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New Fry

3K views 62 replies 12 participants last post by  SeniorD 
#1 ·
Okay so the little guys like JUST came out. Now when do I remove the male? Also when will I be able to clean the water with the fry? If not until 2-3 weeks is it alright that the water hasn't been changed since before I started spawning? If it's not alright what should I do without messing things up?
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
I don't do water changes until two weeks. I fill the tank an inch everyday. Then at two weeks I remove 50% using an airline siphon with an airstone on the end to avoid sucking anyone up.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
I don't mean on specific things. Just on betta in general. What I read about 4-5 months ago told me the male could be kept with the fry for more then a week. After I posted this topic I found out it was 5 days. I wasn't around for my first batch and didn't get to experience any part of it aside from seeing the little tail go up and down. And the male seems very attentive. The only reason I ask is I want to keep the male around as long as possible because I messed up and didn't take the gravel out of the tank that was put in there. So I just want to ensure the maximum survival of my fry. ( I was able to bread my dragon scale and female double tail.(fyi I'm not good at determining the kind of betta aside from the obvious.))

So I would still consider this my first batch of fry and I just want to make sure the things I think I know, are correct.

 
#6 ·
It takes a lot of research to do things correctly. If you're not 100% prepared you will most likely fail. Do you have microworms and other fry food?
 
#8 ·
I understand however my tolerance level of those who do not research for breeding is low. Mainly because I want them to succeed and do things right.
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
The only reason I asked was so I could see if anyone could let me know the longest amount of time I can keep the male in there for him to help out the fry. I feel like they are starting in rough conditions with the gravel being in there and the fact I haven't done a water change in the breeding tank since I started spawning. So I am still curious on the longest amount of time I have before the male starts to chomp down on the fry.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
If the OP wishes to learn more they can PM me. I'm not trying to be rude here. The OP is near me and I can point them in the direction of great sources of info across our state (and there are MANY).

Anyway, to the OP, the male should be removed within a week. They can be similar to cichlids and provide extra parental care. However, as a newbie the odds are stacked against you. Remove him once they become free swimming (in a day or two depending on temperature). The gravel isn't too big of a deal at this point as long as the water itself is kept clean. Like I said, an airline tubing with an airstone. Gently drip water back in.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I also second the 50% change at two weeks with an air stone. You could even get a system going where you have one airline supplying fresh water to the tank at the same time you are siphoning the dirty water out, so the water level doesn't shift and freak out the fry. When your breeders are in there, always eyeball the bottom of the tank for adult poo and suck it out with a baster, else it will build up into bacteria and ammonia when the fry hatch. :)
 
#14 · (Edited by Moderator)
This is getting out of hand!To the OP I have done 50% water changes at the second week, throughout the first two weeks I slowly add water in until the tank is full.To the OP good luck with your spawn, one thing I forgot to mention is I use a pipette to suck out any uneaten food in the first two weeks while adding the water!Good Luck!
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Seniord first question is always the same in text book or on the net(for beginner)
Free swimming which is 3 days
With the water change
Most book or net say 2 weeks
When u do a water change make sure it the same temp.


Everywhere u read is bare bottom(expect Ofl which she use a soil base)
Gravel is just to much of a hassle to work it
Cleaning is hard
1)can crush a fry while cleaning the bottom
2)harder to get all the waste and uneatten food
3)going to feed twice as much cause if the live food hiding in the gravel

Hey
Seniord answer these question
What is temp in your tank
Is got tank cover
Do you have any live plants inside of the tank
Size of the tank
How long u set up your breeding tank before putting the fish in
How u Condition your breeding pair
Fry food
Do you have a heater inside of the tank
 
#20 ·
Seniord first question is always the same in text book or on the net(for beginner)
Free swimming which is 3 days
With the water change
Most book or net say 2 weeks
When u do a water change make sure it the same temp.


