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Ivory montezumae update pics

  • Thread starter Nflytrap
  • Start date
As the male got more bold, I decided to try my hand at more pics. The lighting doesn't look like how it does in real life at all though. I would love to catch one of him in full display, but he moves like quicksilver when courting that female(who seems quite disgusted at it all). Not to mention the terrain he is in makes things harder...branches and all.


Ivorymont.jpg



bank.jpg

A very tight turn...
smile.gif


mon.jpg

He apparently used up all his fire before I managed to quickly focus and take one of him. Too bad I was in a hurry!

d900f2af.jpg


9a607df0.jpg


darkness.jpg

Experimenting with the exposure.

monty2.jpg


showoff.jpg

A branch cuts through what would have been a perfect shot!

Hope you like them!
 
Very nice pics! The female looks a little rounded. Well fed or early on pregnancy?
 
Hi Nflytrap,

The fish look great! Things will really get wild as the young males sex out. Let me know what sex ratio you get as I am afraid this population throws more males than females. Do you have a pond? If you do and it has water circulation you might want to put a pair outside if you get a good sex ratio from the young ones. They will be huge and gorgeous by Sept-Oct.

I have your food cultures started. I should be able to send this week.

I may have a killifish for your tank if you are interested. I have about 40 Fundulopanchax fallax fry growing up. Look under this species of the <killifish of west africa> site to see how gorgeous they are. They get to 5 inches and are quite impressive. They might eat most of the swordtail fry or moght not -- it's hard to tell with killies. They had their own fry growing up with them in the breeding tank. Killies can have bad sex ratios so I will have to wait a month or 2 to see how they sex out. If you like and I have extras you are welcome to a pair. They'd be real show stoppers. I am not sure if I will have both the orange and yellow forms as I have both but bred them as a colony so have no idea which fry are which. They are almost an inch long and 3 weeks old now.

The box arrived. Thanks!

Bobby
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (biggun110 @ May 08 2004,7:57)]Hi Nflytrap,

   The fish look great! Things will really get wild as the young males sex out. Let me know what sex ratio you get as I am afraid this population throws more males than females. Do you have a pond? If you do and it has water circulation you might want to put a pair outside if you get a good sex ratio from the young ones. They will be huge and gorgeous by Sept-Oct.

  I have your food cultures started. I should be able to send this week.

  I may have a killifish for your tank if you are interested. I have about 40 Fundulopanchax fallax fry growing up. Look under this species of the <killifish of west africa> site to see how gorgeous they are. They get to 5 inches and are quite impressive. They might eat most of the swordtail fry or moght not -- it's hard to tell with killies. They had their own fry growing up with them in the breeding tank. Killies can have bad sex ratios so I will have to wait a month or 2 to see how they sex out. If you like and I have extras you are welcome to a pair. They'd be real show stoppers. I am not sure if I will have both the orange and yellow forms as I have both but bred them as a colony so have no idea which fry are which. They are almost an inch long and 3 weeks old now.

   The box arrived. Thanks!

Bobby
would you be willing to sell a pair or two of those killifish? would you be able to ship em?
 
Biggun: Are the orange and yellow forms a variation? Whatever they are, the pics look gorgeous! I'd be willing to wait and find out!


As far as the montys go, yes, I have 2 ponds, but they don't have very good circulation. My dad wants to buy a bigger filter for one of them(the big one) so perhaps they will end up in there. Catching them will be one difficult job though! The small pond has no filter, and usually ends up raising whatever fry I hatch that summer. It did a wonderful job raising A. lineatus juvies at record rate last year. I think they wer saleable size in less than 2 months! The ones inside lagged by half a body length, despite good feedings, so I put them outside and got repeated success. Must be all those dpahnia, cyclops, and whatnot that are busy brewing in there right now...
 
Hi Spec and Nflytrap,

Spec, I'd be happy to send you a pair for shipping cost -- priority mail with the water for a pair would be around $15. All you'd need to do is return my box as shipping boxes are kind of expensive. I won't know for at least a month maybe 2 how they sex out. Like a said, killies can have real lopsided sex ratio and you can end up with like 2 of one sex and all the rest the other sex. Sometimes its nearly 50/50, so I just have to see. I have some promised to my killie friend in NY, then Nflytrap and then you (plus me for new breeders), so we'll see. I hope I get lucky and get like 15 or so pairs.

