I have been unable to get on this website for 2-3 weeks, even with Koko trying to help me, so sorry about the lack of my boring updates!

I started out with about 100 eggs on 5/19/07, 70 hatched, and I am now down to 7 fry. Which is ok with me since I don't have room for a zillion fish anyway, and this was my first time with fry. I don't think my parent fish are good genetic matches though because a LOT of the fish were deformed. Many of them would get to a certain size and then it was sort of like their gills started to come out and separate their heads from their bodies, and then they'd die. Really gross. Others were "spinners". The parenst were two white females, a comet and a common, and two red males, a comet and a common. Not sure which one or ones contrbibuted.

Right now, of the 7, I have two that are HUGE and seem pretty healthy. My best one still has a bit of an eye issue, but looks pretty goof otherwise. The other big one has a bit of deformity on his tail fins, but swims fine. My third big one has definite issues, I think he is missing at least one pectoral fin, so he has trouble swimming. But he is eating well as does not seem to suffer, so I will see what happens. Then I have four little ones, one who still looks like the fry at age 3 weeks, with the two black dots and a tail. And these fry are 2 1/2 months old! The other three little ones are tiny too, but much better developed. We shall see what happnes with them. As long as they don't suffer, I am good to keep them, although I am quite sure the little ones are small enough to be eaten by the biggest two. Is it unusual to have such a difference in size?

So, what you really want to see are the pics! A little better than normal since they were NOT taken with my cell phone, but I am still getting used to this camera:

The two biggest ones


Two big guys again (they're easier to take pics of)


A big one and two little ones next to each other


All of them!


All of them with help to tell where they are-in the lower left there is either an extra fish that has since passed on or that is a reflection. The things in the upper right are just bubbles from the filter.

oh they're ssssooooo cute what kind are they?

There were two possible moms and two possible dads, the dads are both red and one is a common and one a comet, and the moms are both white and one is a common and one a comet.

Here is a (very blurry) picture of them:

Cute little guys, I wish you good luck with them!

They are so adorable!! You might want to think about seperating those 2 biggies from the smaller ones or the small ones might be dinner! Also gives the smaller ones a chance at more food.

Yeah, I have been worried about that too. I might try a tank divider because unfortunately I don't have another tank right now. I *could* put the big ones in the 20 gallon with my telescopes but I don't want to throw off the cycle in that tank by adxding more waste, that is my *perfect* water tank, lol!

I will keep an eye out for another tank and see if I still have a tank divider that will fit. Thanks for the compliments!

Oh Jen they look fantastic ! Just found these pics. Sorry you couldn't get on -that is so annoying when it happens and we missed ya!
So how many fry are there again, or did you say already- and look I can see a little white one. So shiny

Cute babies looking forward to seeing them grow

Thanks! I did add a tank divider to keep the teeny ones safe from the big ones. Sadly, I lost one of the little ones (not from a bigger one though), so I am now down to just 6 fry. But they seem to be doing well, although 3 of them are still really tiny.

The parent fish spawned again this weekend, after a rainstorm and probably because they knew I was really busy and did not have time to do a 90% water change...which did get done of course, but I missed out on a bit of sleep! I let them eat the eggs, I am out of space and barely have enough room and filtration for the fish I have. Isn't it almost time for spawning season to be over in the US? I thought it was spring and fall, and mine have been spawning all summer. Fall is just around the corner, so lol I am scared!

I would like to try again though, many of these fry were deformed, so I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that they hatched in only 2 days? The water was not heated, so I was not trying to speedup the process. We'll see, once these fry have homes (I may keep one), maybe we'll try again!

Glad to hear that your fry are still coming along Jen. As sad as it is,the weak ones do perish on their own.
I'm not so sure about the eggs hatching in 2 days as being the culprit on the deformity factor,although it may have played a part,My thoughts would be more along the gene lines in the parents,and where they came from and how they were raised.Unless you yourself start a breeding line with good quality fish yourself,chances are we buy more "pet store quality" fish,meant only to bring in money,so their backgrounds probably aren't the best,as those places are just in it for the money.
Regardless,the babies are sweet.I know I love my own like they are worth a million. .

those are really nice fry they are sure growing.....

I will post some more pics soon. I am down to four fry now, one little one, one medium and two huge ones who obviously take after their giant parents! But now I can have a decent filter and the tank is well cyclesd, so no more daily water changes! YAY!

They are really cute and look great. Sorry you have loss some, seems like thats the way it goes with these guys. Lots of luck with the others.