Hi all I think this may be my first post here! I was wondering what everyone fed their fry and on what schedule? I'm asking because I screwed up feeding my last spawn and want to prepare for the next. Also has anyone had success with Golden Pearls?


:thankssign

Depends on how much work you want to do. For freshly hatched, baby brine shrimp are the easiest. You need an air pump and a container. There is a whole thing on how to do it some wheres, and if you buy a thing of BBS eggs, it should come with instructions.

There is also the option of vinegar eels. They are difficult to harvest, but are good to feed because they will stay alive and actively swim through the water until consumed (BBS just kinda slowly float to the bottum, and then they don't get eaten, and it just adds to the waste in the tank).

Also we've been supplementing with Atison's Betta Starter, so while they are eating live food, they are being introduced to non living food, and hopefully they get interested enough in that good smelling thing that is floating on top of the water, and deside to try it!

We feed them twice a day, and leave the light on for at least an hour after feeding them so they can see what go niddle on (if the lights are off, they won't eat).

Here is the IBC selling page. Go check it out. There is some instant BBS (never tried) and the Atison's pellets for adults and the Betta starter, and the Betta spay stuff is awsome! Highly recomend that.

I think VEs are very easy to collect..
Maybe I'll do a how to page on them, lol.
but VEs are my preferance for the first couple days, then I start with the BBS, which are much harder to collect, I think.
Once they start getting some size, I start feeding them grindals.
I like to gutload the grindals with first bites, and betta starter, because that is the best use I have found for those foods, lol.
Then comes the weaning, lol.

Matter fact, I WILL do a how to page!!

You go girl!

I'm going to do that tonight, and it should be up by morning!!

Yay, I was never able to collect the VE. Now Belle can teach how~

I never have any trouble with VE. I do very similarly to Belle, except for the worms.

I use both VE and BBS. I've used the long neck bottle and turkey baster for VE and it's still quicker for me to harvest BBS.That being said VE's are a much better first food for Bettas because they stay alive in freshwater and swim at all levels of the tank so over feeding is much less of a problem.
Here is a link to easy VE collection.

http://cnybc.spaces.live.com/




RC

Thanks for the replies! I absoultely hate feeding BBS, I always make a mess with them, I always have trouble seperating them and feeding them, and I just think they're too un-natural (:hippie) since bettas come from freshwater and BS from saltwater. What about dried foods for fry has anyone had any luck with those? I usually feed microworms and BBS and then grindals. But I think vinegar eels would be a good idea to add to their menu.

the read on that vinegar eel page about finage types and colors is awsome i think everyone should check that out ! B)

It is good isn't it. :D

Hi there,

I am new here, but not to bettas. I don't know if this will help you at all, but I feed my fry Golden Pearls from Ken's fish.. I start them at 50-100 microns and move up from there as they grow. I have had good experiences so far. I feed them usually twice a day as much as they can eat (you might need a magnifying glass at first to see if they are eating), and I keep the water quality up as best I can. I think water quality is just as much or more important than food.

Thanks!

Lauren

Hmmm.. I've never yet tried golden pearls though I do know others who swear by them. They just seemed they would make it harder to keep the water clean to me. Is this not so?

OK
here is my easy VE collection how to.
I am not feeling well, my head hurts, and I have chills, so I don't feel up to doing the whole html thing.. It hurts to think too much.
But here you go.
You start with your set up..

The items shown are an empty 1 litre bottle, a bottle full of VEs, a box cutter, a wad of floss, and a cup of water.


Take you box cutter, and cut the top off the empty bottle.
I use the lable as a guide.


Pour the VE medium into the bottle you just cut open. 1/3rd or so full is usually plenty. Oh, but before you do that, take the lable off, it will help you to see if you have collected enough.


Now this is the tricky part.
You are going to fit the cut off top of the bottle into the bottle itself.
You want to push it in slowly, so the the sides remain sealed, but the solution goes up the neck of the bottle, just to the top.
If you make a mistake, just ease the top out, and retry.


Now, you will put your wad of cotton, or floss or whatever into the mouth of the bottle top. Then gently pour water into the bottle until it is over the top of the wad. It is best to direct the stream of water down the side of the bottle, rather than over the top of it, because that can knock the wad into the VE solution.
Also, you may want to prewet the floss, or squeeze it a few times once the water is added to get the air out of it faster than letting the bubbles surface themselves.


Within a couple hours, you will be able to start collecting.
I use a ridged airline connected to a flexible one, and siphon it out, using gravity.
This is because the small size of the rigid hose fits into the crease of the inner bottle, and the outer bottle.
The water and VEs are collected into another container, and doles out with a baster, or with the same hose thing.


And there you go.
By the way, it took all of 5-7 minutes for me to set up, and take the pics, ect.
It is fast, simple and easy.
And no need for kids to have explain the long necked beer bottle, (cause any 1 liter bottle will do).
And if the floss falls into it, you just put in another piece, you'll get the fallen one when you're finished.
Also, you hardly ever collect ALL the VEs, but you seriously deplete them.
If you pour the used solution into another bottle, after you do each batch, when the first bottle is finished, you can add about a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to the bottle where you have been pouring the used solution, put a cap on it lightly (if you squeeze it, air will come out), and leave it alone.
It will usually regenerate after about a month or so.
One bottle is good for one spawn, for 3 days..
Oh, and the first time you take the water out, you can usually add more water to it, and get more VEs from the same collection.
I am usually emptying, and refilling the same collection through out the day.
But after a day, you've exhausted it.
Once a bottle has been used up, it is time to start on bbs, unless I see that not all of them can eat them, in which case, I break out another bottle.
I have about 10 1 litre bottles going at any time.

Cool VE collection set-up!

I haven't had a problem keeping the water clean, but a little goes a long way with Golden Pearls. I think what I purchased from Ken's Fish will last me for a loonnng time. I am also pretty religious about removing debris and doing small water change every couple days in the spawning tank. I use a larger set-up with sponge filter set on low- it is almost a 14 gallon clear container that gives me a couple extra gallons to work with than a standard 10g or smaller.

Thanks!

Lauren

Thanks, it is fast, easy, and effiecent.
That is why I like it.
I forgot to mention, you can also set up a slow gravity feed on the collected VEs, so that they drip into the tank throughout the whole day.
I have golden pearls, but I have never gotten new fry to eat them.

Great how to! The water you add into in does it ahve to be de-chlorinated?

It doesn't HAVE to be, simply because the amount added to the tank is negiable, but I usually do use declored water.
Also, if you let it sit overnight for a maximun collection, the chlorine that is in the water will disapate, but most city water has chloranines in it.
It is IMO, a judgement choice.
Oh, and the set up that I just did for the pics..
It's ready to be collected, and has been for the last hour or so.. those boogers move fast.

Hey, Thanks! Wow. This is so much better than the coffee filter or strings hanging in the VE solution! The drip idea is neat too. :D