30-Sep-2000 |
- Mom and Dad are kept very busy with this
bunch as they can get around fast. I love the way they dash for
the gravel when I switch the lights on or off. So instinctive.
It's fantastic
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29-Sep-2000 |
- The fry are feeding nicely on all foods that
I feed them, they still munch algae too.
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28-Sep-2000 |
- The parents have to keep reinforcing their
territorial boundaries.
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27-Sep-2000 |
- Quite a few have decided that parking off
under the floating plants if quite the thing to do and you have
the added advantage of getting to the food first. The new fry are
getting bolder and as I expected the parents have become more
territorial again.
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26-Sep-2000 |
- About 4 babies somehow swam up the filter
tube to investigate and got stuck. They are just far to
inquisitive for their own good now. I put a piece of stocking
(hosiery) over the inlet tube to prevent them doing it again.
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25-Sep-2000 |
- Actually quite an arty mix having the
vertically striped convicts with the horizontally striped zebra
danios.
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- 24-Sep-2000
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- More and more of them (the older fry) are
swimming in the middle to upper levels of the tank. The newborns
were taken out to the flat rock for lunch today. All of them were
on the rock munching away at the algae. The second lot of newborns
were still kept hidden in their pot. Still rated as the cutest
babies on earth.
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- 23-Sep-2000
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- They are growing at an alarming rate. It must
be the frozen bloodworms and frozen daphnia. I'm sure they'll be
ready for sale in a months time.
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- 22-Sep-2000
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- The first pair's fry have hatched too
!!!!!!!...we have a nursery full of fry. The fry in the angelfish
tank all swim right up to the glass when they see me, wanting
food.
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- 21-Sep-2000
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- So both pairs have now laid eggs. The second
pair who laid eggs first this time moved the fry into a hollow
made in the gravel just in front of the pot. They have become very
defensive again. Really interesting to see how their behaviour
changes. Noted how the two males had a nose to nose earlier. Just
a warning. "watch it, we've got babies again." "so,
so have we...na na na na na naaa"
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- 20-Sep-2000
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- The mom, as expected is guarding the fry
viciously. I feed her flakes as well as bloodworms which are
voraciously gobbled up in one slurp of a worm. They have also made
a hollow by moving gravel away from the front of the pot. Last
time, this is where I first spotted their fry as they sneaked them
on me. The first pair haven't laid eggs yet but keep moving the
gravel around too. It will be soon though, I'm positive of that.
Oh and I caught more of the fry which I found hiding in the tank
and moved them. There are now about 5 fry still lurking in the
tank.
- Later the same night
- The first pair have laid eggs too. I shone a
torch light into their upturned pot and saw stacks of eggs. Mom is
on guard.
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- 19-Sep-2000
- BIRTH DAY
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- The first pair are moving gravel about but no
eggs yet. The second pair's eggs hatched today. Yippieeeeeee
!!!!...Cute little wrigglers. Mom is guarding them for all she's
worth. Dad seems to hide under the rock (probably thinking
"oh noooo, more children") There are about 8 fry left in
this tank who are difficult to catch so I'm leaving them. The fry
that I moved into the 'future Angel Fish tank' are doing well. Now
that it is easier to see them, some of them are really biggish
already. Nice little stripes and mini-mom/dad replicas. They don't
look so helpless anymore. I think their rapid growth is due to the
frozen bloodworms which they love. The poem
really rings true to my feelings about these fish.
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- 18-Sep-2000
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- The babies in the other tank are doing fine,
they have cute little black stripes too. The parents seem happy
and the first pair were seen moving bits of gravel today, so I
suppose they're going to lay eggs again soon too. I have had such
fun and enjoyment by watching these little fish. I can't bear to
give the parents away after all they've done and besides that,
they're famous now too.
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- 17-Sep-2000
- Newsflash
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- It all becomes clear to me now. The second
pair have laid eggs again in the upturned pot, so that's why they
started eating their fry, to make room for the new spawning. I
moved as many of the fry as I could to a different tank, so I've
saved most of them (the uneaten anyway) The first pair were not
impressed and tried to bite the net while I was scooping up the
babies.
- Wow, the cycle of life makes a complete turn.
