Polar Blue Parrot Journal

Today I got off work, got home, checked on my fish. I fed them due to skipping yesterday,I had skipped feeding because I added a new light and trying to adjust for brightness to avoid another massive algae outbreak. I observed my polar blue female come out from my driftwood grab some flakes and return to her little hidden area. I had observed my 2 angelfish in a spot they normally don't hang out in.
It registered......I got fry or eggs.
I told the girlfriend and with her eagle eyes she spotted the eggs through small hole of the plants on the driftwood.
I'm super excited and can't wait to have fry. Ive read they make great parents due to their mix with cichlid. Just posting here as there is not much information at all on these fish and the information out there is very mixed (whats right and wrong etc). So this will just be an opinion and through experience of this process.
So far here's what I do know.
They are an interesting, intelligent fish. They have shown no signs of aggression until today when I noticed the eggs, the female just chases away the other fish, nothing extreme, just 6" and right back to the eggs. The male occasionally swaps with her so she can eat. Temperature is at 78-79. They were in a qt tank that was 72 and fine, they needed more room so they are in my 40 breeder. They do not show any signs of aggression to the other fish, 2 angels, some cherry barbs, rasbora hets. Currently they are maybe 2 inches, the male is bigger than the female. I will say max size is unknown at the moment due to googles main post stating they get 8" but owners state about 3" is max.
Ignore my algae, as its under control now and going away. Im also on a high tech tank journey and thats a monster of its own but its coming together. Anyway here's mom,dad, and the eggs.

 

Following! I need to see where this goes I hope my pair breeds

 

For an update, eggs are still there, its very difficult to get my camera to focus due to the plants but can now see little black dots in the eggs. The female has dug a large hole in front of the driftwood, im guessing that's where the babies will be kept until they are free swimming. I believe I will have fry tomorrow. The cherry barbs in the tank are all fired up chasing females, the polar blue chases anything that comes relatively close. The female mostly guards the eggs and will leave for food. The male occasionally swaps out briefly.
Will update when have fry.

 

Hatching has started as we have a few tiny wigglers in the hole. Definitely should have more by tomorrow. Just had to update as kinda keeping a timeline of all this.

 

Any updates today? And what are you gonna feed the fry?

 

Any updates today? And what are you gonna feed the fry?

More wigglers are in the hole the female dug when my lights came on at 12pm. Cichlids tend to grab flakes and spit them back out for the fry when they are old enough. My tank has algae the fry can graze on til they are old enough to take food, algae holds micro particles we can't see. Im unable to count how many are in the hole, ive seen at least 10. They are super small and clear, I can just make out the wiggle motion of them in my substrate. The hole goes 3 inches in front of drift wood, under it, and out the other side. From what I've read and seen on the web they make great parents due to them being crossed with convict cichlids, I will be unable to tell how many I really have until they are older and I can see them better. They are in a community tank. The cherry barbs have not appeared to mess with them that I can tell. The 2 angels stay away. Today is my scheduled water change, it makes me nervous because I don't want to stress them out and the female end up eating them so I'm debating that aspect but it needs to be done.

 

More wigglers are in the hole the female dug when my lights came on at 12pm. Cichlids tend to grab flakes and spit them back out for the fry when they are old enough. My tank has algae the fry can graze on til they are old enough to take food, algae holds micro particles we can't see. Im unable to count how many are in the hole, ive seen at least 10. They are super small and clear, I can just make out the wiggle motion of them in my substrate. The hole goes 3 inches in front of drift wood, under it, and out the other side. From what I've read and seen on the web they make great parents due to them being crossed with convict cichlids, I will be unable to tell how many I really have until they are older and I can see them better. They are in a community tank. The cherry barbs have not appeared to mess with them that I can tell. The 2 angels stay away. Today is my scheduled water change, it makes me nervous because I don't want to stress them out and the female end up eating them so I'm debating that aspect but it needs to be done.

I would just test the water and see if you would be ok with not doing a water change. Also do you have plans for when the fry grow up?

 

I would just test the water and see if you would be ok with not doing a water change. Also do you have plans for when the fry grow up?

I have not thought that far ahead, its possible I keep some of them, I may sell some to lfs it just depends on how many I end up with from the 1st batch. Im pretty sure this is their 1st time, I feel like the lfs(50 miles) I purchased them from got them from someone local that raised them due to their quality and all similar size. It maybe a fish that i like to breed and sell, I dont feel like many people know about them yet or have access to. So just going to feel it out I guess and go from there. If successful they would be offered to members here. Coralbandit has success with shipping fish, I still have my pair of electric blue acara I got from him 2 years ago.

 

Update: Came home after lunch and see that the fry are now free swimming. The mom is protective running off other fish. If the fry venture to far she sucks them up and moves them back to their hole.
I can only count 6 at the moment. Thats probably all there is. I did observe some eggs that were white during that phase which I assume means those were bad. I know the adults are capable of laying large numbers of eggs, hopefully what I have survives and can have some more later on. I have 2 20 longs and a 10g in storage that would make excellent breeding tanks, just no room to set them up at the moment. Will eventually get some pics when able, fry are still super small.

