Hi all
Just a quick 1000 words or 2 on the new experiment I've got going.
A while back I got a hatch of Nothobranchius (Aphyobranchius) janpapi and observed them feed under the microscope (sorry no pics). I never saw them eat any infusoria but did see them eat funny little worms that were on the Java moss and floating at the surface feeding on the powder dried food I was feeding. They have now coloured up and I have both sexes. One day soon I will spawn them (watch the Trade section or Aquabid!).
My point, I now have some Aphyobranchius geminus fry that I hatched yesterday. I have them in a tub crawling with infusoria of every persuasion along with some vinegar eels. Looking under the microscope the fry should be easily able to take the smaller vinegar eels. I'm now watching them to see if they prefer to take the eels or the infusoria (and if so, which ones). I can see loads of Paramecium.
Paramecium are what Ian Sainthouse, from whom I got the eggs, feeds his Aphyobranchius fry exclusively on. Ian is the perhaps the only person on Earth to raise a brood of 100+ Aphyobranchius luekei in one go. Best I can do is 15 at any one time. The luekei are the smallest of the lot and the most trying. They are about half the size of Betta splendens fry if that. But I digress...
Right now I haven't seen any of the fry snap at anything. This means they either have full bellies or I wet them too late and now they don't have the energy to feed. The luekei fry I had snapped at anything and everything that drifted past them... alas they perished in a cold snap but I still have eggs. I will be keeping a close eye on the fry over the next few days and will let you know what I observe the fry to feed on.
This group of Nothos are some of the loveliest and easy going out there. They live on average about 2 years, shoal and lay 1000s of eggs per week. They would look great in a planted tank. They are real super fishes that deserve to be more popular---were it not for the level of effort needed to raise the fry. Certainly any observation that they will feed on something other than infusoria will help make them more popular.
Another snag with these fish is their tendency not to take to dried foods. With some effort (starving them) they can be coaxed to take micro foods like offered by Tim Addis but generally do best on frozen Cyclops, Daphnia, blood worm, beef heart and worms.
Regards
Tough luck. I watched the little blighters and sure enough they thumbed their nose at every vinegar eel (some no broader than the head of the fry). Instead they darted off after infusoria of sorts.
I did see one pick at Tim Addis' food though but then again it could be because the infuroria were teaming around it.
Damn.
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