Feeling so much better

Devario pathirana
Photo by Dennis Ball

It has been a long cold winter here in central Ohio. Just about the time the weather was breaking I came down with the flu or some other nasty respiratory ailment.  Today is the first time I’ve really felt good in just over a month.

At any rate, my plans for first-of-the-year spawning projects went right out the window.  I have been wildly successful with spawning some ABN’s though.

My very good friend Bob, also a C.A.F.E. member, gave me an extra male ABN he had.  This was around the end of February.  After about 6 weeks of sweet talking one of my female ABN’s they set-up house keeping.  They seem to be a very good match as they are producing about 40 fry every 30 days now!

Male Albino Bushy Nose with fry.
Photo by Dennis Ball

Even though my spawning projects have suffered, there’s been lots going on.  I’ll try to get caught up here in the next few weeks.

Nannostomus mortenthaleri
Photo by Dennis Ball

We had another Convention at C.A.F.E., I picked up some super cool fish at the silent auction, etc.

Be back soon!

Snowy day and a cold water change…..

albino_coryLast Friday was a cold and snowy day with a storm front moving through the area. As the temperatures dropped, I thought I’d better drained down my rain water collection system to keep it from freezing up. Pumping the cold water into the fish room I thought it might be a good time to give the Albino Cories a cold water change to see what would happen. Continue reading Snowy day and a cold water change…..

Spawning Otocinclus catfish

Back around the first of the year Petsmart was having a sale on Otocinclus for $1 each.  Each spring for the past couple of years I’ve wanted to try spawning these fish so I picked up a couple bags for a later project.

Otos eating Repashy gel
Photo by Dennis Ball

They have been eating lots of Repashy “Soilent Green” and fattened up very nicely.

The spawning set-up is a standard 10 gallon tank with some anubias and crypts.  It has a course black substrate and the water is very soft being almost pure rain water.  I have a small heater set to keep the temperature at 78 °F.

Otocinclus fry
Photo by Dennis Ball

The fish must be happy because today while doing water changes I found the first fry!

If I can get these fry to adult hood it will be interesting to see if tank raised Otos are a bit more hardy than the store bought variety.

 

 

Here are some photos of the fry just a couple of days later…..

Otocinclus fry
Photo by Dennis Ball
Otocinclus fry
Photo by Dennis Ball