 

Today I noticed more free swimming fry, up to 13 now. Maybe there will be more show up tomorrow. I guess some were still in wiggler stage and ill just have to wait and see how many more there are. Im curious as to how fast they will grow. They are cool little fish so far.

 

Unfortunate update, on Saturday when the lights came on i did not see any fry, and the parents were swimming around. My guess is the cherry barbs got to them. I see that I will just have to pull the eggs for a successful hatch and that I don't forsee it happening in a community tank. Next time I will pull them and place them in a 3 gallon and go from there.

 

Unfortunate update, on Saturday when the lights came on i did not see any fry, and the parents were swimming around. My guess is the cherry barbs got to them. I see that I will just have to pull the eggs for a successful hatch and that I don't forsee it happening in a community tank. Next time I will pull them and place them in a 3 gallon and go from there.

Awwww I was really hoping they would grow up. Hopefully it works out next time

 

Well I didn't have to wait long. She laid eggs again. I will likely pull the fry when they hatch and try it that way.

 

To continue my timeline, the eggs have started to hatch around 6pm central time. The female is moving the wigglers to a hole maybe 6" from the driftwood. Its likely pending if all have hatched i will pull them tomorrow and place them in a 5g with a cycled sponge filter from another tank. Kinda nervous about it but the girlfriend has used a turkey baster on her guppy fry that appeared yesterday so it can't be to bad lol.

 

Update- i pulled the fry, there is about 12 free swimmers. I put them in a 5.5 gallon. I feel like the number of eggs to free swimmers is definitely not equal. I plan to add a type of cave(unknown type at moment). Hopefully they will lay in the cave vs the driftwood so I can just remove the eggs in the cave and hopefully have more survivors. Its likely that something is eating them at any stage because there was originally 25-30+ eggs only 3 that had the fungus/infertile that I saw. The parents do not 100% protect the eggs/fry at their young age, they may get better as time goes on.
Note: 1st time taking free swimming fry from a pair of fish. I felt a little guilty about it as the mom swam around looking for them. I did see at least 1 that I missed. Hopefully that one or couple more will make it.
If the cycle repeats itself they should lay again 13 days from the previous batch.
The fry are super tiny. I will try to get pics tomorrow or at least over the weekend. I installed a diy corner matten filter and left the tank bare bottom for now to try to start growing them out. I have 2 20 longs in storage. I hope the little guys make it.

 

Update- i pulled the fry, there is about 12 free swimmers. I put them in a 5.5 gallon. I feel like the number of eggs to free swimmers is definitely not equal. I plan to add a type of cave(unknown type at moment). Hopefully they will lay in the cave vs the driftwood so I can just remove the eggs in the cave and hopefully have more survivors. Its likely that something is eating them at any stage because there was originally 25-30+ eggs only 3 that had the fungus/infertile that I saw. The parents do not 100% protect the eggs/fry at their young age, they may get better as time goes on.
Note: 1st time taking free swimming fry from a pair of fish. I felt a little guilty about it as the mom swam around looking for them. I did see at least 1 that I missed. Hopefully that one or couple more will make it.
If the cycle repeats itself they should lay again 13 days from the previous batch.
The fry are super tiny. I will try to get pics tomorrow or at least over the weekend. I installed a diy corner matten filter and left the tank bare bottom for now to try to start growing them out. I have 2 20 longs in storage. I hope the little guys make it.

What are you feeding the fry?

 

What are you feeding the fry?

For now, crushed xtreme krill flakes. Im going to attempt to make the drive 1.5hr away to the fish stores and locate some brine shrimp eggs tomorrow or Saturday.

 

I order BBS eggs from Brine Shrimp Direct .
Store bought eggs are overpriced and usually no where near fresh .
I buy the 1 lb can of 90% hatch .
You can get 8 oz for like $30 [plus shipping ]
Kept in the fridge the eggs will last a year easy IME.
Get the sieve also for easy sorting and rinsing .
Premium Grade Brine Shrimp Eggs, 8 Ounces (227 gm.) (brineshrimpdirect.com)
SIEVE.jpg (1200×1200) (brineshrimpdirect.com)
I hatch in simple 2 liter bottles with a rigid airline and separate rigid syphon line .
No holes to drill and easy to clean .

 

Here they are, still super small, I think I counted 13, not all are in the picture. They seem to be doing well. I need to clean out the debris from where I took them from the main tank, it will likely be Sunday. Its super hard to keep it bare bottom because I love plants. I guess I have to accept that its a fry tank. I could not find brine shrimp eggs so will resort to online purchase. In the mean time I got frozen baby brine shrimp to go with the xtreme krill flakes. They did eat them without much fuss. I fed some to the guppy fry and adult guppies as well. I guess it works if in a pinch.