I’ve got microworms on order and cultivating micro-organisms now – probably some kind of rotifer – which make good microfood for newly hatched fry. Thanks for the reminder! I find the oak leaves generate a lot of micro-organisms as well.
After 24 hours the eggs appear viable and well glued to the side of the cave. The conductivity is at ~80µS and will be lowered still to ~50 µS or less.
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I’ve added a thin layer of small pieces of loose peat fibers and java moss to create many small hiding spaces for fry, yet maintain healthy conditions at the substrate level, not becoming too compacted or anaerobic. Dried catalpa pods, alder twigs and a layer or two of oak leaves are topped over by full strands of java moss clumps to create many more larger spaces for growing fry to hide. (I also removed the bamboo tubes as they were becoming fungused and creating some anaerobic spaces). Let’s see if this experimental system, along with the micro foods, works to help fry to grow up in the tank.
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