Nflytrap,
Great news on the pond. That's a winner. I should have sent you the nezzie swords for the pond as they might just make the winter out there. I bet those lineatus grew fast. Killies of all types do great over the spring summer and early fall in ponds. They get so big and colorful.

Yes, fallax are gorgeous. My yellow male has the real long tail fin and the orange males have the intense color like the pics. They are wild caught. Yes, in the wild there are yellow and orange forms depending on the location in the Camerons. Fundulopanchax species are famous for yellow, blue and orange forms for the same species.

Fallax get to 5 inches and breed in peat moss that you then store damp for 3 months and then hatch the eggs. The fry grow fast on baby bs.

A friend just hatched a big batch of Brazilian fairy shrimp -- like big 1 and 1/2 inch freshwater brine shrimp. They lay their eggs in the peat moss too and you dry them for a while and then hatch them. I can't wait to get some and try them.

I'll keep you posted on the fallax as they grow. I'll have Nothobranchius kafuensis later this summer/early fall too but Nothos do best alone in quiet still tanks.

Bobby
 
Agreed on that one!

Never heard of raising fairy shrimp. Here in CA we keep hereing of conservationists efforts to save the fairy shrimp species here...and construction people trying to plow them over and get away with it.

If I ever stick any in the pond, i'll keep you updated. That would be an easy way to end up with a whole bunch to share!

Winter temps are about 40 degrees. Paradise fish can just pull through, and mosquitofish survive just fine.
 
I've had fairy shrimp (daphina) pop up in the water meter in my yard lol
 
  • #10
Hi Spec and Nflytrap,

Spec, where did you find Ariel's picture of the fallax? Ariel Is a good friend of mine. We trade fish. I sent him a bunch of Gnatholebias zonatus and Gn. hoignei last year as well as some Nothobranchius symoensi and he sent me some rare Nanochromis dimidiatus -- a West African dwarf cichlid related to kribensis. He is currently translating a new german book on West African dwarf cichlids by the world's leading authority on them. It will be fantastic. Nathan on the Forums here may know Ariel as they both go to the Boston Aquariium Society. Did you see the fallax pics at the <killifish of west africa> site too?

I bet fairy shrimp are going extinct as they need those seasonal ponds that always get lost in surburbia. My friend's are from Brazil and an aquartist there raises them for food.

There is a species of paradise fish I have been trying to get for 2 years that would live year round in your pond. It is Mac. ocellatus (chinensis). It comes from China and actually needs a cold period to do well year after year. It is a gorgeous fish and less aggressive than regular paradise fish. It has a round tail and in breeding colors the male is half black and half orange. Some Europeans raise them year round outside. I thought I had found them in Japan but the man cheated me on our trade. I sent; he did not.

Nezzies are mountain swordtails so they are pretty cold tolerant.

Bobby
 
  • #11
Then again, arent the monties also mountain swordtails? Maybe a bit lower, which would mean i'd have to bring them all in for the winter. Now for an excuse to get rid of a few feeder goldfish...



Are you talking about M. concolor? I've seen auctions from one guy running on Ebay. They look pretty much like dull normals in his pic though.

BTW, for the monties, have you evered given them wafers of any sort? They steal sera catfish chips from my BN pleco(s), and really enjoy them. Best of all, the female has enough time to come out and start stuffing her face(unlike with pellets, which dissapear quickly). I'm thinking Hikari sinking or algae wafers would fit this bill perfectly and allow the pair to eat at night. Im hoping they will breed soon.

Spec: Fairy shrimp and Daphnia are 2 different organisms. The same thing happened to me in my ponds.


Thanks for the info!
 
  • #12
Hi Nflytrap,

I think nezzies do come from further up the mountains than monties. I have 2 friends here who have kept them outside year round and we freeze here at night at times.

Oh, yes, the monties like wafers. I gave them algae wafers and Marineland's chunky food. I just ordered a bunch of new foods to try: veggies flakes, earthworm flakes, krill pellets, guppy micropellets, brine shrimp flakes, low heat cooked flakes and mysis flakes. We'll see.

Concolor is the Black Paradise and it looks dull until full grown and breeding and then the males get a lovely black body with white and red edging and huge fins. They like it warm as they are from Vietnam. Ocellatus or chinensis is a cold water paradise fish species and quite unique looking. I've wanted it for 30 years.

