Red Dragon breeding pair

[eeping06]

Just sharing my attempt to breed my red dragon pair. Attached below the pair photos:
RedDragonPair_zpsd5ac62c1.jpgRedDragonMale_zps6578ecdc.jpgRedDragonFemale_zpsb98f34b3.jpg

Embrace and laying of eggs this morning (14 April 2013)
Will update the eggs progress 2 - 3 days later.

[eeping06]

Update of the red dragon pair fries, just reach free swimming feeding on microworm.
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[stormhawk]

I skip microworms and just use live cladocerans (Daphnia/Moina) instead. The fry are capable of eating the smallest ones from the day they are free-swimming. I have a batch of fry from a tri-color CT and a red-green dragon female growing up as well.

[eeping06]

I have just bought a daphnia starter, put some into the fry tank hopefully they will eat them. the fries now is only 2 - 3 days from free swim. Hope they faster grow up and able to eat dry food soon. Hope I do do anything wrong that kill the fries at this critical stage.

[stormhawk]

Daphnia starter? You can buy them live from some LFS. The fry need food constantly so keep a weak light on at night just for the fry to find their food easier. I raise them in a Satellite L breeder box since I only have 27 fry or so. The largest has already started to eat the smallest Tubifex worms. You might want to add some snails to their raising tank to deal with uneaten food though and add some mosses to help with filtration.

[eeping06]

Fries 2 weeks update.
2week1_zpsc19b0780.jpg2week2_zps0b4860a0.jpg
Currently feeding on BBS.

Stormhawk what snail u using? Horn snail?

[stormhawk]

Malayan Trumpet Snails or Ramshorn will do. Be careful when feeding BBS. You should not give them a diet solely based on BBS, because this may cause swim bladder issues later on. Vary their diet, either with powdered fry food or with live Daphnia/Moina. At a certain size, they will start taking tubifex, and that is when you will see an explosion in growth rate. My juveniles are starting to show signs of their finnage and possible coloration. They're roughly 3 weeks old at this point of time.

[eeping06]

I have tried crushed Hikari Betta gold to powder form, the fries do not show interest in eating dry food. I only feed them 2 meals of BBS per day, hope they will not develop swim bladder problems. I hope they explode in growth rate soon. Mine only 2 weeks. Curious how they will look like.

[stormhawk]

After 3-4 weeks you will be able to make out their finnage and possible coloration. BBS is okay but I'd suggest that you mix it with other live foods. At a certain size you can feed tubifex worm, which will boost their growth rate.

[eeping06]

Stormhawk your tubifex worm is bought from LFS? Feeding of tubifex worms does it bring diseases to your fries? Tubifex worms comes with plenty of bacteria, I am afraid I will battle with diseases if feed tubifex worms. How do you keep the tubifex alive for several days, or you buy from LFS everyday?

[stormhawk]

Every 3 days I buy fresh from the LFS. A small ball enough for the fry to survive on for a few days. My fry container has moss and a lot of green algae, so the worms survive in there for days. In fact the last time I gave the fry tubifex was 5 days ago and there's still worms alive in there. Disease is always a risk but other than culturing grindal worms and training the fry to take flake or pellet, tubifex and "boon" aka Daphnia/Moina is the easiest way to raise them. FBW just too big for the fry to eat unless they are at sub-adult size.

[eeping06]

Update about 3 weeks red dragon fries.
Still no colour but finage formed.
photo_zpsc7491633.jpgphoto1_zps9d33dcdc.jpg

[eeping06]

Update fries is about 4 weeks and some have shown some light red on the fins.
Feeding on crushed artison pellets and tubifex worms.
Fries4wk1_zps333123be.jpgFries4wk2_zps4ac67181.jpg