[Betowess]

I'll post a picture tommorrow, I promise. I even got my camera and tripod setup tonight to shoot, only to realize I had left all my compact flash cards at work.

Somehow a tiny fry ended up in my Cherry tank a few weeks ago. I assumed it was either a White Cloud from the LFS, or perhaps a Danio as I've read White Clouds are famous propagators. Well, this little fellow is one very active fish (constantly cruising the top 1/3 of the tank and is over 3/8th inch long now. I think the fertile egg probably hitchhiked on some moss during various water changes re-starting my 90 gallon which has very healthy Rainbows.

The reason I think its a Rainbow is the pronounced anal fin like the adults have, plus it has big eyes for such a tiny fry. If it is, its probably is a Boesemani, as I think that is my only female I have of nine Rainbows. And there was another I spotted in some Subwassertang floating in a fry net/enclosure. It was about a week younger. I put it back in my other big tank to fend for itself, thinking it was just another White cloud, and afraid a few Hydra I spotted in my Cherry tank might kill it. When I had it in a fry net, I almost suffocated it once with a 'manual' autowater change "accident". I let too much water drain out by accidently pushing the drain button a second time when I meant to push the re-fill button...

But now I sure wish I had kept it in the fry cage! I'm afraid it might have been a little Boesmani brother. Anyhow, more pictures to come, I promise! :icon_smil. I am SO excited if it is.

 

[yoink]

I had a couple bosemani fry hitchhike with some cherrys. Here is a picture of one I took to be IDed.

 

[Jessica]

Good for you!!!! I understand your excitement right now...I found a bunch of Diamond tetra fry in my tank recently. Congrats!

 

[knuggs]

Cool! It should be fun raising the fry.

 

[toddnbecka]

I had a couple dwarf neon rainbow eggs on some plants that were shipped with my first batch of cherry shrimp. It took quite some time before they were large enough to ID, but they eventually joined the school in the 55. They grew quite well in the cherry shrimp tank, found plenty of micro-critters among the plants. I didn't specifically feed them at all.

 

[Betowess]

Thanks everyone. Nice pic Boink.
OK, here is a pic of the little bugger. Man this fish is fast and what a pain to get a picture of!
I had to super over sharpen the image to show the anal fins. I'm pretty sure its a Boesemani by the finnage. Loves to swim in the current of an XP2 bouncing off the back wall of a 26 bow - at maybe three weeks old?

 

[the_evil_duboisi]

You're lucky....When I had rainbows in my Malawi tank, they spawned alot but the eggs were always....Well, you know...

 

[Color Me Blue]

Congrad Betowess! It's so cute!

 

[Lupin]

Lovely fry, Betowess. It does look like a rainbow fry.

 

[Betowess]

Thanks Bluebell, duboisi, and Kristen! I am having fun watching this little guy grow and flit around the tank. Its making me want to turn my new extra tank into a breeder, though I hardly have the time. He/she is growing fast!

 

[toddnbecka]

Just provide a heavily planted (with fine-leaved plants) tank, and let the breeders do their thing for a week or so. After that, move them back to the other tank and raise the fry. The fry are slow-growing little buggers, so expect the breeding tank to be tied up for some months while they grow out.
Feed the fry several times daily w/microworms to supplement the micro-critters they'll find among the plants until they're big enough for crushed flakes.

 

[Betowess]

Thanks toddnbecka, good to know.

I have just fed this guy crushed (to powder) Tetramin tropical crisps and he is growing fine - so far. Its the kind with spriulina in it. How he made it to 1/8 inch fry I have no idea? - as he was born in a Cherry shrimp tank. But he's obviously a survivor.

 

[toddnbecka]

The eggs are tiny, and so are the newly hatched fry. That one is probably several weeks old, maybe even a month.

 

[Raul-7]

I heard Rainbows usually eat their own eggs? Most breeders use layers of marbles to allow the eggs to fall down through the various crevices without the adults being able to eat them. But congrats, be sure to update it on it's progress.

 

[Betowess]

Thanks Raul! Good info. Maybe I can breed some one day with this info you guys have shared.
Toddnbecka, he was about newborn guppy size when I discovered him. That was about two weeks ago, so I think you are right - a bit over 3 weeks or just shy a month. I have been feeding it twice a day with the powdered flake since I discovered him. I figure the Cherrys and snails take care of the excess. My only worry is there are a few Hydra in the tank, but I think he is now big enough to survive them.

 

[Betowess]

Now this is exciting. I just spotted the "little brother" who was born in a different tank - my 65 gallon. He/she is a little smaller but must be from the same spawn. I guess the moss or whatever was put in the different tanks during my 90 gallon re-start.

As I mentioned earlier, I let it go from a fry net thinking it was just a White Cloud, but it too has definite Boesemani fins.

So sometime soon, I'll put them together. The only thing that would eat him are a couple of young Apisto Borelli and they haven't gotten him yet! I'll have to do a slow acclimation as the water is completely different. 7.6pH vs. 6.3 pH. I'll guess keep it in the 65 gallon until I think its big enough to survive the Hydras in the Cherry tank and then put him in with his bro/sis. This is going to be cool! roud:

Update: I couldn't resist. I caught the little bugger (he's half the size of his bro) and acclimated him - then put them together. For now they swim near - but not too near each other.

 

[Betowess]

Maybe They Aren't Boesemani, But Blue Turquoise!

I'll grab a picture soon. Turns out my Boesmani fry are probably Turquoise or Turq/Boesemani cross. One of the older two is quite Blue! The main hatch of about 25 are too young to tell.