2 of my angel pairs decided to spawn today. First for each. A pair of albinos and a pair of pearl scale marbles. My koi veils have yet to pair up. I use them to keep my livebearer fry in check now and its working. I culled monties and mollies today down to about 35 of each. Plus I put my big black sailfin molly males in with a batch of lyretail and veiltail mollies I am raising to get some hybrid vigor going in the fancies. The sailfins are wild blacks from Florida swamps crossed with wild petenensis sailfin mollies from Guatemala and are wonderful strong big colorful fish. I'm still hoping to get wild petenensis and the even bigger and prettier wild velifera sailfins from the Yucatan soon. They make domestic mollies look like feeder fish!

Bobby
 
  • #14
Okay, I used to think those two were just synonyms. M. concolor is hard enough to find! Wanting them for 30 years Man! And I thought 2 years for H. formosa and 1 year for montys was bad1(both since learning about them)...

The mollies sounds good. IMHO, I think that most fancy mollies(even with reasonably tall sails) are ugly. The wild ones are a different story though. As a matter a fact, non aquarists seem to think the same way. In one tank of young albino lyretail mollies, I spotted a wildtype lyretail male. I pointed the tank out to my dad. He didn't see it and told me that"Those fish are pretty bland looking." I then point out it and 2 large WT males in a tank next to it out him him...which he liked much better. So much for albinos. Even though I've enver owned mollies, I really like the looks of wild P. latipanna. Never seen the other 2 species you're talking about. I hear tell that if you cross Gulf Coast P. latipanna to Florida ones, they show hybrid vigour. In your interests of improving fancy mollies, it would be interesting to make such a cross and then cross the results into a fancy strain.

If you ever get ahold of Velifera, keep thme pure and Im sure you will have a long waiting list. I swear whenever the talk of wild mollies comes up someone mentions Velifera. Its the same as concolor(and to some extent montezumae, though these Wt livebearers don't seem to be discussed amuch on normal fish forums compared to, say, goodeids or Endlers). I guess I could say they are aquarium hobby legends which most hobbyists know only my the name, and a picture.

When you try the new foods with the monties...let me know what they think!

Thanks!
 
  • #15
Hi Nflytrap,

Tell people to ask their lfs to order from 5D fish farm in Florida. They raise nice black paradise (concolor) and have for 20 years. Dolphin imports them too from the Far East. Ocellatus (chinensis) disappeared from the USA hobby after China went to the Commies in 1949 plus people didn't realize they needed a cold period to do well. The Europeans got it again in the 80's. I bet it is here somewhere but I can't find it. I just got another fish I wanted for 30 years -- Malpuluta kretseri, a tiny gourami from Sri Lanka. I just hope I can breed it. It's difficult.

I had wild velifera in the 1970's. They are gorgeous. The body of the male is all blue scales with the huge cup shaped dorsal and the red and blue tail. They are stunning when showing off. I also had petenensis in the 70's. The male has a long low sailfin dorsal and a tiny black sword on the caudal. Latipinna is native all over my area and I crossed the veil and lyretails with a wild male latipinna so most of the fry are green, black spotted and almost black. They are going to be nice fish already but I am betting the wild cross males from Florida will further improve them even more.

Most domestic sailfins are now based on velifera and not latipinna as they were from the 1920's-1970's. The Far East started using velifera in the 70's with the Gold Sailfins (albino velifera maybe crossed to albino latipinna) and now most mollies are velifera based but impure. Velifera is a hardier fish than latipinna and has a naturally bigger sailfin.

I will keep the velifera pure as I love wild mollies. I have 2 friends who want it too, as well as petenensis. Mollies are hard to keep. They require big tanks -- like cichlids -- with big 80% water changes 1-2 times a week and tons of food as they are pigs. To get the big size males and big sails you have to pamper the fish. In old water mollies get sick -- white bacteria and shimmies. They need at least 2 big meals a day -- 4-6 are better. They do not need salt but need great strong filtration. They need veggies but they also need protein too. With all livebearers, you need to cull out the early developing males so they won't breed. The best and biggest males develop slowly. Best to isolate females too so you can breed a virgin female to a big late developing male. Mollies are strong, active, exciting fish to keep. I don't know why they are so ignored in the livebearer hobby.

