feeding BN fry

[richnikki]

hello all-im new to this breeding plecos. got my 1st batch of 50+ 1/2 in, 1/2 out of the cave. i got some squash hanging over the side about 8 inches and feeding wafers-wondering really what to feed the fry.

[Barbie]

There are articles and a good number of threads on the board for how to feed fry. The search feature is available in the main bar at the top of the page. Basically you need to feed them a LOT of what you feed the adults, with water quality to handle the waste. That usually means a larger tank than you think you need and frequent water changes. People that are having trouble raising fry are almost always, IME, starving the fry or polluting the tank. It's a fine balancing act ;).

Barbie

[Taratron]

Echoing what Barbie said. When my male is still sitting on eggs or wrigglers, I move the cave and all to a 20 gallon fry tank, and once the fry are out, feed heavily with NLS wafers, canned green beans, zucchini and lettuce leaves, etc. Water change every day and sometimes twice a day.

[vanillarum]

Congrats on your fry. To answer your question, I feed my fire red fry a combo of NLS Grow, Kens golden pearls, froz daphnia, and froz baby brine shrimp. I feed mine twice a day. Good luck.

[elephant]

a few other things I've found to work well:

For brand-new wrigglers, I've had the best luck with moving zucchini that has already been in the tank for 2-3 days right outside the cave entrance so it's easy to find. Also makes a great snack for dad if he leaves the cave quickly for a minute.

-fresh green beans that are cooked thoroughly(!) -- think navy green, not forest green
-older plants & driftwood from another tank (covered in small amounts of yummy algae, bacteria, etc.)
-Algae tablets (I've had the best luck with Omega One & Hikari)
-Sweet potato (par-broiled) & zucchini (raw) -- anchored at the BOTTOM of the tank (if it floats or is clipped to the side, they don't seem to figure it out.

I also recently purchased large Manzanita branches for a new tank -- they were supposed to be power-washed & boiled before I received them, so I soaked them in very hot water for a few days & popped them in the tank, as they were too large for me to boil at home. Of course they started growing a lot of white fungus. My solution? Move them to the BN grow-out tank & let them be useful. 2 days later that driftwood is spotless! They love it

Amanda

[richnikki]

ihave zuchini and yellow squash in there for now-and then throw the veggie wafers in. i try to clean it once a day-them little things are everywhere. odd though-got about 35 out of the cave-and dad is still there with about 10 left to come out?

[vanillarum]

Not odd. They come out at all different time intervals. Good luck.

[Barbie]

They will also go back into the cave with him at times. I think an often overlooked food source for these guys is a little crushed flake food with all their veggies. It isn't as much work and will supplement them nicely. I use NLS grow pellets with their small size and high fiber and protein.

Barbie

[exasperatus2002]

I fed mine algae wafers, zucchini, green beans & flake food.

[dan1984]

Congrats on the fry!

Like most replys here, I feed my fry a combination of algae wafers and veggies such as carrot, zucchini and sweet potato. I pop the slices of veg on a paper towel and put them in the microwave for about 30 seconds then let them cool before adding to the tank. This will help them sink without needing to anchor them to the bottom.

I havent found the fry to be too fussy so keep up a good supply of food and maintain frequent water changes and the fry should thrive.

Goodluck