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BETTAS by Jim Sonnier
Baby brine shrimp are visible in this photo
About 5 days after the spawning it will be necessary to add suitable food to the spawning tank several times per day. These babies must have food often and it must be appropriate for the size of their mouths. Good first food choices include Infusoria, boiled egg yolk, and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp.
Infusoria are microscopic animals that are present in most natural waters on the surface of the Earth. Ditches, ponds, and just about any standing or slow-flowing water will contain these Paramecia and their kin. These guys are already in your tanks but there are too few to adequately feed a batch of fry. They can also be found in the water around the stems in flower vases. Once you get some water containing the Infusoria you can cultivate them. Set up a gallon jar with some straw or dried grass and add the Infusorian rich water. Let the jar sit in warm air by a window that lets in plenty of sunlight. In a couple of weeks the water will become cloudy. The clouds are made up of millions of Infusorians. Use a Turkey baster to harvest them for your fry. You can also buy starter cultures of Infusoria online.
Boiled Egg Yolk is an ideal choice for the frys' first food simply because it is easy to prepare and maintain in our hurry-up society. It is also an excellent source of all the nutrients the youngsters need to be healthy and grow rapidly. Place a small piece of the yolk of a boiled egg in single layer of a handkerchief and swirl it in the water at the surface of the rearing tank. With a strong light and close-up observation you can see clouds of tiny yolk particles disperse into the water. Watch a little longer and you can see the fry eating those tiny bits of yolk. Another favorite method for feeding the yolk involves squeezing off a small piece of yolk between your thumb and fore-finger then swirling your fingertips in the water releasing the particles for the fry.
Fry with bellies full of Brine Shrimp
Freshly hatched baby Brine Shrimp are probably used most often for first food. The key words are "freshly hatched." Time your hatchery process so that the shrimp are just hatching on the fifth day after the spawning. Harvest the baby shrimp in a cloth net, rinse them in fresh water that is the same temperature as the water in the shrimp hatchery, and release them into the spawning tank. Remember to be careful not to put in so many that some will die, decompose, and pollute the fry tank. You will need 2 brine shrimp hatchers so that you can alternate and have fresh hatches daily for days 5 through 10.
On the 11th day you can safely go to the smallest sized dry food adjusting the amounts you feed as the fry increase in size. It is advisable to contine feeding the baby brine shrimp on an alternating basis, but care should be exercised as overfeeding of brine shrimp can lead to swim bladder disorders. Add other types of small foods as your spawn progresses. The more variety you have in your fry foods the more successful your spawns will be.
Summary
1. Start feeding fry 5 days after the spawning
2. Feed fry several times per day
3. Use food made up of small particles (Infusoria, boiled egg yolk, baby brine shrimp)
4. Feed a variety of foods
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This page was last updated on 12/26/06
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