feeding babies

[poppy]

I know there has been posts on this before........ but I cant find them when i need them........LOL

I was wondering when to introduce other food to the babies, they r now 3 days free swimming and doing well on mum and dad...........

thanks in advance

poppy

[chris]

Hi Poppy well done with the new fry, I introduce frozen baby brine shrimp, at about day seven, and try to place cube above parents so the baby brine rolls down the side of the parents slowly weening them of there parents. :wink: HTH

[Merrilyn]

That's exactly right poppy. Try to hatch some live baby brine shrimp if you can manage it. The little fry seem to eat more if the food is live.

At two weeks I start to introduce very finely chopped beef heart and dry food crushed very fine.

From then on, the growth rate will double.

[nicholas76]

get them on your home made beef heart mix and your almost home and hosed!

[poppy]

thanks everyone...... They are 9 days freeswimming now

they are growing well and are still eating off the parents , I have been squirting BBS frozen (defrosted ) at the parents, I am not sure if they actually eat it?? They seem to get a bit active when it goes it....

Anyone know how to tell

Got the beef heart coming in tomorrow!!

Cheers

Poppy

[Merrilyn]

Poppy, you can usually tell by the colour of the belly of the little fry. When they are eating the paarent's slime, they will have a grey belly. As they begin to consume brine shrimp, the belly area will turn orange.

Beefheart will turn the belly white again.

As they grow, the skin becomes less transparent, and you won't be able to use that little trick :P

[kalebjarrod]

i find live shrimp to work great with mine at the moment poppy

i got a bag of eggs from AOA

http://www.aquariumproducts.com.au/prod688.htm

i simply add 1/2 a tablespoon of pool salt (pure sea salt only) to one litre of water

add an airstone and 24 hours later bingo

you can tell they have hatched because the water goes a shade of pink

turn off the air stone, let them sit for a few minutes, the cysts will float, the unhatched eggs will sink, and the brine are in the midile

simplely suck out as many as you need with a big syringe, and spray them gentle over the babies

they will go ape for it, leaving the mum and dad to hunt down the little buggers

with the beef heart i jsut froze mine treally well then put it through the food proceesor making sure it dis not thaw

chopped it up perfect for baby discus mouths! :wink:

[poppy]

poor babies.........

thought I had them past the worst.........
have had 4 drop off in the last 24 hours............. one at a time.........

sad........ but what can i do??


I only have 4 left
:(

Poppy

[Merrilyn]

Oh no Poppy. Test your water for ammonia and nitrates.