Re: belly sliders

[BigJohnW@webtv.net (John Wubbolt)]

Hello All
I've been kind of quiet lately but fear not, here's Johnny!!!   I
figured this was a good topic for me to pipe up on.   As many of you
know ( we won't mention any names Gabriella, lol) that i have had a
tendency to "steal" a clutch of eggs and artificially hatch them away
from the parents.   I do admit to doing this very little lately, but i
did it tonight on a group of Steindachneri that are notorious egg / fry
eaters.   

My point being here, sorry for rambling, is that i believe that if
you're having belly sliders showing up it's more likely due to poor
water quality in your hatching / rearing tanks.   I can't ever remember
having a belly slider in an apisto.   And remember i "steal" alot of
clutches of eggs.   When i go to steal a flower pot with eggs on it, I
use fresh dechlorinated / semi aged tap water.   I dont use water from
the spawning tank.   Maybe this is the reason I dont have problems with
belly sliders.   The only belly sliders i have seen in my place are with
the occasional killie that didnt develope properly.    Also i don't use
any type of anti fungal agent in my water, i've really decided not to
ever use Methylene blue anymore, first off i cant stand blue tanks/
containers/ fingers!! and secondly i've read too many things about
sterility problems with offspring if too high a concentration of Methy
blue was used.   I used acriflavine for a number of years with my
killies but never on my apistos, then i graduated to Maroxy, which didnt
discolor my containers or fingers.  I also had better luck using this on
my killie eggs.   I have found that if i leave the apisto eggs on the
flower pot for 24 hours then steal them and put them into a
container/tank with fresh/ semi aged tap water, i have little problems
with fungus anyways.   I also break all the rules and use no air in
these tanks until the fry are up and bopping around and ready to start
eating after absorbing their yolk sacs.   

Of course I dont want anyone to think this is the correct way to
artificially raise eggs away from parents, only that this in MY method
and it works for ME.   

Sorry for such a long posting, guess i was in a rambling mood,

John



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