Re: Ramirezi help

[Charles Ray <raychah@auburn.campus.mci.net>]

Yes, I did mean 8 weeks.  In 1997 I kept detailed records of my spawnings
and fish growth.  Fish freeswimming on January 3 laid eggs on March 1.
These fish were taken to Chicago and sold at the ACA as 2-inch males and
1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inch females.  Most of those fish had successfully bred
several times by July.  Fish were fed a minimum of four times per day, a
mixture of frozen brine, live BBS, frozen bloodworms (the primary food),
and live daphnia on weekends.  Water changes were made 1 - 3 times per
week, 25% per change, with straight R/O water.  Rams seem to need more
frequent feedings than Apistos and will grow extremely rapidly if provided
four or more daily feedings of generous amounts of food.  Fish were bred in
10 gallon bare bottom tanks, fed infusoria and BBS for the first three to
four days, then switched to primarily BBS and live daphnia.  At about three
weeks, shaved frozen brine and frozen bloodworms were added to the diet.
At about 1/4" fry were moved into 40 gallon breeder tanks with watersprite
cover.  Clutches ranged from about 65 to 206 fry.  Beginning at 8 weeks,
there were constantly pairs spawning in the grow-out tanks.  It was not
unusual to have 10 pairs with eggs simultaneously in a tank of 100 fish. I
don't know if I had a particularly vigorous strain but I was able to
consistently produce males 1 - 1-1/4 inches SL and females 5/8 - 7/8 inches
SL that were breeding in 8 weeks. I haven't bred any rams in almost a year,
all my tanks have been given to Apistos.  I cannot turn out breeding
Apistos in 8 weeks no matter what the feeding schedule but I keep trying.

Charles Ray

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Charles Ray <raychah@auburn.campus.mci.net>
>
>
>>filter, and some floating water sprite.  Rams will begin breeding at 8
>>weeks of age and will breed every ten days for virtually the length of
>>their lives.
>>
>Hello Charles,
>Do you really mean 8 weeks?
>When I was fortunate to breed Ramirezi the fry were 6 weeks old before
>they came off newly hatched brine shrimp and ten months old before they
>started to pair off and successfully breed.
>Helen
>
>
>
>
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