Save Bangai Cardinal eggs

[callsign4223]

The "Babies" are almost 2 months old at this point. I have been feeding them exclusively freshly hatched brine. I'm going to the LFS this weekend to see if they have any frozen foods I can mash up to try to start weaning them on to. The baby pellets I got from BRS they have no interest in.


What would you suggest me to do to move them when I need to clean the breeding enclosure?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

How about a plastic strainer? They float, wholesalers use them all the time in tanks.

 

[callsign4223]

I guess I just don't understand the benefit of a plastic strainer to a net in removing them. I'm not chasing them around. The net is the width of the breeder box. I put the net in and they swum into and I quickly moved them to the pre-filled pitcher. When I put them back in I just poured the pitcher directly into the breeder box without even using the net.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Just leave them in the strainer until you have to clean it.

 

[toby.toby]

i wouldn't net them i would use a small container so they are always in water and much less stress and no physical contact with any surface

 

[callsign4223]

New update:

The dad spit most of the eggs out after a few weeks in the breeder box. I think there are a couple fry that look formed enough to be viable. Basically look like babies with egg sacs still attached. I moved dad back to the main tank and he is eating again. Not sure why he spit them before they were ready. Being in the breeder box may be too stressful, I may have to setup an actual separate tank if I want him to hold them to maturity.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

It's normal for fry to be born with the yolk sac so they can survive better.

 

[callsign4223]

It's normal for fry to be born with the yolk sac so they can survive better.

Ok, so I should expect them to be spit out as fry with yolk sac attached? Like I said, only a couple made it out in that state. The vast majority were spit out as eggs still.

 

[sorinwilcox]

How often are they breeding? Sorry just jumping in I got a few cardinals I want to breed but mine are young so I am learning from you [emoji6]

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[callsign4223]

I've had this pair since early January. There was the batch the male had on the trip home. There was another batch where I didn't have breeder boxes yet so I didn't do anything and I assume he just dumped the babies in the main tank, and then this batch. So just about monthly.

 

[sorinwilcox]

That is super awesome! Good good spawn rate. How hard was the collection of the fry when he spits them out? Was it hard to catch him and to put him in the breeder box?

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[callsign4223]

Catching him to put in the breeder box was pretty tough. I need a larger net honestly. I didn't want to stress him so it took a couple days.

As for the fry, they can't get out of the breeder box, but at this point I'm not sure how many are going to be viable.

 

[callsign4223]

So, it appears I was a bit premature in my assessment of how many fry made it. Over the weekend I was able to get a closer look and it appears there are 8 viable fry with yolk sac attached freely swimming in the breeding enclosure. Freely swimming is a bit of a stretch, with the yolk sac attached they swim for a second then fall back to the bottom of the enclosure and sit there, but they are moving which I take as a good sign. I have started feeding bbs to them as well as introducing the micro pellets as well. I'm hoping that by introducing both foods simultaneously it will be easier to wean this batch off the live food.

 

[toby.toby]

i'd get some pods on the go, easy to breed and you can filter out the adults, give the babies a fuller meal nutrition wise

 

[callsign4223]

Where do you get those?

 

[toby.toby]

Where do you get those?

you should be able to buy them at your lfs, or you can stick some course sponge in your tank sump and wait for a while for them to colonise .

much better to buy tho as you know what strain you're getting