BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Fish Breeding Bettas

Hi, I've been camping. I couldn't tell you what the worms are without seeing, but I would guess nematodes. I think they should be harmless and maybe even food, but keep an eye on them just the same.They must have come in on the lettuce. let me know if your fry eat them. how many babies you got going?

Wow! Camping! I haven't been in so long! I bet you had a great time! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I was thinking that those wormie things might be nemotodes too. They look pretty harmless so I'll just keep an eye on them like you said...but...jeesh! are those things really crawling all over my salad?!! (ACK!) This could very well mean that there really IS no such thing as a true vegetarian! Gad!! what would the vegans think!!!! (GASP!)

I have NO idea how many fry I have...they are all over the place. It would just be my luck that they ALL hatched and will do fine! I have already been advertising around for folks who would like a betta fish. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Another issue. I bought this stuff called "Small Fry" by Wardley. It is supposed to be liquid food for all baby fish. Well the yolk sacs looked like they were diminishing some so I thought it might be time to feed them. I first put one drop in the small bowl that I had put the eggs I siphoned off the bottom (they are now fry) and when I checked them this am they looked like they were doing nicely. Thier tummies looked fuller than the fry that are in the tank so I figured this must be good stuff. Well I put some in the tank water...now it is all cloudy! There are no directions on the tube of stuff that say anything about cleaning out what they don't eat (in which case at this point I would have to empty the whole tank! )

Sooooooo....now what do I do? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Emg :beamedup:

Well, what I did do about the cloudy water is...I took the level down to about 2 inches of water....then refilled it with the warmed water from my 5 gallon tank. I then turned the sponge filter on for a bit and that helped. After the water cleared up some I turned the filter back off as it was drawing the fry towards it and I was afraid of them getting stuck on it.(don't know if that could actually happen, it's a pretty mild filter but they are sooo small)

The tank looks better, still a bit cloudy but I am going with the notion that the cloudiness is infusoria..which is good, and I am not going to worry too much about it.

Came home from a meeting late..after 10pm..checked my fry and they seem to be doing just fine. I was worried there for a bit. I put some lettuce water in the bowl in the tank and also amongst the java moss I have in the tank. I managed to get some brine shrimp in there as well (used the same tubing :rolleyes: ) I can see that the fry are indeed too small to start feeding on brine shrimp yet..but the shrimp are also too small to feed on my fry <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> so I guess it's ok for them to be in there. I'll just be sure to suction them out if/when they start dieing and littering the floor of my tank.

Emg

Hi Emg, all sounds well to me. the cloudiness is just infusoria, so no worries. You can use a beam of light to bring all the protozoans to one area, and it will attract the fry as well.

So, the eggs yo siphoned up became babies too? very cool. You are going to have bettas up the wazoo <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jilly...

No Kidding!

Actually, I am looking forward to seeing what colors I get and how many are crowntails. I must have at least a hundred of them swimming around in there...and they must be getting plenty to eat or they would all be dead by now! It's fun watching them zip around after thier food...It'll be nice when they actually start looking like fish!

By the way Jilly, what do you do with all your baby fish after a spawn?

Emg :rolling:

I keep the ones I think I want to breed (keep track of their linnage - mother, father, everything to work on the traits you like)...and then have to make decisions.

You have to decide on culling. If there are deformed or weak fry, these can be fed to other fish, or euthanized. No one can make this call for you, but it is generally considered humane in you drop them in cold water with ice cubes in it. Or find them homes, or keep them.

Then the leftover healthy babies: try your local fish shops and see if they will buy them from you, or at least take them in. make sure they are old enough to be sold at that point, since the LFS (local fish stores) won't have the time to care for fry; instead they would just use them as live food for their bigger fish, which may or may not bother you).

Your other options are: pass them out to friends and neighbors as gifts with a card with this forum link on it (so they can learn to properly care for them)...sell them on ebay....or keep them all.

Hope this helps. If they are healthy, there is no reason your LFS won't buy them. Just take whatever they offer as a small recompense for your time. After all, you got the fun of raising them plus maybe a few good breeders or show fish, and they get nice hand raised local stock. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm so jealous!

Emg the fry sounds great! Perhaps I could do this again since they are at home. but first I have to get heaters for the tanks.

Oh Nanny....DO try again!!

I have made up my mind that I am not taking any losses too hard. I love these fish and enjoy taking care of them but...they are fish. I learned my lesson long ago about getting too attached to things (long story)...It is a fun learning process and Jilly is great with all kinds of information and encouragement! (thanks Jilly! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ) The best part I think will be when I finally get to see the colors! It could be anything really, since I have no idea the lineage of any of my fish at this point. I am sooo looking forward to trying my piebald and the new opelescent little girl I bought this weekend. She's very pretty.

Thanks Jilly for the advice about the fish. I will do the best I can to find homes for them..I do intend to try out the local fish stores. I am sure they wouldn't mind taking some off my hands.
I actually had a thought of turning this hobby into a ministry...for elderly folks in nursing homes. They are so lonely and really need someone or something to care for that depends on them. Fish are easy and you don't usually run into "no fish allowed" rules. Not only that, it would be an excuse to stop and visit these lonely folks regularly...to see how thier fishies are doing! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Emg :love:

Emg,
What a wonderful idea. I know that when my grandma was in a nursing home there was nothing there to pull her out of her memories. Having something living to care for would have made a big difference to her.

Nan

Emg, I think that is fabulous! What a giving person you are. I am worried about whether or not the bettas will get fed correctly, but underfeeding, to a point, is better than overfeeding. Also, will you be able to clean out the mulm and change the water for them on a regular basis?

I only have a concern because among my tank service clients is a nursing home with four large saltwater tanks - and I just found out that NO ONE EVER feeds them!!!! The poor fishes have been surviving by pecking on the algae that I don't scrub off. I was horrified to discover this. Since I go twice a week for these tanks, at least the fish are getting something in the way of nourishment now - from me, when I feed them myself!