70 gal Malawi tank, A Journal.

[groan]

it's a little late for this now, but this article on Cichlid Forum
http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/raising_fry.php
says that the fry should be put into a fry cage to better feed them.
Should I be worried about that or will my babies be OK?
They are in a 30 gallon and I guess they are all spread outnow.
I'll make sure I put in enough food so that it settles on the gravel and hopefully they will find it.
Also there is lots of algae on the gravel. will they nibble?

[babblefish1960]

Try not to worry too much about their ability to eat, they have been doing it in the wild for millenia. I'm sure if you even buy some frozen baby brine shrimp, they will appreciate this, and it will help you get started. The microworms would be best, but if you haven't got any, you could also try hikari fryfood, it is in an envelope, and powdered, they will eat that too. It is sometimes good to let nature take its own course, otherwise you'll have to figure out what to do with all those puppies, and you certainly can't keep them all.

[pegasus]

Just crush your NLS pellets to a fine powder. Mouthbrooder's fry are big enought to eat dry food and they do like it more than once a day.

[groan]

OK, I'll break out the old morter and pestle and grind up some NLS
Thanks!

[darkdep]

Yep, crushed NLS grow is good as is flake.  I usually feed frozen baby brine shrimp to new hatchlings for about a week (too lazy to culture microworms or BBS) and they I switch them to NLS, spirulina flakes, and frozen AP food.

Feed many times per day...I sometimes feed babies 4 times a day.  They're always hungry

They will be fine with the mother. 

[groan]

Thanks DD, I'll feed as often as I can given I am at work all day...I guess I can feed at night after the lights go out and in the morning before they come on.

i'm really looking forward to them developing.
I can forsee me having to get rid of the remaining shrimp and turning my last 10 gal tank into another fry tank! sigh...my wife's going to kill me.

[pegasus]

I feed them micro-worm for one big reason.... micro-worms will live up to 3 days in the tank but I still feed them at least once a day. After 2 weeks, the fry are usually to big for the worms, so at one week old (even before) I start them on flake and NLS powder (small amount)

[darkdep]

I'm at work all day too; feedings happen as soon as I get home shortly after 5ish, then after the kids are asleep (say, 9) and then right before bed (12ish).

Once you start you'll be addicted...I'm the proud papa of 34 new C44 babies as of last night, and have one of my big Spilonotus holding again (HOPEFULLY with Multipunctatus fry this time!!) and my very first holding C. Moorii is in the nursery tank, 12 days in...really excited about that one. Michel has really blasted himself up that BAP list and I need to catch up or he won't respect me LOL

[sniggir]

right on have fun and enjoy your new fish.... if you end up like me you will end up setting up 4 tanks in 4 month's

[groan]

Nice and congrats!
I can see how it can be addicting, but I can't afford to put in the amount of time you guys do, let alone the money...I'll have to let some of the babies either grow out together and separate the 30 gallon with dividers or use the 10 gallon. and go without a sick tank.
Actually using the 30 with dividers might work out well!
Great idea! thanks! I expect this wont be the last batch of babies from my 70gallon...

Snigger, I'm sure my wife would kill me if i set up one more tank..maybe she'll change her mind when I tell her it's to save babies from being eten...Make it sound like it's her idea, right DD?

[darkdep]

Hey, last night I convinced my wife that because the C44 is from Lake Victoria, which is quickly being destroyed, that in 10 years these fish may be extinct or nearly extinct in the wild, so we're actually conserving a species. 

She bought it. 

[sniggir]

enjoy your new fish friends, and whatch out you may get the fish bug bad like me and set up 4 tanks in 4 months including my first sw lol once the bug bites 

pat

[groan]

when can I re-introduce the mommy back to the main tank?
I've now counted 9 babies that i can see...small batch, no? i am pretty sure this must be her first one.

[RoxyDog]

Hey, last night I convinced my wife that because the C44 is from Lake Victoria, which is quickly being destroyed, that in 10 years these fish may be extinct or nearly extinct in the wild, so we're actually conserving a species. 

She bought it. 

APW:  No she didn't...you bought it that she bought it.  It's a game, you'll lose, don't even try.   

Groan:  Aren't you already *talking* about a certain homemade stand for your next tank? 

[groan]

"Groan:  Aren't you already *talking* about a certain homemade stand for your next tank?"

actually i want a new stand for my existing tank...

[darkdep]

SURE you do.  Keep telling her that. 

[groan]

i have a question about feeding the group you see in my signature.
as for now I have been feeding them mainly NLS pellets and ocasionally just regular tetra min flakes.
The smaller cish go crazy and gobble it all up before my two larger lemon jakes can get to it. the big daddy jake hardly seems to get any food at all.
I'm a little concerned that the jakes are going to starve.

I am on my way out to SP in Orleans to pick up some supplies and will be getting some spirulina flakes or sticks.

can you make any recomendations on how i can make sure my bigger fish are getting fed? also what sort of variety should i feed this crew?

Thanks for your help. I see lots of posts about food, but its hard to tell what to feed this diverse community.

Cheers

[pegasus]

The NLS Growth pellets may be to small for the big peacock but they should be picking it up of the substrate. The NLS Cichlid formula, bigger pellets, was what they were getting before.

You should also have some DD's beefheart in your freezer. That stuff will revive a dead cichlid instantly. 

[darkdep]

LOL  A big benefit of the frozen food is that ALL the fish, regardless of size, will get their fill.  I wouldn't use the beefheart in an African Cichlid tank but the Green and Omni formulas I would.

[groan]

ive been feeding nls cichlid formula to the whole tank and they seem to be happy with it.
though i was afraid the big guy wasnt getting his fill.

i picked up some spirulina sticks that DarkDep suggested a while ago in a PM. I see they are floaters.
I guess i could do a combination of feeding both the nls and the s. sticks.

I did not get any frozen. maybe some day DD...