Re: Help - Endler babies!

[Rick]

"Granny" > wrote in message
...
> Need help quick! One of my Endlers just had babies! Managed to catch one
and
> put it in a plastic breeder box that floats in the water. Problem is,
it's so
> small it slipped right through the openings on the side. So, I taped mesh
over
> the sides with red duct tape. He's safe now and floating, but I'm worried
that
> the duct tape will be toxic. Is it? If it is, what else can I use to
keep him
> from being eaten by the adults? Thanks! Cheryl


I leave mine in with the adults and 3 or 4 survive out of each batch. I have
floating hornwort, some duckweed and java moss in the tank so there are lots
of hiding place for the fry.

Rick

[Rick]

"> Thanks for the encouragement Rick. I do have a double layer of fine mesh
over
> the intake filter. Checked the inside of the filter box, but there were
no
> babies. :-( Last night I added more ground cover and stuck some large
greenery
> to the sides too. How do you insure that the babies get enough to eat?
Do you
> just feed alot so that some of it falls to the bottom, or are there
tablets you
> can get that fall to the bottom so they can sneak out and grab a bite?
>
> Also, what do you do about vacuuming? It would seem to me to be virtually
> impossible to avoid sucking some of them up. Maybe you just scoop them
back
> out of the bucket and put them back?? I know these are ignorant
questions, but
> I am clueless about such things. Thanks Rick. Cheryl


When you feed simply grind up some of the flake very fine and it will be
lots for the fry. Keeping the parents well fed but not overfed will decrease
the amount of fry they eat. I also use micro worms and live BBS for fry.
When I vacuum I put the tube down to the bottom of the tank and then start
the siphon and carefully move the tube around the bottom. Most fry will stay
near the surface while you vacuuming the bottom. You could also vacuum the
tank into a pail or pails and check the water prior to discarding it for
fry. I do this sometimes when I breed Zebra Danios or Tiger Barbs as they
are soooo small. IMO there are no ignorant questions. You learn by research,
asking questions and trail and error. Many consider Endels as feeder fish
however I like them and have some wild caught that are presently happily
breeding away.

Rick

[coelacanth]

That should do the trick. My Endler's are smart little fish
(at least compared to guppies and neon's) and the babies seem
to be very good at staying in the middle of their little
"briar patch" and avoiding the grown ups. Good luck with
the next batch!

-coelacanth

"Granny" > wrote in message
...
> On 6-Sep-2003, "Phil" > wrote:
>
> > I use a net breeder when I can be bothered segregating them. it's all a fine
> > mesh that they cant get through
> >
> > Now I mainly just make sure there's some small tight bushes or a nice
> > thickly planted corner in the aquarium
>
> Well I'm skipping the breeder box/net after killing that first one. Bought
> some good ground cover and anchored it with fishing weights. Was assured by
> the pet shop folks that the weights weren't toxic if I washed them well
enough.
> Now the tank is crammed full, and even have some bushy flowers suctioned
> cupped to the sides. Looks kind of weird, but if it'll save the babies, who
> cares? Thanks, Phil. Cheryl

[Bob K.]

>Many consider Endels as feeder fish
>> however I like them and have some wild caught that are presently happily
>> breeding away.

!!! I doubt it!! Go check the price of them at your
LFS , or online (i.e. at Aquabid) .. They are more
desirable than many common livebearers.

One comment, your original post said you'd just got them when
the female began dropping the fry (or the next day)..
When livebearers are moved, they tend to drop premature fry,
which will likely die. Use your magnifying glass and see if they
are born with a bit (or a lot) of their yolk-sac. If they have one,
they're premature & many (most) will die.

Bob

[Rick]

"Bob K." > wrote in message
...
> >Many consider Endels as feeder fish
> >> however I like them and have some wild caught that are presently
happily
> >> breeding away.
>
> !!! I doubt it!! Go check the price of them at your
> LFS , or online (i.e. at Aquabid) .. They are more
> desirable than many common livebearers.
>


yes, that statement of mine should have said "some" not many. I know Cichlid
fanatics who consider all live bearers feeder fish!!. I like them and have a
variety. Picked up some Graradinus falcatus last winter and housed them in a
10 gallon tank. Four of five of them have turned into about 50-60, thank
goodness our Aquarium Society has a meeting and auction on the 14th where
all but maybe 10 will be heading.

Rick