The veil mollies I have are nothing compared to the old strain that existed from 1965-1990. They looked like male delta tail guppies only huge. All the fins were extended like on veil angels. The tails could be 4 inches wide and 4 inches long and the bodies were big enough to support them. Today's veils are a new mutation from the Far East and only the tail is enlarged -- more like a veil tail guppy. Plus the male has a long deformed gonopodium like in lyretail swords -- unlike the old strain -- so you can only breed females to regular males. It's sad that people let the old strain go but they did.

Bobby
 
  • #17
80% twice weekly sounds like almost like an overkill...I've never heard of anyone changing that much besides, perhaps, discus fananatics changing over 100% every day. I'm a low tech kid...no python...just yogurt tub and good ol bucket. Dependign on how much time I have...I usually change one or two bucketfulls(thats 3-6 gallons) every day or every other day on this tank. The het tank gets about once a week a bucket.

It is an excuse to do curlups using the water though! LOl



Have you seen Marlins own Liberty molly auctions? The little male in his pic is pretty attractive. He's also offering the offspring of an ALA convention Best of the Show monty.


BTw, I've emailed(or tried, at least) to email him regarding location info of the ivorys(which he states were collected under some waterfall). He, if anyone, would know the name of this waterfall.
 
  • #18
Hi,

Oh, I'm low tech too. I drain 25 tanks with a hose out the back door and refill with ce-chlored tap or rainwater. IT'S RAINING ALL WEEK HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most tanks get once a week but mollies need more. How they survive in the wild is beyond me as they often live in filth but in tanks they need clean and food -- pigs!

I missed the Liberty Molly auction. Liberties are mean, mean, mean and fast, fast, fast. Poecilia orri is a nice one though. BIG.

The fallax fry are getting big fast. Some are nearing 2 inches at a month of age and starting to spar. They all look like strong fish. There is a great pic of the orange fallax on aquabid right now from a friend. I believe it is CI98 population. Mine are Fifinda 2003 but its the same fish.

The new guppy pellets from HBH foods came and they are a hit! The veggies flakes look great -- light green color and made from veggies not just algae. The earthworm flakes look good too. I got a sample of soft krill pellets too. This is from Kensfish or kensfood on line. Very good service and rep.

My worm bedding came but they forgot to sedn the worm food. I have to get the red wigglers started -- cheap and highly nutritious. Good breeding conditioning food when frozen and chopped fine.

Bobby
 
  • #19
Fifinda 2003....does that mean they were collected oone year ago?

Here in Fresno...I'd love to have lots of rain to collect rainwater. Of course, that never happens, and the water would probably be polluted...though.



Are red wigglers the small reddish, purplish, yellowish worms with black rings that fishermen use?


  As for the killies, you must be feeding them something really good. How long do these guys live in the wild anyway? Only one month and already almost half the potential size.

Shouldn't they start sexing out soon, esp with all the sparring going on? I've noticed with A. lineatus that the young males can be quickly picked out at about 3/4-1 inch in that they begin to spar with each other(not to mention the orange bar across the bottom of the anal fin).

Aquariaman's pic and most of the other's of F. fallax look awesome! Orange or yellow, with blue flecks and dark blue bordered fins is life colors, right?
 

BTw, I think the monties are starting to sex out. There is no escaping now that the point on the bottom of the fin is a mini sword. The pigment hasn't come in yet, though. The anal fins are forming into gonopodiums too. It looks as if I have at most 4 females...assuming the other two small ones turn into females.

Also, I think the female you sent gave birth without my notice. She probably got rid of a few babies due to stress perhaps. I think there are at least three little gray colored fry swimming around. I offered the adults San Franscisco Bay Brand baby brine shrimp...they loved it. Not to mention the lil ones got to pick at the leftovers. They look so cute with those little plump bellies.

Also, have you tried hard boiled egg yolk? With normal swordtail juvies...this was an instant hit. They'd follow it around biting it as if it were a wriggling worm or something. The monties arent as enthusiastic, but it did stir up a bit of action. The babies hung on the outskirts and grab the particles that came to them.


As far as the adults go...things will be pretty rowdy with the guys outnumbering the girls!
 
  • #20
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Nflytrap @ May 14 2004,9:55)]Hi Nflytrap,

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Fifinda 2003....does that mean they were collected oone year ago?

