Wigglers 2: Birth of a hatchery & everything Angels

[Tolak]

I need to show that 2nd pic with the mountain of tanks to my wife. Look honey, everyone does this, I'm not so bad!

 

[Andy Sager]

I need to show that 2nd pic with the mountain of tanks to my wife. Look honey, everyone does this, I'm not so bad!

You mean this isn't "Normal"???? And to think, we ran out of room in the truck and I had to leave behind about 20-30 tanks.
Truth is, I used to have about 20 tanks, ranging from 55 gals to 2 1/2 gals, in my bedroom while growing up so this really doesn't seem too overwhelming.

You can tell the wife you can get a "sweet deal" on some tanks but you have to come to Florida, near Micky Mouse, to get them. What a concept, getting out of the cold, in the winter, and getting more tanks....CHEAP!!!!!!

 

[Andy Sager]

Just a quick update on the blushers: they ate the eggs today I was hoping it would work out but there were a lot of things wrong with the setup for a successful spawn. Oh well. I'll be better prepared for the next time I've started filling up tanks on the breeder rack today so that's their next destination.

 

[Mr Fisher]

Just a quick update on the blushers: they ate the eggs today I was hoping it would work out but there were a lot of things wrong with the setup for a successful spawn. Oh well. I'll be better prepared for the next time I've started filling up tanks on the breeder rack today so that's their next destination.

Sorry to hear that. Glad to hear you have racks up and tanks getting started

 

[Andy Sager]

Sorry to hear that. Glad to hear you have racks up and tanks getting started

Truthfully, it was a blessing in disguise. I spent most of last night trying to figure out where I could hatch out the eggs and where to put the brine shrimp hatcheries as the area I was going to use is currently filled with styro boxes and tanks from the breeder room. This is just more motivation to get this all done sooner so I don;t lose out when the Blacks and Half Blacks spawn

 

[Rare]

Congrats on going back to your roots.
How is the 2nd (or more) time going for you?

 

[Andy Sager]

Congrats on going back to your roots.
How is the 2nd (or more) time going for you?

It's like a nightmare come true!
But seriously, I was very saddened at the state of the aquarium hobby when I started looking for fish for myself a few years ago. I spent over 40 years in the pet industry dealing with smaller mom & pop stores and smaller chain stores. Now, most of them are gone due to the big box chains. Gone were the true hobbyists and fish enthusiasts. Gone were the people who actually knew about what they were selling and gave a crap about their customers. But the nail in the coffin came from a friend who just said" It's not like the old days. We need your fish again because what is available now is CRAP in comparison!!!!" So I started breeding bettas for them but I live in a small older mobile home (on a nice piece of land) so they were the only fish I could breed without needing larger tanks on my questionable floor. Then came the call for Angels. " When are you going to start doing Angels again? " By the time this all got started, almost all my old customers who were still in the biz got word that I was back breeding fish and started calling with the same question " When are you doing Angels again?" So now I am, in earnest ( as you can see from the pics). The goal is to bring back quality and get rid of the crap that is all around the stores I've been in. Since I can only do a smaller amount of fish this time, I am only doing Angels ( one of my favorite fishes) for now. We'll see where that leads.
So how's it going? I'm like a kid in a candy store right now but there's not a lot of candy to choose from. I'll just do what I can.

 

[Rare]

Excellent in all accounts- Measure twice cut once comes to mind. Seems you never cut corners and thats coming from customers who are excited to see you back & doing what you do best. Good luck but seems that you wont be needing that!

 

[Andy Sager]

Excellent in all accounts- Measure twice cut once comes to mind. Seems you never cut corners and thats coming from customers who are excited to see you back & doing what you do best. Good luck but seems that you wont be needing that!

Thanks. I was taught that "Breeding fish correctly requires very little luck".... (but I'll take whatever luck I can get. )

 

[ChaosTropicals]

Cant wait for more updates! Keep up the work!

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Wow Andy! Glad you got this up.Once you've got some grown out put up in ad in the classifieds! I only get my angels from local breeders and would love to have some from you!

