need help L046 babys dying

[reeferman 1]

I keep losing baby zebras. I've had 4 separate brood. The 1st was 5, 2nd 11, 3rd the male threw the eggs out 4th 6,all but 2 died. They are in a 40 gal tank. Good filtering. A 1200 power head with a sponge. Ammonia 0, nitrate 5.0, nitrite 0. There are 9 adults in the tank. I feed them parboiled zuchini and shrimp. Some times with garlic. Thanks steve

[Barbie]

Try smaller food. None of that is suited to their tiny mouths, not to mention the veggies are mostly wasted. While my zebras will eat a small amount, it is mostly ignored. I once choked 10 6 month old L46 fry with a single feeding of bloodworms. I recommend Cyclopeeze, daphnia, tiny pellet food like NLS grow. Something much smaller. I'm also currently trying prawn roe for fry.

Barbie

[AndrewC]

As Barbie said, zebra fry need much smaller food in the the beginning.

Feeding a little veg for the fry is good, but veg should be used as a supplement in their diet, never a main feeding.
I crumble up a broad bean into small bits each night and feed it along with their dried food, it's the one veg i find most of my hypancistrus will eat.

Grind up dried food into a very fine powder, a mortar and pestal is good for doing that, i grind up earthworm sticks and spirulina sticks each night for them.
Try placing some food with your hand on the substrate near where the fry hide, and somewhere the food won't get blown away, i don't think newly devolped zebra fry venture far away from their hiding place when looking for food.
What caught my attention, when feeding a certain part of their tank each night, near the frys hiding place, is when i have been late feeding them, i see some fry searching the area for food.

I also feed a little micro worm twice a day, just incase the fry are not recognising the dried food as food in the beginning.

Even with adults in the tank, i grind up their food, and the adults are still breeding.

Andrew.

[reeferman 1]

Would it be ok to stop the powerhead and slow the filter when I feed the babys which would all night.Thats the only time they eat and start them back in the morning.I have shrimp sticks that when they get soft they are like a power.I'll take the other things you offer.thanks steve

[MatsP]

Turning the filter off overnight will most likely kill the fish - especially if there is a lot of food in the water, so no, don't do that.

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Mats