performing rain water collector installation in this spring... I will use it to stimulate the adults in the big tank from April-May till June... Let's see what it will come to.

[Cristoffer Forssander]

Perhaps a small aqarium is the best way to rais them when they are that old!? Then you have control over their feeding and so on.
I understand that you're sad about the losses but you still have 32 (probably a few more!?) beautiful fry and you will succed better next time, learning from the last misstakes I think! I'm sure I will see over 200 fry in you're next breeding tale!

Have you seen any red color yet?
Perhaps it will take a few more weeks!

Cristoffer

[ElTofi]

37th day... I went fishing again...