Yes, they were collected last August. They are beginning to sex out and it looks pretty good, maybe a bit male heavy. It looks like most will be yellows as the yellow male was the dominant breeder. I like the orange color but the yellows have the biggest fins and body size for some reason. Cannot wait to see what the 15 or so younger ones that just hatched in the parents' tank turn out to be. Since some fry are water incubating on their own instead of peat storage I am just letting that happen. You get more with peat though. I need to wet some more fallax peat btw.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Here in Fresno...I'd love to have lots of rain to collect rainwater. Of course, that never happens, and the water would probably be polluted...though.

Let it rain for 15-30 minutes and then collect. I have an old roof -- 30 years -- so it runs off crystal clear. Hope it rains!


[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Are red wigglers the small reddish, purplish, yellowish worms with black rings that fishermen use?

Yes, only get like 2-3 inches. They are a great fish food, chooped live or frozen and chopped. Earthworms are considered the best all around food once you train fish to eat them. They really make for growth and good breeding.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
  As for the killies, you must be feeding them something really good. How long do these guys live in the wild anyway? Only one month and already almost half the potential size.

Oh, fallax if you don't overfeed and push to really breed alot and keep around 72-75F would live 2-3 years. They are semi annual which is why their eggs incubate in damp peat or water just fine. Not all their water holes dry up each year. There are many locations of fallax all over the Cameroons

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Shouldn't they start sexing out soon, esp with all the sparring going on? I've noticed with A. lineatus that the young males can be quickly picked out at about 3/4-1 inch in that they begin to spar with each other(not to mention the orange bar across the bottom of the anal fin).

Yes, sexing out. Should be good to go in a month, maybe 3 weeks. They are barely a month old.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Aquariaman's pic and most of the other's of F. fallax look awesome! Orange or yellow, with blue flecks and dark blue bordered fins is life colors, right?

Yes, those pictures are very true. The pectoral fins on the male have black borders which are impressive. The females are handsome but plain brownish tan. The spotting on the body is very cool as they are so big.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
BTw, I think the monties are starting to sex out. There is no escaping now that the point on the bottom of the fin is a mini sword. The pigment hasn't come in yet, though. The anal fins are forming into gonopodiums too. It looks as if I have at most 4 females...assuming the other two small ones turn into females.

4 females would be great. Keep me posted as I want you to have enough girls as these throw more boys. The black will fill as they age. It keeps increasing as does the sword and dorsal size and pattern. Look for the late developing largest males with long straight swords and big round dorsals.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Also, I think the female you sent gave birth without my notice. She probably got rid of a few babies due to stress perhaps. I think there are at least three little gray colored fry swimming around. I offered the adults San Franscisco Bay Brand baby brine shrimp...they loved it. Not to mention the lil ones got to pick at the leftovers. They look so cute with those little plump bellies.

You should see how they eat the live baby brine! The small fry need it for best development. Next batch she should give you 30 or so fry. Then you'll be on your way. The fry will eat many foods but baby brine makes them grow the fastest, largest and with best color. I got to get you those microworms. I will shoot for this Sat. to mail with grindals. I've just been busy.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Also, have you tried hard boiled egg yolk? With normal swordtail juvies...this was an instant hit. They'd follow it around biting it as if it were a wriggling worm or something. The monties arent as enthusiastic, but it did stir up a bit of action. The babies hung on the outskirts and grab the particles that came to them.

Oh, yes, egg yoke is an old food for fry just not too much as it causes an infusoria bloom. If yo can collect mosquito egg rafts and put those in the tank the fry love the tiny newly hatched mossie larvae. Sifted dapnia are great too. Babies are so cute when they get fat. Killie babies are fun as they are little reptors in attacking live food.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
As far as the adults go...things will be pretty rowdy with the guys outnumbering the girls!

Yes, once you know you'll want to even it out some. Monties are not hard drivers on the females but the males should be equal in number or less than the girls. I keep 5 pairs together now. I put my extra males with 2 big montezumae x brick red helleri females I have. It's a 4th generation cross that has been seemingly sterile in this generation. I tried their brothers, helleri hi fin males and now pure monty males. Nothing. They seem to get gravid but no fry. It's a shame as they are huge fish (6 inches) with a light orange color overall with the monty body patterning (no black spots as a reg. monty was used in the cross) and the long long straight sword. We shall see what happens.

Bobby
Hi Nflytrap,

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Fifinda 2003....does that mean they were collected oone year ago?