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- 16-Sep-2000
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- I have the strangest feeling that some of the
fry have been eaten. Also noticed that most of the fry have
congregated together with the first pair. Definitely time to move
them now. Tomorrow will be moving day. Perhaps better to move the
parents than to move the fry, I'll have to see which tank I can
spare to move them into.
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- 15-Sep-2000
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- I am having serious thoughts of separating
the fry from the parents.
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- 14-Sep-2000
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- They've grown so much since they were
born. They have become quite independent too.
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- 13-Sep-2000
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- The babies are braver and more bold every
day. they swim to the surface for food and swim freely about the
tank although they tend to stay on one side mostly.
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- 12-Sep-2000
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- It's official....they are the cutest babies
on earth. Every time I look at them, I can't believe the miracle
that happened. Boring looking eggs and now beautiful cute Hungry
baby fish. It's just so incredible. They are growing nicely now. I
am definitely convinced that they are all mixed up, the fry swim
across to the other pair's territory without so much as a flinch
from the other parents. Now big and small fry swim in groups
anywhere they like. The parents 'seem' to have no idea which
babies are theirs. But it isn't detrimental to anyone so I guess
it works for them.
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- 11-Sep-2000
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- I'm sure the fry have got themselves mixed up
because I see large fry mixed with the second pair and small fry
mixed in with the first pair but no one seems to care too
much...fry are fry are fry.... I suppose they're all happy, fry
are not a threat to anyone. I'm surprised that the parents aren't
too concerned about it. I'm not sure if they even noticed. Life
goes on regardless.
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- 10-Sep-2000
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- The fry are still happy and healthy, no
fights or wounds.
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- 9-Sep-2000
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- The fry from the first pair swam to the
surface to feed today and some were seen hanging onto the green
algae left to grow on the rear glass panel. It's been a while
since they did that. I'm wondering how soon I should move them, I
keep checking to see that the parents are still in the protective
mode and not the predatory mode.
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- 8-Sep-2000
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- I saw the fry from the second pair swimming
close to the gravel and under the plant towards the first pair's
fry. No fuss was made and it was almost as though they didn't
notice or care too much. I suppose they don't pose too much of a
threat, after all they're still so tiny.
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- 7-Sep-2000
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- The babies are really coming into their own
now. Becoming more and more adventurous every day too. They are
getting closer and closer to crossing the territorial border too
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- 6-Sep-2000
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- What a bunch of ravenous flake-ripping-fish
you've ever seen, I don't know what happened today but they seem
starving hungry. No sign of any eggs or possibility of eggs,
which is great news for me. The parents are still viciously
protecting their fry.
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- 5-Sep-2000
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- These baby fish have lost that tadpole look.
As I put the lights on, I caught them still sleeping, they are so
cute. They all sleep huddled close together under the female in
the upturned pot. The male has another cave that he sleeps in. I'm
surprised that after a month, they still snuggle up with their
mom.
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- 4-Sep-2000
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- HAPPY FIRST MONTH BIRTHDAY to the first
spawning of fry.
- I noticed that the parents had a bit of a
stand-off today, between the two females mainly but no injuries.
The babies are growing very well. They don't share food as much
anymore because they can fit a lot more larger sized pieces into
their mouths lately. I am SO excited about my angel fish project
which is starting up.
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- 3-Sep-2000
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- I tried the new foods today...wow, did they
enjoy that ! The little terrors ate every bit of it, the parents
really loved the frozen daphnia.
- The babies hide away under rocks and on the
gravel, perfectly camouflaged, then rush out to grab the food as
though in ambush.
- From my experiences, I've learned just how
intelligent these fish species are.
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- 2-Sep-2000
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- I bought some new food types today. Dried
Tubifex, frozen Daphnia and more frozen bloodworms and a little
'worm-holding-cage-thing' which floats on the surface to allow the
worms to escape slowly. I've looked for a long time for one, so
that I don't have to put my fingers into the tank each time and
wiggle the worms about until they disperse. The baby fish look so
grown up now, I'm sure they could easily survive without mom and
dad's care. They can rip up the food, as well as any ragged tooth
shark can and with vigour and determination too.
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- 1-Sep-2000
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- Today is the first day of Spring - A time of
new birth. I not hoping for new birth just yet. I had a good look
at the convict babies today, wow, they've grown since they first
emerged from the eggs.
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