Everywhere u read is bare bottom(expect Ofl which she use a soil base)
Gravel is just to much of a hassle to work it
Cleaning is hard
1)can crush a fry while cleaning the bottom
2)harder to get all the waste and uneatten food
3)going to feed twice as much cause if the live food hiding in the gravel

Hey
Seniord answer these question
What is temp in your tank: 82-85
Is got tank cover: Yes
Do you have any live plants inside of the tank: No I do not. I know I should and I did but someone decided to leave them in a plastic bag after they "cleaned" my tanks.
Size of the tank: 10g
How long u set up your breeding tank before putting the fish in: I had it set up for 5-7 days before I put any of the fish in there.
How u Condition your breeding pair: Well I have this betta safe stuff that makes the water safe and "conditions" if that's what you mean. I ALWAYS keep my community tank at 82-85 just because they look so much happier. And I also used dried blood worms for maybe about a week three maybe four times a day. Then I tried a few pairs and finally got my Double Tail female and my Dragon Scale Male.
Fry food: Well I haven't been able to buy any baby brine shrimp which I read to be what you should feed them. So I watched a video on how to make some kind of paste with the normal food you use. So I crushed up some of the blood worms and some flakes mixed with some water. The Male put some blood worms in the center of the nest so I dripped some of the concoction in the same spot.(I know he put it there because I fed him on the opposite side of the tank.)
Do you have a heater inside of the tank: Yes


Sorry I forgot to answer you. And I'm a dude. xD
 
#17 ·
I woke up this morning to see a lot of my fry died off getting trapped under the gravel. I was worried and took the male out. The fry have been swimming up and down for a day or two now. A few are going side to side. Was it a bad idea for me to take the male from the fry? I know that if you leave the male with the fry for too long he starts eating them so that why I freaked out and took him out.
 
#19 ·
Sniff sniff
Seniord didn't answer my question
Will it kind of hard to help if he/she not going to put in the input
Not moving dark fry don't mean there dead
Puffy white with eye piping out is the only way I can tell
Frys that young will died and disappear with a few hours
So if u still see a bunch of them
Don't mean theyre dead
With gravel the dad can't really help the fry if there stuck in it
 
#21 ·
Will if I'm going to breed
I only feed live food
Don't use any dried food.
To me dried blood hold no value to help in breed or nutrite
You can have the tank with out live plant(but it's more work)

But its better to have
Produce infusion which fry feed off on the first few days after free swimming
Keep the water cleaner
Try to keep your temp. at a constant temp. for your fry
82-85 is kind of a big spread

Not going to be mean
But your fry have a slim chance of surviving
1) you don't have live plant to produce infusion or have a culture of infusion(fry first meal and can live up to two week with just infusion)
2) you try to spawn to early
you should of set up your tank the same time as you conduction your fish
3) fry don't really eat home made food for there first meal(like egg yoke)
 
#22 ·
+1 Curly

To add on to that, by conditioning curly meant spending around 2 weeks of feeding high quality foods like frozen bloodworms, daphnia, mosquito larvae, grindal worms, blackwroms, etc. Freeze dried food is convenient and not messy, but it has the tendency to bloat the stomach, and isn't very nutritious.

I am getting a large shipment in of Java moss, you live only an hour away from me so I would be happy to send you some. I also have a few thriving microworm cultures going, and a large amount if brine shrimp eggs, I will also send these to you if you'd be willing to split the shipping costs with me. ;)

Live foods are crucial to Betta fry, it stimulates their motor skills and let's them "stalk" their prey (super adorable to watch.) It's also the most nutritious food source you can get, and they are very easy to maintain.
 
#23 ·
What is done is done. Just try and keep the water clean and fresh, and feed them some microworm at first, then bbs that you culture live.

It really sounds like you only need a few fry to survive anyway. Fewer = easier... they will probably be the strongest of the bunch...:)

Best of luck,
Jeff.
 
#29 ·
That's a good idea! Also I found out why they were dying off :'C I don't have a temp stick on my breeding tank so on the tank I do have one I leave the heater on in there to see where to leave the nob for the heater and I put the heater in the breeding tank afterwards. But It got unplugged somehow! :'C Well anyway I was only able to save 1 fry! :'C Well now I have the gravel out and will be trying again in a few weeks. Thanks for all the tips everyone.
 
#30 ·
I've also heard of placing IAL along the bottom to prevent that issue. I would give you some IAL but I'm running out myself. When I get a huge order in.
 
#32 ·
IAL = indian almond leaf. It's a natural antibiotic, parasitic, and disease preventative. It also helps the fish spawn. Unfortunately it also makes the water a brownish-gold color but with fish like my whites their colors pop with it in the water.
 
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