| 11/20/04 |
Witnessed egg exchange from Kali (one of my
original H. comes babies born 10/18/03) and Lumpy (WC male H. comes from
Bruce in California). They did not rise in the water. After
serious courting over several hours he began actually opening his pouch
and doing crunches. The positioned themselves facing about 3
inches off the bottom and did the deed. |
| 12/5/04 |
Lumpy delivered about 150 fry today!!!
Lights came on for their "morning" at 2:10 pm and I noticed Lumpy was
twitching to the sides alot. I took a few pics to show how large
his pouch was getting. As I was watching he did a crunch and about
20 fry came out and swam towards the top. He immediately did it
again and a huge swarm of fry popped out. I stepped away to yell
for Wally to come and by the time I got back, it was all over.
Used a turkey baster to move the fry to a bowl of new salt water (should
probably have used the tank water but wasn't thinking straight).
CHECK OUT PHOTO GALLERY #6 |
| 12/6/04 |
Mailed approximately 50 fry to Bruce
(Lumpy's dad) - shipping was it's own adventure.. half day off work,
three hours, one post office and two fed ex offices and finally on
their way. Fry were shipped in two 20 ounce Gatorade bottles
with a bit of greenwater, no food. Bottles surrounded with styro
peanuts and plastic grocery bags in a styro box. Heat pack (60
hour) taped to lid of styro , lid taped on with duct tape and styro in a
cardboard box.
Best I can determine, we have 25 each in two fishbowls set in a 10
gallon, 15 each in 2 stand alone licorice containers, and 15 in a
Kritter Keeper attached to a 29 gallon sump. Total count 95.
Feeding new hatch brine, some rotifers and as many copepods as I can
come up with. |
| 12/12/04 |
One week! We had terrible trouble
keeping the ammonia down in the licorice containers doing 2 water
changes per day - using these would require more water changes daily.
Today Wally moved all licorice fry to his Kritter Keepers (second KK
added to the same sump on 12/10). No more rotifers in the bowls
(never put them in the KK's). Very few pods now. |
| 12/11 to 12/14 |
Have lost 38 fry by the 14th (day 10). Six
got caught in a loose piece of netting in a fry bowl, the rest were
natural causes. The original 10 gallon was not cycled and is having
ammonia problems. Set up a second 10 gallon with black gravel
substrate, used a cycled filter (from the erectus tank) and moved both
bowls into the new one. |
| 12/22 |
Bruce says he still has 17 of his fry and
they are doing well. |
| 12/23 |
Had expected Lumpy to give birth today
based on observed courting but did not see egg exchange so unsure of
date of conception. He did but there are only 9 (that we have
seen) and they are severely premature. They don't swim, don't have
snouts, and have very, very large egg sacks - they are alive so we put
them in a kritter keeper attached to the sump. Becca our 9 year
old granddaughter was thrilled to witness the birth. Note: by
the 24th Lumpy no longer looks pregnant. |
| 12/25 |
Merry Christmas little fry (20 days old)
... we have about 25 (14 in a Kritter Keeper and 11 in a fishbowl in the
gravel bottomed 10 gallon). The ones in the KK are bigger then the
ones in the fishbowl. Still feeding mostly new hatch BB, but
occasionally added 2 day old enriched (phyto) brine. We seem to
have been losing 2-3 a day the smaller, weaker ones. Hopefully
this will stabilize soon although I still have 3 weak ones in the
fishbowl. The premies are not doing well. Still lying on the
bottom, one developed a snout. Most no longer moving. So
sad. I put new hatch brine in there just in case they can eat. |
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