Lepto fry

[Bruce]

I stripped my leptosome tonight and got 5 fry They still have some eggsacs on them but are bouncing around in the fry saver. What do I feed them and when? They were stripped at 2 weeks.

Bruce

[hungsta]

Why did you strip her?

Does the other tankmates pose a threat to the fry?

Leave them until the eggsac dissappears and then feed the fry with either BBS, microworms or crushed flakes.

[Bruce]

I was told to strip at 2 weeks.

Bruce

[CThompson]

To strip or not to strip? That is the question.

You don't have to strip any fish. If you did they would be extinct!

If you don't, are the young in danger of being eaten? If so, you may be better to strip.

If you don't strip, at the end of holding, you may get less young than if you stripped at say day ten. As the baby fish get bigger they take up more room, and if the mum started with enough eggs, she may have to make way by reducing numbers. This will be a personal call (subjective) of the fish keeper.

If you strip for this reason, then you may as well do so at around day 10, when heads and tails are first showing, and tumbling will not be needed. You could wait until day 14, as there is not much difference, and will make up for any miss-counting if you get it wrong (save you stripping early and not getting heads & tails).

You can start to feed just before the egg sack is gone, from my experience, they will eat a bit by then, but keep it small and live, such as micro worms which will stay alive longer in fresh water than will BBS.

You will also be able to feed dry food (put through a pepper grinder), try NLS Grow.

Craig