Re: factors relating to growth

["Darren J. Hanson" <djhanson@calweb.com>]

>Tom Mroz wrote:
>
>> Any/All:
>>
>> What are your opinions on other variables (Other than food "quality")
>> related to fry growth and what are their priorities?

I have found all these factors to be important for fry growth.

>> Water chemistry (pH and hardness)
It needs to be constantly checked to make sure it stays at their optimum
chemistry.  I have had pairs of apistos that would only spawn if I left the
tank for two weeks after a 50% water change. (They waited for the chemistry
to be where THEY like it.

>> Water cleanliness (frequency and amounts of water changes)
It should always be clean and I try to do water changes, 50% once a week,
except for those species that wait for the conditions to be to their liking.

>> Water temperature
I usually keep my tanks between 74 and 78*F

>> Number and type of feeding schedule (many small vs. a few large per day)
As Darren stated in an earlier reply, it is best to feed several times per
day with smaller amounts

>> Artificial vs. natural hatching
I usually take the first spawning of all my species so I can take pictures
of the eggs and developing fry. This way I can also note how long each
species eggs take to hatch and become free swimming.

>> Keep with adults/without adults
I try to keep my fry with the adults. One, I watch to see if the pair is
really bonded. Don't kill each other and work together to care for the fry.
The female in most cases take care of the fry for the first week of free
swimming and then allow the male to help in the care. It is most fascinating
to watch both parents caring for the young. But, if I have a pair that
constantly eat the eggs/fry (female eating the eggs to protect them from the
male and the male eating the fry once they were free swimming), then I would
artificially hatch the eggs and I would keep trying to find a pair that were
good parents. I prefer to leave the fry with the parents because I believe
the fry benefit more, but I have also found that I have less fry actually
survive this way than when I hatch them myself. (ie: With cacatuoides a
couple years ago I would be able to hatch out and raise over 200 fry from
one spawning but, if I left the eggs with the female/pair, they would only
raise 30 - 50 fry.

>> Lighting schedule
I have a basic shop light over the apisto tanks that I turn on when I feed
in the morning and turn off about half and hour before I go to bed. If there
is a pair caring for eggs/fry, I leave a night light on during the night.
This I found was very useful with my angels because the parents were able to
care for the eggs and fry during the night with some illumination. With my
angels it was best to do this because fry would be falling off the cone and
with the light the parents were able to see the fry and be able to put them
back on the cone. If I didn't have a night light on, I would find little
white bodies in the morning of those that fell off the cone and the parents
didn't know fell. Now I use this for my apistos as well. If nothing else it
makes me feel better because I know I have done what I can to help the
parents keep track of their eggs and fry in the earliest stages.

>> Other?
I basically just watch the fish to see how they are reacting to what I am
doing about their care and take their cues. If something needs to be
changed, I change it until I get it right. As to food requirements, I feed
the fry according to size. The larger the fry, the more food that is
required. The smaller the fry, the less food that is needed per feeding but
it requires feedings more often than its' larger counterparts.

Kaycy