I was wondering

[Baccus]

I had been wondering why my spotted blue eyes had not been producing any more fry for a while. So the other week I had a tidy up in their tank, trimmed plants and just did some general rearranging.

Being the slacker that I am I left a tub of pre-aged water that I was using for water changes/ top ups in the native tank in the shed with some junk weed I was meaning to throw out. This same tub of water my dog things is his personal drink container and my water addicted cat also drinks from it and dabbles his paw in it.

Fast forward to today and I was using the said tub of nicely aged water to refill the filters as I did drops and tops on my other tanks, when low and behold I spy a fish swimming about in the tub. Turned out it was one of my adult male spotted blue eyes. For the life of me I don't know how he got into the tub, but just as well he did. Because on closer inspection I discovered tiny little spotted blue eye fry had hatched in the tub. I have tried to transfer some of the fry back into the native tank, but the rest I have simply transferred to a smaller clear sided tub and put a sign on it telling my hubby "DO NOT EMPTY FISH FRY".

He hates me leaving tubs of water about the place but in this case it was just as well, and on other occasions I have ended up with native shrimp fry in the tubs of water too.

[K9932]

Haha lucky you spotted them!!

Gorgeous little things :P

[jayc]

Funny how all fish fry start out looking the same.

[smicko]

Geez you keep some awesome natives baccus, well done. i have pacific blue eyes and crimson rainbows.

I will soon have honey blue eyes.

Cheers mick

[Baccus]

Thanks, I have seen the honey blue eyes and a couple of other types that I wouldn't mind getting but first I think I would have to get rid of either the guppies (not happening they are hubby's pride and joy) or the endlers. I like the endlers but I am starting to lean towards more fish that don't breed as soon as look at them, that way my tanks aren't bursting at the seams with a never ending supply of fry that in turn produce their own fry in a matter of weeks.

[smicko]

I know some people that are in fish clubs are applying to have the red finned blue eyes allowed to bred in aquariums as a backup to their ever dwindling population.

If that happens they will get a dedicated 4ft.in my house.

Cheers mick

[Baccus]

It makes perfect sense to me to allow endangered species to be kept (even if it is under licence or a permit system) by private individuals, that way you can keep and maintain higher/ greater numbers of genetic diversity as opposed to a what a couple of public aquariums are able to keep and breed.

Many species are considered extinct in the wild but still kept in captivity, and for me that means the greatest hope of one day being able to reintroduce the captive bred offspring back into their natural wild habitats.

[smicko]

I think they are trying to get the same system as the honeys, you can breed them and give them away but are not allowed to be bought or sold.

Cheers mick

[OzShrimp]

got lucky findin them lol

[Baccus]

Luckily I seem to be able to spot fry at 100 paces, which is just as well considering these guys are so tiny. At last count I found 7 that are still in the clear tub (or have hatched since being transferred), what makes these guys even luckier to be seen the tub they where in is a large black tub which was on the floor in a not so brightly lit car shed. I just hope I didn't put any into the HOB filters I was using the water to refill after tipping them out to get rid of all the gunk in the bottom.

At least if all these fry survive it will boost my school size up closer to 20 individuals which should make them much braver.

[Squiggle]

Awesome find Baccus, definitely a close call! I have honey blue eyes & they are amazing, they were given to me by a mate & he always has heaps at the end of summer, I'll see if he still has some next time I talk to him if you want. :encouragement:

[Baccus]

That would be great, thanks Squiggle. I think I could squeeze another type of blue eye into my tanks, either with the threadfins and pygmy rainbows or with the finke river gobies who seem very well behaved towards other fish.

[Baccus]

I saved another 6 fry out of the tub this morning and added them to the adults tank, bringing the rescued number of fry up to 9, if all the fry survive that will bring my school of spotted blue eyes up to 18 or so.

There was some really small fry in the tub and I am thinking some later eggs are still hatching in it, but hopefully by Friday I will be certain there is no more fry and I can finally tip the water out.