GBR(Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) breeding help

[coralbandit]

Couple more;

8@10 with auto feeder on top in middle.

75g with 4 @ 5 under


RAM RANCH!!!!

 

[coralbandit]

So I see the beauty before my eyes.
Wigglers becoming free swimmers in the dip and pour!
My shipment of 5 more containers arrived yesterday with hikari first bites(X5),500 feet of silicone air line and MB.!!

Extra day off today getting heating oil delivered and oil tank is silver thing behind 40B in most recent pics!
Inside fill and I am always present..
Same delivery guy for over 6 years now!

Will be building/modifying some sort of stand for 20s and 10s that have not been rehomed yet on last move around.

The artificial hatch in the dip and pours seems to be very effective...
So how long after free swimming till I place them in 10g ?

 

[Andy Sager]

So I see the beauty before my eyes.
Wigglers becoming free swimmers in the dip and pour!
My shipment of 5 more containers arrived yesterday with hikari first bites(X5),500 feet of silicone air line and MB.!!

Extra day off today getting heating oil delivered and oil tank is silver thing behind 40B in most recent pics!
Inside fill and I am always present..
Same delivery guy for over 6 years now!

Will be building/modifying some sort of stand for 20s and 10s that have not been rehomed yet on last move around.

The artificial hatch in the dip and pours seems to be very effective...
So how long after free swimming till I place them in 10g ?

I would get a good feeding or 2 in them then move them before their water goes wacky. Same as Angels when it comes to moving fry. The sooner they are in a cleaner environment the better.

 

[coralbandit]

I would get a good feeding or 2 in them then move them before their water goes wacky. Same as Angels when it comes to moving fry. The sooner they are in a cleaner environment the better.

Thank you very much sir!

It is a little harder removing water with swimming all over in the little container but they will get moved to a 10 tomorrow.
Poppas jay eggs/wigglers have become free swimming today while I was at work.
May add them to same 10 or.....

I am really liking this method with artificial hatching and the dip and pours.

2 more sets of eggs this am one from the 75(either beast or Yellow).

 

[PoppaRyno]

Thank you very much sir!

It is a little harder removing water with swimming all over in the little container but they will get moved to a 10 tomorrow.
Poppas jay eggs/wigglers have become free swimming today while I was at work.
May add them to same 10 or.....

I am really liking this method with artificial hatching and the dip and pours.

2 more sets of eggs this am one from the 75(either beast or Yellow).

Pics of your new dip n pour method... Im intrigued.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

Pics of your new dip n pour method... Im intrigued.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Back last page you can see your Jays in a 40b with an HOB body(empty).
One of the large dip and pours is to the right in other 40b.(fishroom #2 'control central')
They are just the catch containers so many of us see at the LFS that hangs on the tank.

Here is where I am at on this.
Smaller is better in beginning for so many reasons(I mentioned a bunch).
But my issue has been how to move young small fry.
The only safe method IMO is to pour or just add smaller container to larger.
To do this with aquariums IMO would mean de rimming them for easy pour or to avoid any other issues.
Andy uses jars(now I know why)!
Blown enough $ on tanks so de rimming is frowned upon for no good reason besides $.
The dip and pour fit in aquarium.
This avoid a heater if I separated them.....
To add air is necessary also so an air stone is no big deal.
I remove the MB from the dip and pour with a plastic cup when the eggs fall and become wigglers.
By the time the wigglers become free swimmers I have removed all MB!
Between you me Andy and all the other help I have received I really feel for me this may be the best method yet.

I just got 5 more dip and pour yesterday and only 2 are not in use already!!

These are the containers again
Tom Dip & Pour

 

[Andy Sager]

Andy uses jars(now I know why)!

This old dog knows old tricks.

 

[coralbandit]

This old dog knows old tricks.

This seems pretty effective IMO.
Released 2 sets of free swimmers into a fresh 10g with water from both of their parents tanks and a little fresh.
These are Poppas Js and a pair yellow.
Probably over 400 easily,safely moved without issue!!!
It is the "pour" part that makes this work.

Fry in 3 other tanks look good and should add up to somewhere between 50-100.
Think most all of these guys are past the point of complete failure so I think I am raising the next batch!!

2 more sets of wigglers should become free swimmers today/tomorrow and at least 2 more pair will breed today or tomorrow(vents showing on their fat little bodies!!)

I even noticed that the yellow pair was guarding the fry in their container!!
The pair stayed very close and attacked when I was vacuuming either the tank or container!!!
The other pair that still has fry with them is doing great (their eggs just became wigglers in container,so MB out fresh water in).
There are maybe 10+ fry that are getting good size swimming around with the parents...
It is pretty hard to find these fry sometimes so I am happy to have seen them this am.

It is so great to see tanks full of babies and eggs again!
This could become my favorite part of the year!!

Might get it right this time!!

 

[PoppaRyno]

Honing the craft sir. Itsgreat to watch the progression of your work.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

Honing the craft sir. Itsgreat to watch the progression of your work.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

With a lot of help from my friends!!

