toddnbecka
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My red lizards are spawning now, and if they're like the BN will likely keep going for quite a while. I tried hatching the first few eggs in a net breeder. It worked, but the fry disappeared after a few days, presumably died and were eaten by the ramshorn snails. Here are some pics of the 2nd and 3rd spawns:
Being long, narrow fish, they prefer long, narrow caves for spawning. Bamboo is preferred but I couldn't find any, so I use pvc.
Current batch of eggs, less than 24 hours old, both parents in tube:
After losing the first fry I moved the endler's out of the 10 and replaced the substrate with the fine gravel (essentially pool filter sand) from the breeding tank. The pvc tube containing the male and eggs were moved in about 4-5 days after spawning. The fry stay with the male until they're free-swimming, but unlike BN don't hang around the cave for days after they absorb the yolk sacs. When I saw that the tube was empty except for the male I moved them (tube and male) back into the 38. The new fry were hard to spot, tiny buggers they are when they hatch. They spent the next several days hanging on the Najas and glass, not feeding yet.
Couple on the back glass, note their size relative to the airline behind the tank:
Closeup on front glass (not easy with a point-and shoot):
Three (one out of focus) hanging on the Najas, left side:
Look closely in the middle of the pic:
Nearly a week later, they're quite active and feeding on microworms and finely crushed spirulina flake. I tossed in a couple more handfuls of Najas from another tank. Aside from helping maintain water quality, it gives them more surface area for their constant grazing for algae and whatever else they find in the biofilm. They have grown visibly, most noticeably longer tails.
Note the size of the 2 (left side) relative to the thermometer at the same distance from the camera lens:
They do have some ability to control their appearance. When they're on the glass or substrate their markings are almost invisible:
Among the Najas the markings are much more distinct:
You have to overlook the chunk of pink glass
:
They are growing larger by the day, some are nearly 50% larger than others now. I'm looking forward to them being large enough to see w/out leaving noseprints on the glass.
Most recent pics, 10 days after they left the tube:
Being long, narrow fish, they prefer long, narrow caves for spawning. Bamboo is preferred but I couldn't find any, so I use pvc.
Current batch of eggs, less than 24 hours old, both parents in tube:
After losing the first fry I moved the endler's out of the 10 and replaced the substrate with the fine gravel (essentially pool filter sand) from the breeding tank. The pvc tube containing the male and eggs were moved in about 4-5 days after spawning. The fry stay with the male until they're free-swimming, but unlike BN don't hang around the cave for days after they absorb the yolk sacs. When I saw that the tube was empty except for the male I moved them (tube and male) back into the 38. The new fry were hard to spot, tiny buggers they are when they hatch. They spent the next several days hanging on the Najas and glass, not feeding yet.
Couple on the back glass, note their size relative to the airline behind the tank:
Closeup on front glass (not easy with a point-and shoot):
Three (one out of focus) hanging on the Najas, left side:
Look closely in the middle of the pic:
Nearly a week later, they're quite active and feeding on microworms and finely crushed spirulina flake. I tossed in a couple more handfuls of Najas from another tank. Aside from helping maintain water quality, it gives them more surface area for their constant grazing for algae and whatever else they find in the biofilm. They have grown visibly, most noticeably longer tails.
Note the size of the 2 (left side) relative to the thermometer at the same distance from the camera lens:
They do have some ability to control their appearance. When they're on the glass or substrate their markings are almost invisible:
Among the Najas the markings are much more distinct:
You have to overlook the chunk of pink glass
:
They are growing larger by the day, some are nearly 50% larger than others now. I'm looking forward to them being large enough to see w/out leaving noseprints on the glass.
Most recent pics, 10 days after they left the tube:
