Well, it seems my kribs didn't lose their spawn after all. At one point, I'd suspected the eggs had hatched and that the parents had moved the wigglers to another site, but I couldn't see in where they were and didn't want to disturb them. They abandoned that site shortly after in favour of a new one, so I figured they'd lost the spawn, or not actually laid eggs afterall (I can't see inside their "cave" and didn't want to disturb them to check).
Imagine my surprise when I went to check my tank this afternoon and I see they've got free-swimming fry!
It's not a very big spawn, somewhere between one and two dozen fry. I figure that's likely a combo of being in a community tank, and my mucking about (I moved the shell they'd laid their eggs in after they'd hatched, thinking the spawn was lost). I don't know how well they'll survive, but their parents are being very diligent, so odds are not too bad.
I'm feeding them algae and the dust from my freeze dried brine shrimp container. I can't tell if they're eating it, but here's hoping.
Are fry usually hatched and free swimming so quickly? I put the fish in the tank 11 days ago. I believe they spawned on the 30th, which means this is day 8.
Here's a little clip of them (they're too small to for the camera to focus on for a still shot)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAmFQ8TWk_I
I'm pleased that, while they're good parents, they're not the holy terrors I expected. Everyone had said they would terrorize my tank when spawning, and they've been very nice community fish. They defend their territory (and fry) from the other fish, but it's only a small area.
So, how many times a day to I need to feed these little gaffers? I think I read somewhere three times a day? They're busy trying to forage tiny things I can't see off the rocks and plant leaves, and I can see they've still got little yellow bellies, which I assume are yolk?
HELP!!!!
Imagine my surprise when I went to check my tank this afternoon and I see they've got free-swimming fry!
It's not a very big spawn, somewhere between one and two dozen fry. I figure that's likely a combo of being in a community tank, and my mucking about (I moved the shell they'd laid their eggs in after they'd hatched, thinking the spawn was lost). I don't know how well they'll survive, but their parents are being very diligent, so odds are not too bad.
I'm feeding them algae and the dust from my freeze dried brine shrimp container. I can't tell if they're eating it, but here's hoping.
Are fry usually hatched and free swimming so quickly? I put the fish in the tank 11 days ago. I believe they spawned on the 30th, which means this is day 8.
Here's a little clip of them (they're too small to for the camera to focus on for a still shot)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAmFQ8TWk_I
I'm pleased that, while they're good parents, they're not the holy terrors I expected. Everyone had said they would terrorize my tank when spawning, and they've been very nice community fish. They defend their territory (and fry) from the other fish, but it's only a small area.
So, how many times a day to I need to feed these little gaffers? I think I read somewhere three times a day? They're busy trying to forage tiny things I can't see off the rocks and plant leaves, and I can see they've still got little yellow bellies, which I assume are yolk?
HELP!!!!