Yes, they were collected last August. They are beginning to sex out and it looks pretty good, maybe a bit male heavy. It looks like most will be yellows as the yellow male was the dominant breeder. I like the orange color but the yellows have the biggest fins and body size for some reason. Cannot wait to see what the 15 or so younger ones that just hatched in the parents' tank turn out to be. Since some fry are water incubating on their own instead of peat storage I am just letting that happen. You get more with peat though. I need to wet some more fallax peat btw.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Here in Fresno...I'd love to have lots of rain to collect rainwater. Of course, that never happens, and the water would probably be polluted...though.

Let it rain for 15-30 minutes and then collect. I have an old roof -- 30 years -- so it runs off crystal clear. Hope it rains!


[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Are red wigglers the small reddish, purplish, yellowish worms with black rings that fishermen use?

Yes, only get like 2-3 inches. They are a great fish food, chooped live or frozen and chopped. Earthworms are considered the best all around food once you train fish to eat them. They really make for growth and good breeding.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
As for the killies, you must be feeding them something really good. How long do these guys live in the wild anyway? Only one month and already almost half the potential size.

Oh, fallax if you don't overfeed and push to really breed alot and keep around 72-75F would live 2-3 years. They are semi annual which is why their eggs incubate in damp peat or water just fine. Not all their water holes dry up each year. There are many locations of fallax all over the Cameroons

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Shouldn't they start sexing out soon, esp with all the sparring going on? I've noticed with A. lineatus that the young males can be quickly picked out at about 3/4-1 inch in that they begin to spar with each other(not to mention the orange bar across the bottom of the anal fin).

Yes, sexing out. Should be good to go in a month, maybe 3 weeks. They are barely a month old.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Aquariaman's pic and most of the other's of F. fallax look awesome! Orange or yellow, with blue flecks and dark blue bordered fins is life colors, right?

Yes, those pictures are very true. The pectoral fins on the male have black borders which are impressive. The females are handsome but plain brownish tan. The spotting on the body is very cool as they are so big.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
BTw, I think the monties are starting to sex out. There is no escaping now that the point on the bottom of the fin is a mini sword. The pigment hasn't come in yet, though. The anal fins are forming into gonopodiums too. It looks as if I have at most 4 females...assuming the other two small ones turn into females.

4 females would be great. Keep me posted as I want you to have enough girls as these throw more boys. The black will fill as they age. It keeps increasing as does the sword and dorsal size and pattern. Look for the late developing largest males with long straight swords and big round dorsals.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Also, I think the female you sent gave birth without my notice. She probably got rid of a few babies due to stress perhaps. I think there are at least three little gray colored fry swimming around. I offered the adults San Franscisco Bay Brand baby brine shrimp...they loved it. Not to mention the lil ones got to pick at the leftovers. They look so cute with those little plump bellies.

You should see how they eat the live baby brine! The small fry need it for best development. Next batch she should give you 30 or so fry. Then you'll be on your way. The fry will eat many foods but baby brine makes them grow the fastest, largest and with best color. I got to get you those microworms. I will shoot for this Sat. to mail with grindals. I've just been busy.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
Also, have you tried hard boiled egg yolk? With normal swordtail juvies...this was an instant hit. They'd follow it around biting it as if it were a wriggling worm or something. The monties arent as enthusiastic, but it did stir up a bit of action. The babies hung on the outskirts and grab the particles that came to them.

Oh, yes, egg yoke is an old food for fry just not too much as it causes an infusoria bloom. If yo can collect mosquito egg rafts and put those in the tank the fry love the tiny newly hatched mossie larvae. Sifted dapnia are great too. Babies are so cute when they get fat. Killie babies are fun as they are little reptors in attacking live food.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]
As far as the adults go...things will be pretty rowdy with the guys outnumbering the girls!

Yes, once you know you'll want to even it out some. Monties are not hard drivers on the females but the males should be equal in number or less than the girls. I keep 5 pairs together now. I put my extra males with 2 big montezumae x brick red helleri females I have. It's a 4th generation cross that has been seemingly sterile in this generation. I tried their brothers, helleri hi fin males and now pure monty males. Nothing. They seem to get gravid but no fry. It's a shame as they are huge fish (6 inches) with a light orange color overall with the monty body patterning (no black spots as a reg. monty was used in the cross) and the long long straight sword. We shall see what happens.

Bobby
 
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