| 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.
Last day of journal.
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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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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.
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- 18-Sep-2000
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- I
am having serious thoughts of separating the fry from the parents.
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- 14-Sep-2000
|
- They've
grown so much since they were born. They have become quite
independent too.
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- 13-Sep-2000
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- The
fry are still happy and healthy, no fights or wounds.
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- 9-Sep-2000
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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
|
- 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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