What's wrong with my baby?

Post by **Barbie** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:01 am

Are your fry actively feeding when they still have a yolk sac?

Barbie

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:18 pm

McEve, I'm sure I read in one of your previous posts that your zebra diet includes maggots. Have a read of this link:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/gi/dynam ... maggot.htm

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:46 pm

Interesting to see that the article does indeed think maggots are suitabe for aqaurium fish

I have always stayed clear of the colored maggots, and have chopped them up in tiny pieces before giving them to the fish, so the toughened skin wouldn't have caused a problem either.

I have however not given them maggots for ages, as it is rather disgusting. During the period I did give it to them they gained weigth rapidly, so it seems to be a good food for conditioning the fish.

I'm sticking to the prawn/veggie mix and various dried foods for them now though - and on no account would I even dream of giving maggots to the fry!

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 12:47 pm

Barbie wrote:Are your fry actively feeding when they still have a yolk sac?

Barbie

No I haven't seen them doing that.

Post by **Barbie** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 2:38 pm

The one that I lost most definitely still had a yolk sac, so if it's the same problem, your diet is probably not influencing it, no? Just trying to narrow down possibilities here.

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 4:30 pm

Tonight the fry is much better. The swelling is still there, enough to recognize it, but much smaller. This morning he was really large. I have searched the tank for any remnants of a dead fry, in case this one is a new one that is affected, and the other died, but can't find any, and I did search thoroughly.

Hopefully that means it's the same one that is now improving. So... maybe the root?

Post by **Barbie** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:02 pm

Hopefully! Mine didn't have access to any rootwood, but it's definitely possible to have different causes of development problems, I'm sure!

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:11 pm

Did yours start eating before the youlk sack was gone Barbie?

Des · Post by **Des** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 10:34 pm

Hi McEve,
Wasnt aware of the consistency of your home made shrimp mix. Apologies.
Did you transfer the eggs to a floating container in the parents tank? and how long did the fry stay in there before you gave them a tank of their own?.|I would presume that it would be easier to keep check on the fry in a smaller container floating in the parents tank with fresh water flowing into it from the output of a sponge filter as described by Barbie elsewhere in the forum.

Modified my earlier post with correct address for zmsystems.see below.
http://www.zmsystems.demon.co.uk/

I have 2 lots of whiptail eggs being guarded by 2 sturisoma males only 4" apart, in my zebra tank, one lot on the side of the powerhead and the other on the side of the tank. Hope the zebras can take the hint and learn from the whiptails.!!!!!!
Regards,
Des.

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 11:07 pm

Hi Des, no apology needed! I understand perfectly well that one gets sceptic to home made stuff, I would be too - at least until it was properly explained what it was, my apologies for being unclear on this issue.

I had them in a floating container with an airstone until they no longer had a youlk sack, and a few more days to see them starting to eat. I didn't think they had the intestines and guts to eat before the youlk was gone, but if Barbies fry was eating before then then maybe they do.

I know it's safest to have them in a container, but I feel they would be more secure with lots of places to hide in a more natural enviroment. I can definately see the benefits of keeping them in a container for as long as possible though, and know that professional breeders have all glass tanks with nothing but water and fish in it.

It's just one of those daft back to nature - let the prisoners free - irrational thing I guess

All fry seem to be doing real well now, so I hope they're past the bumpy road for now. It was so weird though, the first bunch had been there for almost a month before the second lot was transfered into the tank, neither them nor the third lot has had any trouble...

It's very interesting to see that the escapee from the first lot who's still in the parents tank, have grown to about twice the size of the ones I keep in a separate tank. I'll definately take that to heart if there's a next time, it's obious that the fry is the most happy and healthy if left with the parents.

I'm learning, it's just a shame the prize of experience is so high...

Thanks for all your help!

Post by **Barbie** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:05 am

No, mine haven't ever eaten before the yolk sac is absorbed. That's why I was confused as to how it could be diet related though. I am pretty sure that low dissolved oxygen was the culprit for mine, as that's the only parameter that changed for it to cause such a problem. I've heard of it happening a few times since, among other hobbyists raising hypancistrus, but noone is sure why, I'm sorry to say.

I too have wondered about leaving the fry with the parents, and have continued to swipe them when they are almost out of their yolk sacs now (to avoid any problems, basically, and speed up the process of the male getting on with the next spawn). I feed very heavily in my containers I float the fry in, and rather than just use an airstone, I run the water from the main tank into the container with an air powered sponge. It makes for much better water conditions, IMO. My zebra fry are actually growing faster than my L260 fry, which seems strange to me, but I'm glad to see it!

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:10 pm

Did your fry show the same bloating then Barbie?

Post by **Barbie** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:30 pm

Yep, my fry did that same thing, and then died. It was very hard on me. I documented it all in the thread at PC that you can find Here. In looking at the pics now, I can see that his yolk was more white and never got that true elongate shape to it, so development could have been interrupted even earlier than I thought. I'll never know. I had it happen a second time in a later spawn, and then haven't seen it again.

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 8:54 pm

And all spawns have been in the same fry trap, same furniture, same food and all?

BTW, the second fry recovered, and I haven't had any casualties or affected fry since.

Post by **Barbie** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 9:06 pm

Nope, I wasn't using the overflow into the tank system then that I use now, and I don't feed my fry until they have no yolk sac left. They just ignore it if I try. Everything else is the same, yes, same parents and tank they are in and what not. I move the fry to a new tank when I take them from Dad now.

Barbie