Finally! First surviving fry and Marina Breeding Box

[scifisarah]

So it has been over a year since I got started with cichlids. I haven't posted on here for a while because I've been busy with family and concentrating more on my cochin chickens. But I am happy to say I finally got some fry without them being eaten! I got five Labidochromis chisumulae/Clown Labs at a GVAC auction last year. Usually my syno cats make quick work of the babies, or they probably get sucked into my Fx5, but I left the net in the tank for three days and managed to snag the holding female once she relaxed and decided the net was a nice cave. The five fry are currently in my beta's 2.5 gallon planted tank while he waits it out in a fish bowl. I'm getting this Marina Hang-On Breeding Box in the mail tomorrow: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QRDCP2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Does anyone have experience using it, or is there a better option not involving more tanks. Just too many things going on right now to make more work for myself. I would love to raise up more Clown Labs though! Oh, one of the five fry has a bent tail. Is there any chance of that getting better, or should he just be a snack for my other fish?






Bent tail fry. He also has darker colors, maybe because he is stressed?

[Ron]

This is the first time I've heard of "clown labs".

The one with the bent tail will not get better as time goes on. Reasons for the bent tail can include being an inbred defect or damage to the fry while in or being stripped from the mothers mouth. If it becomes a prevalent problem, I'd lean towards trying to find some less-related fish to introduce if you want to keep a breeding group.

Congrats on the fry. 

[Super Turtleman]

I use those breeding boxes all the time. I have about a dozen. Lol. They work great...just make sure you have an air pump for them.

[scifisarah]

This is the first time I've heard of "clown labs".

The one with the bent tail will not get better as time goes on. Reasons for the bent tail can include being an inbred defect or damage to the fry while in or being stripped from the mothers mouth. If it becomes a prevalent problem, I'd lean towards trying to find some less-related fish to introduce if you want to keep a breeding group.

Congrats on the fry. 

Yeah, that seems to be the common name for them, although I don't really see why. I will have to keep my eyes open for another male to purchase, so inbreeding is not a problem. I lost my very nicely marked male. The male I have left has very wide markings instead of the typical thin stripes and it looks like most of his fry have the wider markings as well. I will dispatch the bent tail one while the kids are at school this morning. The other four already seem to have it in their heads to torment him, so there is no use prolonging it I suppose. Reminds me of a little puffer fish with his tail like that and how he swims.

When I looked on Amazon and asked on here a year ago there weren't any good options like that breeding box, so I am excited it is good to use. Everyone just told me "get more tanks". I am building three more chicken coops though, so I guess that shows where my priorities are right now, hah. 

Oh, and what should I feed the fry and how often?

On hand I have:
Frozen Daphnia
Spirulina Flakes from Blue Fish
NLS TheraA .5mm sinking
NLS Cichlid 1mm sinking
Hikari Micro Pellets Semi Floating

[Ron]

"three more chicken coops" - are you making mobile coops (tractors)?

For feeding the fry, finely crushed flake food is what I use for small mbuna fry. The spirulina flake you listed should work well. You can feed them a bit more often than you'd feed adults because they've got a high metabolism when young. Feed enough that they all get some to eat, but not so much that it goes to waste on the floor of the tank. I also try to avoid feeding them too much to the point where their bellies are bulging.

[scifisarah]

Nope, just some small 3x4 coops for 1-4 bantam cochins. We already have a huge run around two sides of our garage so I am going to section one side into three 8x8 runs and put a mini coop outside of each to raise youngsters in, house breeding groups or lone cockerels. We have a 3x5 tractor but my husband has to move it because it is so darn heavy. We can't seem to build anything less heavy than a tank.

Sounds good on the food. Glad I don't need to purchase anything else. They really seemed to like the daphnia I fed them last night. I will have to feed less next time like you said. Four fry the size of my pinky fingernail do not consume much!

[Ron]

Sounds like a nice setup! Thanks for posting the picture of the tractor. I made one a while back and over-built it so it'd be secure! It's secure, but it's also really heavy, too heavy for how I'd built the wheels and I need to redo it. 

[scifisarah]

Sounds like a nice setup! Thanks for posting the picture of the tractor. I made one a while back and over-built it so it'd be secure! It's secure, but it's also really heavy, too heavy for how I'd built the wheels and I need to redo it. 

Yeah, we did the same thing. When we make three more in spring we'll use treated 2x2's instead of 2x3s for the frame, and 1/2" plywood instead of 5/8". We'll also make the whole thing a foot shorter at 4x3 instead of 5x3. I only want to keep a couple small chickens in each, and they will also have a run, otherwise standard size chickens would need more room. Okay, enough about chickens this is a cichlid forum, even if I could talk chicken all day.

I have the breeding box set up and like it. It is crazy loud though and in our living room so I will have to see if there is some way to make it quieter if it is going to be on there a while. I don't want to turn off the pump and have them freeze in our 65 degree house. I had fun making them little planter caves last night. Any estimate on how long the fry will need to be separated before I put them back into the main tank? The fish in our 75 gal keep looking at them like a buffet.

[lorax84]

I have two Marinas hang on boxes and I love them. I use them for fry, to separate out fish that are being picked on and let them recuperate, and to fatten up new fish. I don't really see myself buying any other breeder boxes anytime soon