3 week old Fry Growing Very Slowly

[alunjai]

I moved them by catching them in a cup and slowly releasing them in the larger container. At the moment I don't want to risk another move. I will leave them until they're a bit more developed... I just have to make frequent water changes. Is it worth sticking a sponge filter in at this stage? I want some water movement but again worried it may stress/disturb the fry.

I think I will try your method next time. Is it easier for the male to look after the fry in a smaller container?

I have 11 left now. Hopefully no more will die. I still think they're quite small for the age... They're about 3 and a weeks old now.

[Myates]

It may of been that they weren't acclimated to the new temp/chemistry and they went into shock :( If they are in a 10g, they can stay there for another few weeks or longer, since there aren't as many.. so don't need to worry about moving them until they are bigger/stronger. The first month of their life they are at their fragilest.

A sponge filter would help.. get one of those valves that let you control the air flow from the pump to the filter.. just turn it on low and it will be fine. I've had mine set on low since they were free swimming with no problem. Yours should be fine as well.

The father should be able to take care of the fry with no trouble in there.. he won't have too many distractions, and possibly feel a bit more secure that nothing will try to harm them. BUT, he also may feel that the space is a bit too small and may try to cull a bit more. You will have to watch and see how he does. My male that was in the container was a first time daddy.. so I pulled him right after they were born because I was nervous.. but saw he had ended up having about 30 fry in his mouth when I transferred him and he started caring for the fry in his .33g keeper where I placed him to recoup. I did move the fry over though.. but he had built a nest and was watching them. A few ended up staying in there for about 5 days and he was still caring for them.. they eventually moved over too. So, you just don't know how the male will react until you watch them.. now I know this particular male is a great father, I can trust him with the fry for a longer period.

They will be small at 3 weeks - mine just hit the 2 week mark 2/3 days ago and they just got their pectorals and dorsals grown. So they take a while at first to grow. Once you are feeding them 2-3 times a day you will notice a difference quicker.

The ones that are left, if they seem to be fine, are darting/swimming around and exploring, looking for food.. basically active, then I would say they were the strong ones of the bunch and should make it.

Make sure to siphon 1-2x a day, both on the bottom to remove waste/dead food and top of the water for ammonia.. that will also help speed up the growth, as you will be removing toxins from the water and removing some of the growth stunting hormones they put out.

If this is your first spawn, I wouldn't beat yourself up too much.. this is one of those things where you learn as you go. A lot of breeders have lost easily two thirds of their first spawns because of making mistakes, etc. Now you know to breed them in the larger tank with a higher temp, or a tub in a tank, etc.. that way you can drip new water in continuously, they have more room to spread out and can stay there for 4-5 weeks before needing to go to a bigger grow out, can have the sponge filter ready in there, etc.

Not saying breeding in a small container/tank is a bad thing, I know a breeder who breeds exclusively in small bowls (I did it successfully too, but there were some negatives to it that made me not want to do it as much).. so it's possible, just have to find what works best for you and your fish, and find out how best to transfer them. Oldfishlady is a master at breeding, she would know how best to transfer such little ones - I'm too scared to move them when so young, so I don't know exactly how one would do it.

[alunjai]

Myates, thanks for the tips and support. I've tried to spawn many pairs in the past year or so and this is the only spawn that's survived for this long so its quite heartbreaking every time I see another dead fry. This morning I saw about 3-4 swimming. Some may have been covered by the IAL? I noticed another dead fry :(

Anyway I definitely learnt a lot throughout this process and may have to change a few things for the next spawn. May have to be after June when I come back from holiday and when it's warmer. I live Hong Kong and at the moment the air is cool. In the summer the air will be a lot more warmer and humid which should help to keep the spawn tank temp more stable. At the moment the water temp is always fluctuating... probably why so many have died...

So how big is your latest spawn? How long have you been breeding bettas for?

[Myates]

The spawn I have growing right now is about 200+ fry, and not for that long :)

But you will find what works best for you.. my biggest hump I had to get over was being impatient and learning the best way to condition with the fish I have. You'll find your way.. if you need any ideas/help/suggestions, etc.. feel free to ask here or msg :)

Here is my log if you are interested.

[alunjai]

I still have 4 survivors!! They've grown a bit and seems more lively since I've added an IAL. Originally I had an IAL in the small container but I didn't add one back in to the larger container. I wonder if this is the reason why some many died?

[Myates]

Already replied to your pm, but here to give ya some more moral support :)

Even if you keep one alive in the end.. you were successful. You learn as you go, and your next spawn will be that much more healthy. You can do it!

[alunjai]

I'm going to siphon some of the dirty water later and replace with water that has an IAL inside. Hopefully they'll be ok. Will keep you updated :)

I've definitely learnt a lot throughout this process. Thanks again!!

[Myates]

Don't pour the water into the tank.. you need to drip the water in. I should of said something about that.. I'm sorry. But pouring new water in is still different chemistry. Dripping water in is safer as it allows time for the fry to adjust to any new chemistry/temp.. you can buy drip systems cheaply online.. or can make your own. It's just airline tubing and a valve to control the flow - place the new water container a bit higher than the tank and let gravity do it's job. Usually 1 drip per 5-10 secs is fine at 3 weeks of age. Can do more as well.. mine is currently set at 1 drip per second and they are 19 days old, and they handle it fine.

[alunjai]

Just a quick update on the fry: Still have 4 left and they are 4 weeks and 3 days old. Growing slowly a bit more and feeding twice a day. Managed to take some photos of the biggest fry.

[Myates]

They don't look too bad.. how many milimeters do you think they are? With those colors I would have to say close to 5, which isn't too small for that age at all. Up the feedings though to at least 3 - that will make a big difference.