Windsor Line - First Spawn

William (Turquoise, Double-Ray (DR) Crown-Tail (CT)) x Kate (Turquoise, DR CT)

 

Expectations – green DR CT’s, possibly some blue or steel.

Goal: Get a deeper, truer green while looking for ray curvature.

Again, this expectation list was drawn up before I learned a few extra things, as was the goal list for this spawn.

If done now, I would expect a turquoise DR CT spawn and would hope for a bit of ray curvature but not hold my breath.

2013-07-07 Honeymoon suite cleaned and given partial water change. When water parameters settled and matched barracks, male placed in tank first and given six hours to claim as his own territory.

Female placed in isolation tube 30 minutes before bedtime.

2013-07-08: AM – no bubblenest, but plenty of flaring going on. Female looks somewhat terrified and is sitting on bottom of isolation tube.

PM – returned from work, still no bubblenest and now much less flaring going on.

Going away in a little under 48 hours. If they were to spawn, I wouldn’t be around to separate, or to remove male. Decided to put male back in barracks. Left female in Honeymoon Suite for now. Will try again with same pair once I return.

2013-07-10 Not going away now. Female in tube at 10ish. A new half polystyrene cup added. Male added. Back to flaring at each other. Female managed to squeeze under tube (must have been sitting on edge of IAL). Self-released at 11ish. Male still occasionally chases her, but they spend most of their time circling the tank – female hiding from male. Sometimes they come together for very brief periods. No bubblenest yet. L

2013-07-11 3PM Wrapping – Can only see a dozen or so bubbles in the nest. Female dropping lots of eggs and helping to pick them up but there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to put them.

Need to tape cup with large open end facing glass so I can see inside better.

4PM – Female chased away and removed – unharmed.

Need bigger net to make recapture easier.

Added second IAL to make water stickier.

Need to brew IAL tea in future.

Light on over tank and will be left on till fry are free swimming.

2013-07-13 7:30pm: We have fry. Or, as they apparently say 'in the trade'...we have tails! Dad’s nest has been deteriorating all day. Now we have at least 50 fry but no nest. They seem to be clinging to the side of the cup. Dad still doing well retrieving them.

 

11pm: Dad has started to roam the tank on occasion. Decided to try feeding him. He ate all blood worms offered and went back to collecting any fallen fry. Counted 55.

2013-07-14: Dad still doing well this morning. Fed plenty of blood worms. Doesn’t seem to be as many fry on the visible side of the cup but still plenty. Counted 40.

 

2013-07-16: Removed cup. All fry now free swimming and seem to be doing well on Vinegar Eels (VE). Male still patrolling the tank and feeding well. Counted 40-50 fry around the tank in three distinct groups. We have a filter crew who hang out around the filter where, I suspect, the heat from the light is warmest. There is a Java Moss crew who hang out above the Java Moss. I suspect more infusoria gather there so a more plentiful food source. Lastly there are the cover seekers. A group of 15-20 hide within the confines of the Anubis plant or hang out on its lowest leaves. Managed to siphon a little of the gunk from the floor of the tank - +100ml of water. Replaced with 100ml of aged water.

 

2013-07-17: VE culture still producing eels at the beginning of day 3 of use – impressive. Temp on spawning tank down to low 26C this morning. After feeding the temp dropped to high 25C’s. Turned heater up a little, and turned on room heater. Not a lot of fry visible this morning but I’m not really looking. Will leave light on today. Supposed to warm up a little later with sunshine – tomorrow is supposed to be cold. Need to look at starting microworms (MW).

 My VE culture still going strong

 

2013-07-17: Siphoned tank bottom with baster. Managed to remove a great deal of crap and 250ml and no fry!

Replaced 500ml – increase to water level commenced. Will siphon a little each day and replace with double.

Had a look at MW. Nothing was climbing the walls. Nothing seemed to be on the bit a paper towelling. Scraped a toothpick across the surface and then dipped it into clear aged water. Seemed to be something in the water, but nowhere near the numbers I get from VE. Think I’ll wait till I see the culture I got from a recent Betta Australis auction. If no better, I wont go with MW again. Second MW culture seems to have dried out. Need to defrost BBS for morning meals and probably last evening meal. VE will do for one more week as afternoon meal. Might buy frozen daphnia on the weekend from Local Fish Shop (LFS). Need more frozen blood worm anyway.