This old dog knows old tricks.

So these top two tanks are Poppas Js
Both with the dip and pours(one is HOB body) in the tank!

That is as of the other day.
Today the fry from left tank and another set were moved to 10 g

^And here they are^.

These guys on the right are just free swimming today and will get moved to another tank possibly tomorrow.
Poppas Js are producingquickly along with almost all other pairs!

 

[PoppaRyno]

Ram a lam a ding dong....

Im gettin the EBRs goin finally. Now i just need some bolivians.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

Ram a lam a ding dong....

Im gettin the EBRs goin finally. Now i just need some bolivians.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Todays update from the ding dong!

Only one full set of eggs this am from unexpected(well not today) pair...
Poppas #1 js again!
Large spawn on half pot!

Don't worry I flipped them after pic

Next Poppas free swimmers from pair#2 have been given their own 10g today with a custom modified stand to fit 20T now instead of 5g!
It got a little shorter and wider as is noted by position next to 120g.
They are on the left!

Next 14@ 5 week old moved to 20 tall in middle of above picture(20t on right is pearls).

There are another 30 ish aprox.3-4 weeks old in a 5g soon to join them(this is random line mixing at it best!)

2 sets of eggs hatched and are wigglers,2 sets of wigglers became fee swimming today.

Still running out of room!
Guess this isn't the worst problem?
Did I mention it is ram breeding season?
Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!!!

 

[coralbandit]

2 new sets of eggs this eve when I got home from work.
Hopefully pulling them in am(we will have to see if they make it over night!).

Feedings , partial water changes and nothing else eventful today....
Until tomorrow , enjoy!

 

[coralbandit]

OK...
Eggs on the half pot look all bad??
Could the fish "breed out "??
I have had fish breed to death before.
Also largest die off of fry this season today.
I think I fed bad live BBs...Didn't note many floating eggs shells in the hatcher,and possibly fed some shells???..
Very unexpected events both are.
Both from #1 Jay hawk pair.
They stay together in a 40b to themselves.
Do I have to /should I separate them????(More tanks he mumbles!....)

Both sets of eggs from last night pulled this am and fine!
One set is from Jayhawk pair # 3!!!
I am not sure if I mentioned but Poppa/his buddy nailed pairs 100% for me!
4 pairs out of 8 fish..........
Couple batches starting free swimming.
At least one pair laying eggs this evening.
Going to get this right one of these times.
Still liking the dip and pour /mb artificial hatch method.

 

[PoppaRyno]

Im not a fan of keeping pairs out of a community (species style of course) tank for too long. More like a season. Ill pull my discus pairs during their "ON" time. Place them in tanks for breeding. When that dies down, back into a bigger discus tank with tankmates. I find it keeps them happier. And makes for better fertilization rates... sometimes??? I think this is in part due to being put back into a competitive breeding ground... Ive noticed Solid pairs bond during this time. And the tankmates cause a virile ready to prove himself spawning male. Just my observations and opinions.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

^^This could free up a tank?^^
I feel for the female never to escape but also feel the 40b is luxury...
Have pairs in 10s...
In the spirit of trying to keep track,I do pretty miserable besides what is here(or there).
I think keeping 'dorms 'may be a viable breeding option.
If a pair is bonded then another should not cause too much trouble...
They sure don't switch around like other fish could IMO..

If I could keep breeding pairs in dorms then this would open up 10s for fry after free swimming allowing more space for all?

 

[PoppaRyno]

Exactly. The dorm idea makes for good tank space control. I just pull the trays in dorms. Less maintenance when your many pairs are in a few tanks.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[coralbandit]

I may need a couple 'bigger ' tanks...
Must get rid of 2(TWO) fish in my 4x2x2 120 g !!!!
Almost thought I might need to buy more!!!

 

[coralbandit]

So 3 sets of free swimmers added to their own 10g.
All either yellow or Beaster fry.
Two sets of eggs turned(fell off pot) and are wigglers.
One Poppas #3 and others are yellow.
No new eggs today but a couple pair may be getting ready again.
Still two sets getting ready to hatch .
The eggs from #1 Jayhawk laid on 11/8 were all bad?
Hoping to get these 2 all happy again.
They actually look ready to lay again soon...

 

[coralbandit]

Moved 20@ 1 month old into the 20g with the 14 that were there and are 2 weeks older.
They had been raised in a 5g.
Thinking I lost one set of wigglers in my 1 and only small dip and pour.
I used it in a 5g since the larger didn't fit.
This was the first time with this size and I am still refining the sytem but think the lack of volume to be the issue?
Still have 2 sets of wigglers that will be completely free swimming tomorrow and another still falling off pot.
Several pairs look to preparing to spawn again(hopefully).
Keeping much better documentation(writing on tanks!) on date ;
laid
wigglers
free swimming
and finally transfer to 10g/5g grow out.

It is interesting to see even a 1 day difference of development in different sets of eggs.