Been a spell since I've udpated this. My apologies. I've kind of been letting things run their course so far through the start of the winter season.

The Vittatus tank has gotten severely overgrown. I started a massive trim on it yesterday. The TDS got pretty high as well. I have removed the HUGE Subwassertang wall and did a small vac of that half of the tank. Had to give it a good shaking out to make sure none of the Oto fry guys were in there. Hopefully they all left. I have submerged in a bowl of water just in case. I'll give the wall a good trimming and get it back in place today. Next will be a thinning of the Crypt jungle. The Bacopa has as well went crazy. There are shoots all over every stem. Almost like this tank went on steroids or something. The funny thing is, I have dosed ferts or refreshed the CO2 in the tank during this run. Quite interesting.

As for the fry, looks to be around (20) or so that may have made it. Hard to get a good count at the moment. A few are big enough to move over to the holding tank now.

I'll get the tank pieced back together and get it back on it's normal routine. It was good to see what would happen by just doing top offs on it.

The Macrosphilus still haven't got their act together. I did a trim on thier tank and put some more plants in there for them. Guys still being distracted with each other. Have not split them up yet even though I keep telling myself I need to. I'm trying to be as patient as possible with them. I'm pretty sure the ladies are losing patience.

One major goal that I would like to see accomplished this year is to find both O. Flexilis and Mimulus. Of course a Cocama spawn is still on the list, but I have no control on that one.

The great wall of Sub has crumbled. Wow was there a ton of it! That side of the tank looks so bare now. All the babes are extremely active after the work done. Zipping all over the place. It's really neat to watch as there are all different sizes of wee ones. I'll give it a couple of days and then I'll do the other half of the tank; the crypt jungle. I noticed one mother crypt has a double spathe under water. Pretty kewl I must say.

Revamp of tank is now complete. Just have to let the dust settle and let things take their course. CO2 recharged and in place. She's a bare tank now. Looks that way at least. I'll snap a new tank shot tomorrow.

Wee ones seem unphased by all the commotion that was going on around them. A few of them even landed on my hand as I was replanting.

Well I got a nice little surprise today. Got home and checked on things and look what we found:





And even one on the glass:


I didn't originally notice them. I went to check on the tank and noticed that the MM that I had "attempted" to plant was gone. When I got to looking around, that's when I found the first eggs.

It's good to see that all the hacking that I did to this tank had no effect. I was going to replant the MM and adust the airstone back but if the spawn is ongoing, I don't want to interupt it any more than I already did.

Here is the tank after the hack. Notice the wall of Subwassertang is soooooo small now.

Hatching as expected occured yesterday. Wiggle waggles all over the place. Here's a couple shots:



Something about this one I really like.

Another one to not get my hopes up, but I went down to go on the great snail hunt and I walked in on spawn activity from the Macrosphilus. We've been down this road before but I took a break from the hunt to give them their space. Let's see if the boys can get their act together. We'll see where it leads. {crosses fingers}

Really excellent James! I love your Breeding project journals, and the pictures. Also, the baby Otos are just so freaking cute! I love the pictures of them by the shrimp on the zucchini in the first few pages. =)

All looking good with the Vittatus. Looks to be about another (20) or fry guys so far. This group is grazing like little piggies. The other Juvies continue to do well. There isn't alot of cover in the tank since the big trim so it's dog-eat-dog when it comes to finding a leaf to sit on. They are encroaching on the adults area. Will be moving them soon to a holding tank to finish growing out.

I think I'm going to change tanks around. Since I can't seem to find Flexilis or Mimulus ....... yet, I think I'll move the juvies over there where there is a ton to munch on.

As for the Macro's, no dice...again.

Vittatus tank is way overcrowded at the moment. Counted (33) young fry guys yesterday. Survivor rates are going up. That's a great sign. All of them except for (6) where on two slices of zucchini. I need to get the older juvies out. Hopefully be able to work on that today some. All in all, there are somewhere around (60) Otos in this tank! The older ones are just about ready to find new homes. Will be doing a water change in the tank today.

Going to try and do some scaping in the Macrosphilus tank. See if I can change things around just a bit to see if it will help. I'm doing everything I can not to seperate the boys but I just don't feel that's going to be possible.

Started moving some of the older juvies out last night into the new holding tank. I think they are in hog heaven with all the diatoms in the new tank. I just moved over one small batch to see how they were going to do. As of this morning, all were just fine when the lights came on. Will move over another group this evening and that should take care of the older ones.

