Fry development

[Andy]

Hi,

My goldfish/comet/shubunkin fry hatched a month ago and I'm wondering
about their growth.

About 10 or so are at least 4x bigger than the rest. Some are still very
small, maybe 0.5cm.

The smaller ones seem to have very long proportions and look more like a
head tapering off to the tail - no shape for the belly.

The larger ones are starting to show a hint of colour, some blue, some
orange. A couple of them are showing real comet style tail fins.

Is the slow development of the smaller ones normal. I keep holding off
on culling as the smaller ones are just too small for me to tell at the
moment.

Any advice, opinions, comments welcome.

TIA

--
Andy

[Reel McKoi]

"Andy" > wrote in message
.. .
> Hi,
>
> My goldfish/comet/shubunkin fry hatched a month ago and I'm wondering
> about their growth.
>
> About 10 or so are at least 4x bigger than the rest. Some are still very
> small, maybe 0.5cm.

** I expected this to happen with mine but all are about the same size.
Only a very few are smaller, and a few are above average in size. Probably
95% are about the same size.

> The smaller ones seem to have very long proportions and look more like a
> head tapering off to the tail - no shape for the belly.

** It sounds like they may need more food. I feed mine all they can eat 5
or 6 times a day. I also leave tablet food, shrimp pellets and algae wafers
for between meal snacks. They also have algae and insects to eat since the
pools are outside in a sunny area.

> The larger ones are starting to show a hint of colour, some blue, some
> orange. A couple of them are showing real comet style tail fins.

** Both my koi and GF are as well. :-)

> Is the slow development of the smaller ones normal. I keep holding off
> on culling as the smaller ones are just too small for me to tell at the
> moment.

** You have plenty of time to cull as their colors will change. You don't
want to cull out what may be your prettiest fish.

> Any advice, opinions, comments welcome.

** I hope you're enjoying raising your fry as much as I'm enjoying mine.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
Do not feed the trolls.
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Andy]

Courageous wrote:
>>Any advice, opinions, comments welcome.
>
>
> All the stuff on the net that I've seen talks about specialized
> feeding requirements for fry. Rotifiers or brine shrimp, for example.
> Could it be that the ones that are leaping ahead of the others are
> depleting your tank of various and sundry edibles?

I wondered the same but if I watch them feed I don't see the bigguns
eating the lot. I've left a few bits of weed floating in the tank and
the small ones tend to hang around in there so I make sure I sprinkle
the food in the weed as well. I've not been able to get any live food
but frozen daphina and dried brine shrimp have beed added in small
quantities. I've also supplemented the powdered fry food with high
protein granules crushed to a powder.

Of course it could be that the larger fry are simply dining on the
smaller ones!

--
Andy

[Courageous]

>Any advice, opinions, comments welcome.

All the stuff on the net that I've seen talks about specialized
feeding requirements for fry. Rotifiers or brine shrimp, for example.
Could it be that the ones that are leaping ahead of the others are
depleting your tank of various and sundry edibles?

C//