 

[Andy Sager]

I started moving the fish from outside into the new building the other day. It was funny to see them under their new conditions. See, they have been living on the natural sunrise/sunset times but I have been turning their lights on later and turning them off later as well in the building. Yesterday, while I was working late in there on the other side, with all the lights on btw, I had to go to the fish side and saw some of the fish were sound asleep even with the lights on. It correlated to the natural light cycle they have been living under. I just stood in front of the tank and watched. No response. They were sound asleep for sure. Today, they seemed to be fine staying up later. So, do fish get "jet lag"? lol

 

[ChaosTropicals]

I started moving the fish from outside into the new building the other day. It was funny to see them under their new conditions. See, they have been living on the natural sunrise/sunset times but I have been turning their lights on later and turning them off later as well in the building. Yesterday, while I was working late in there on the other side, with all the lights on btw, I had to go to the fish side and saw some of the fish were sound asleep even with the lights on. It correlated to the natural light cycle they have been living under. I just stood in front of the tank and watched. No response. They were sound asleep for sure. Today, they seemed to be fine staying up later. So, do fish get "jet lag"? lol

I may have read it before but i forgot lol what all fish beside angels will you be breeding? and i took your idea instead a all wood stand for my guppy(i stock the local petstores) fry rack i am using (in the process of building) cinder blocks and wood, way more stable and a lot stronger!

 

[Brookster123]

I vote to rename this thread "The angel crusades:for the greater good!" Doing some cool stuff andy! My dad wants to get a double wide on the river but my step mom ain't having it I'd like to do some oscar fishing in the river... boats and water.. way better than condos with pools..

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[Andy Sager]

I vote to rename this thread "The angel crusades:for the greater good!" Doing some cool stuff andy! My dad wants to get a double wide on the river but my step mom ain't having it I'd like to do some oscar fishing in the river... boats and water.. way better than condos with pools..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

There are pluses and minuses to being on the water here in FL. Fishing can be great and easy access. That's a plus! Mosquitoes can be bigger and hungrier on the water ( that's my issue with all my neighbor's ponds). That's a HUGE MINUS!!!! lol From what I was told, Oscars make better fishing excitement than Largemouth Bass here. Bring a stout rod

 

[Andy Sager]

I may have read it before but i forgot lol what all fish beside angels will you be breeding? and i took your idea instead a all wood stand for my guppy(i stock the local petstores) fry rack i am using (in the process of building) cinder blocks and wood, way more stable and a lot stronger!

My original intention and design was just for Angels. But now, with all these extra tanks, I'll see what else I can fit in the building. The breeding aspect is really the most minor of the issue. It's the space to grow out the fish that really determines what to breed. I may need to stick with species that have smaller spawns and grow fast. The jury is still out on what those may be.

As for the rack design, I used to always do all wood up North and continued that when I moved to FL UNTIL.... the humidity was so bad here that I had a rack come apart at the screws from wood rot. Now, the block holds the wood and the wood holds the tanks. No longer the screws holding the tanks. I also turn the 2x4 so that the tank is supported by the 4" side not the 2". This makes for a more stable rack as well. Just attach a piece of 2x4 between the legs to stabilize the sides.

Hope this helps

 

[Linwood]

Wow, look away from your note that you were starting this thread for a few days, and find it and you're already spawning (well... not you exactly. but...)

Amazing. Keep the photos going. Once you are wildly successful I can say "but I knew him when it was just 'Wigglers 1'".

 

[Andy Sager]

Wow, look away from your note that you were starting this thread for a few days, and find it and you're already spawning (well... not you exactly. but...)

Amazing. Keep the photos going. Once you are wildly successful I can say "but I knew him when it was just 'Wigglers 1'".

Hate to inform you but "Wigglers 1" happened in 1964. There are only a few people, still alive, that can say " I knew him when...." from that time period. (I'm trying to get one of them to move down here to help me now. ) But you can say " I knew him when his fish were just hanging out on the porch!!!!"

More updates soon.

 

[Linwood]

Hate to inform you but "Wigglers 1" happened in 1964. There are only a few people, still alive, that can say " I knew him when...." from that time period.

I meant that thread, I doubt it dates from 1964; if it did it would be in all upper case.

Regardless, good luck.

 

[Brookster123]

Andy, Florida needs more dwarf cichlids! A couple 20 longs and you're making babies baby!

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