The younger fry continue to do very well. One piece of zuc was gone yesterday and the other piece was in a black out conidition. There were that many covering it. I really should keep a camera down there for times like this. Will put in fresh pieces today.

I delayed the water change since I was catching the fry. Will do that once all the bigger juvies have been relocated.

This round of Oto rodeo is complete. All the juvies are now out of the breeding tank and in the holding tank. Some were pretty easy to get. Others were just plain stubborn. It'll be about another two weeks and they will be able to find good homes.

Prepping fresh zucchini for both tanks. Will have to recharge the CO2 as well but that will be a weekend project.

Approaching the one month mark for the latest arrivals and all is just perfect. Today I visibly counted (37) babes in the tank. Fat and happy. Zucchini's don't stand a chance. I'm going to start adding an additional slice in there just to ensure everyone partakes...I.e ... the adults.

Over in the holding tank, the babes there are doing well too. Think I will hold on to these guys til the end of the month and then find them some homes.

Babes have done wonderfully and continue to grow rapidly. Looks like I will have to start moving this batch over next week at the rate they are going. The tank is literally swarming with activity. I'm going to leave one additional male in the tank this time. Let's face it, papa Oto is a bit old now but still having fun. ;P

20% water change with mild gravel vac in all tanks. Will be recharging the CO2 today and adding fresh zucchini.

I have finally decided to split up the Macros. I've been saying it for a long time but giong to pull the trigger this time. It will probably be tomorrow when I get around to it. The ladies are just so plump and they are really trying to keep the guys' attention. Maybe with one gentleman in the tank, things will change.

Nothing new on the Cocama front. They remain active and doing well. Just no sign of a spawn. I need to tweak the scape in their tank just a bit too.

Came home to a pleasant and very unexpected surprise today. No...nothing with the Cocama's.

While checking in on the juvie Vittatus, I found a wiggler on the front glass. Closer look and I found a total of (4)! Did not expect this at all. There were no tell tale signs and the tank has been too active for a viable spawn. I never saw any eggs either. Which such a small amount of fry, this spawn had to be very small. A lead up to a bigger one in the coming days. Kewless.

Checked in on the Macros and all seem to be doing well. I need to get a few more after splitting up the boys and putting them in a different tank. Might just get a female and throw in there with them so they don't feel too left out.

i just read this entire thread..wow about 12 hours of reading with me coming and going..how do you tell the males from females..and a very good job on raising them and a great journal.

Rick

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POWER to the FISHIES

Thanks.

The females will be larger and have more rounded bellies. Especially viewable from the top. The males on the other hand are smaller and are more streamlined from head to tail.

ok thanks..i really enjoyed this thread..very inspirational..

Rick

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POWER to the FISHIES

James this great, your journal has been a life saver for me the last few days
Don't suppose I could impose on you for a bit of advice to save as many of my Oto fry as possible.

Yay! Oto babies - beginners luck

Again great thread

George

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260 litre bow front, Moderately planted
9 Neon Tetras, 5 Zebra Danio, loads of Swordtails and Endler Guppies, 1 Red Tailed Shark,
3 Chinese Hillstream Loaches+8 juves (1/2 inch), survived from eggs in tank, 6 Cherry Shrimp, 5 Bronze Corys, 4 Otocinclus Hoppie

Impose away.

I have about 20 fry in a 3 litre tub floating in my tank. I'm doing three 50% water changes each day and replacing with tank water with good stats. I've also started feeding them Liquifry and placed a good handful of gravel in the tub, which they seem to already like and staying next to - a bit suprised by that for 2/3-day old fry.
I don't have room at home to set up another tank to raise them.
As I've managed/been lucky to have 4 fry survive from eggs within the tank for a month now, so my tank conditions must be fairly good.
All I'm hoping to do is keep as many as possible alive until they are free swimming enough to release in a couple of the more secluded spots and hope they win through like the others.
I've sourced a shallow 6 litre tub and I'll tranfer to that soon.
Basically if I thought that keeping them in the tub for too long would mean certain death I would release them now and let them take their chances

Situation is not idea, but any advice would be great
Thanks

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260 litre bow front, Moderately planted
9 Neon Tetras, 5 Zebra Danio, loads of Swordtails and Endler Guppies, 1 Red Tailed Shark,
3 Chinese Hillstream Loaches+8 juves (1/2 inch), survived from eggs in tank, 6 Cherry Shrimp, 5 Bronze Corys, 4 Otocinclus Hoppie