White Out With A Chance Of Blackness

Spawn Updates

The white Double-Tail Halfmoon Plakats are going okay. As is usual for my spawns, they are starting to slip behind the accepted growth rate and week three is where I normally have a bit of a "wheat from Chaff" die off period. That is to say, by my way of thinking, I tend to lose quite a few of the weaker ones.

This time round I'm not particularly concerned. I started with a ridiculously high number of fry and there is still more than enough left for me to deal with.

I did manage to get the first pic showing their caudal lobes tonight...even though the rest of the fry is still blurry...another week or two till my camera picks them up well.

My second spawn tank is also full of light bodies, with the F2 of my recessive CTPK line. I started with even more fry in this spawn than the DTHMPK spawn above. They are also going well although a little behind the growth curve and also going through the Wheat from Chaff phase. This photo was taken pre-feed, hence the slightly gaunt look. I assure you, they all have orange bellies now :)

And last but not least, the Black Orchid CTPK F2 spawn...Looks to be around 50 or so that will make it to maturity. There doesn't look to be a high ratio of males in this spawn again...mostly female in F1 and it will be mostly girls again it seems.

The first male looked nice but lacked almost every trait I was trying to improve...I was worried.

As you can see, nice caudal spread, decent dorsal spread, anal is too long and a little too much hump in the top line...and bugger all webbing reduction. Feisty fella though...

But tonight I found another male who is just about ready to be jarred...

There will be a better photo once he's been jarred and a chance at a mirror, but his top line is better, webbing reduction is better, anal is more in balance...a better all round fish for my goals.

No more spawns planned till January - but I have two pairs ready and waiting to go when these spawn tanks become free and the little fellas have grown to juvies...well, at least two pairs ;)