# Free Swimming Phase



## suhmbodie (Oct 8, 2010)

OK I just took the male out today and all the fry are horizontal and roaming the 10 gallon tank. I added three spoonfuls of my infusoria culture and there are a bunch of live plants in the tank also. I was wondering if 3 spoonfuls of infusoria two times a day was enough. Also, when should I start feeding them BBS because I have a culture ready to get started. 

Say we are at day 1 of free swimming, At wat day should I start the BBS and how much per day? 

Thank U


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

Depending on how many there are the three spoons sound OK. You can start the BBs now. Very small amounts about three times a day.


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## Chard56 (Oct 10, 2010)

I usually introduce BBS the second day after they are free swimming and continue with the infusoria until day 10 for the slow starters. I have two quart jars that I keep for infusoria. I put some small pieces of lettuce every few days to keep it active even when not feeding to fry so I have when needed. As far as how much, You can watch to see if there are any BBS swimming around a half hour later. If there are a bunch of uneaten ones they will die and foul the water quicker and you need to cut back a little. I have several hundred fry at the moment and am going to have to add another BBS hatchery to the two I have going now. Hungry little guys that they are I'll be going though a 6 gram bottle of BSS eggs every 2 to 3 weeks.


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## suhmbodie (Oct 8, 2010)

thanks for the help. Ill keep u posted.


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## Chard56 (Oct 10, 2010)

Are there any updates on those fry?


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## suhmbodie (Oct 8, 2010)

Fry are 8 days old. They are eating BBS now and im still putting in some infusoria but holding off. Tomorrow morning i will give them a bigger load of BBS. TRying to keep a high survival rate but its getting tough. They are getting bigger, should i still be putting infusoria even tho they are eating bbs?


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## Bettawhisperer (Oct 1, 2010)

You don't need the infusoria any more. Do you have some good powder foods you can start giving them. I give my newly hatched fry vinegar eels and powder foods.


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## suhmbodie (Oct 8, 2010)

Brine shrimp eggs didnt hatch yet!!! its been 24hours. I need some substitute ideas asap. 8 day old fry. thanks


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## Chard56 (Oct 10, 2010)

Egg yolk in a really really clean spray bottle with water. Shake it really good and spray the yolk water mix in their tank. It's easy to over feed but it stays in the water column for quite some time and doesn't just fall to the bottom. I've saved many many fry from starving because of a bad batch of Brine Shrimp eggs with this method. You can feed the egg yolk 2 or 3 times a day until you get you BBS going again. You can also try finely powdered flake food. I usually wait until they are a month old before introducing prepared foods but sometimes they will take it earlier.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

I have ground up baby bites before. They were actually pretty big pellets considering what they are for so I ground them up, they did well with it (not Betta fry though, Zebra Danios)


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## suhmbodie (Oct 8, 2010)

no its okay. I came home from work to hundreds of bbs swimming around and no dead fry. The infusoria must still be working cuz they had no BBS for about 36 hours. scary. But everything is fine, lots of red bellied fry swimming around so I think I dodged a bullet. This time. 

Fry are a lot of work. It will all pay off tho. Do u know when fry start showing colors?


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