Fry food help: Infusoria?

[Larsa]

Hi all, I am preparing a month ahead for breeding ( Ryu X ??? ) and I have everything getting set up. Im researching a ton and need help on how to make infusoria. Lots of breeders mention a micro organsim, infusoria, for fry. I have a recipe for it and it says to:

" add lettuce leaves in treated water under lïght for a week. If the water is cloudy its bacteria, and when its pink or clear its finally an infusoria culture. Feed fry a drop or two twice a day with eyedropper, be careful not to over feed or cause green water. Feed fry for a week and switch them over to daphnia or brine shrimp. "

*** is this correct? What color is the infusoria culture, the pink stuff? Also...I dont want my fry to die or get sick off of this if its dangerous to feed them this stuff. O.o

in case you are wondering, Ryu is gonna be paired up with a new female im getting this week :B Hes a combtail and I was thinkin a crowntail or double tail female... any other tail suggestions?

[youlovegnats]

Ooohh I'd say get a crown-tail female if he's a comb-tail. If you bred him with a double tail...I dunno what you'd get.. O-o Some DT but mostly comb-tail lookin' things? xD
I dunno about the pink infusoria question... I just throw in live plants to my spawning tanks instead of culturing the stuff.

[1fish2fish]

personally I'd just throw some live plants in the tank. You can really only feed infusoria for a few days... possibly up to a week. You'd be better off going straight to a small worm like walter or bannana worms.

[indjo]

If you use lettuces, they will rot at first. But when good bacteria kicks in, the water will clear up.... well not literally clear but rather pink/very light brown. Infusoria is the (should be) the stuff that floats around the water (should be visible with a magnifying glass).

Some people prefer not to use "rotting" materials. IMO this takes longer but works in a similar way. Often we end up with algae either way.... which should be mixed with the desired infusoria. Or in other words the water looks green.

IMO you shouldn't rely on infusoria alone (specially for 1 full week) unless you are using a very big and natural tank/tub. You should at least add some egg yolk or, even better, other micro critters as mentioned above.

[Larsa]

cool thanks everyone! I have another question... can I use any vegetation like corn husk for example to make infusoria? We have a lot of corn husk at work and I can get it for free. : B