|
|
|
|
Spawn #7: Extended Red STM (From Straits) X Extended Red STF (From Straits)
Click here for the Spawn Snap-Shots.
Spawn Description: In this Red spawn, I am using the very sort-after Extended Red line that is developed by the Straits Aquarium. This particular Red line has won many awards in competitions held both regionally and globally. I am very fortunate to be able to get hold of a pair from the breeder himself and have been trying to spawn them since.
- Extended Red STM: >170 degree with tertiary splits - Extended Red STF: >120 degree
This is not my first attempt to spawn the pair. In fact, this is the 3rd time. The first 2 attempts were all abandoned due to the female being too aggressive. (PS: This has always been a problem for Red females) It took both the fish to recover from the ordeal and ready again for their third attempt.
The pair was put to work on Saturday night (04 May 2002) and by 05 May 2002 afternoon at 2:30pm, they were spawning and always ready to perform the spawning ritual.
The Red female being huge was very fertile and the batch of eggs produced is really large. So I am estimating a spawn no lesser than 300 fries if all things go well.
From the snap-shots, you will be able to see that the finnage are badly bitten. These are the injuries that are either from the current attempt or from their previous spawning activities. You may think that it is a pity, but I think it is all worth it. I hope that they will let me have a good spawn of Reds with good finnage ... just like themselves.
Spawning Starts: 04/05/2002 Free Swimming: 09/05/2002 Remove Male: 10/05/2002 Results: > 300 Fries
Spawn Observations: 05 May 2002: - Eggs were laid. - initial estimate of more than 300 eggs laid.
07 May 2002: - Eggs hatched and bubble nest thinning. - Male have to cope with fries from Spawn #7 as well. - Spawn size undetermined due to combine spawn.
08 May 2002: - Fries about to free-swim with tails sticking out from bubble nest. - Combined spawn size possibly exceeding 500 fries. - Male working well to maintain the 2 spawns. Way to go man!!!
13 May 2002: (Mortality: 0%) - Fries feeding well on daphnia-only diet. - > 400 fries. - Size: 5mm
17 May 2002: (Mortality 0%) - Size: 7mm
07 June 2002: (Mortality 20%) - Size: 10mm - Fries have higher mortality rate due to over-crowding and thus bad water condition. - > 300 fries
24 June 2002: (Mortality 90%) - Size: 20mm - Extremely high mortality due to stress caused by transfer from in-door to out-door tank when the fries were at their weakest. - about 30 fries left but display good finnage - Another spawn with the same parents underway.
08 July 2002: (Mortality 0%) - Size: 30mm - The remaining fries are surviving well with most of them growing to reasonable size. - Good color and good finnage. At this point, the fries have developed well on the body size and with jarring, hope the finnage will now grow and improve along the way. - All fries are extended red and full colored. - Jarred 2 individuals that are potential S-Deltas.
30 July 2002: (Mortality Rate: 0%) - Size: 30mm to 35mm - All grew up with at least secondary splits with gives 4 rays. - 10 fries in total. 5 Male, 5 Female.
Conclusion (30 July) The much anticipated spawn kind of failed because only 10 miserable fries were derived from the exceptionally large spawn of almost a thousand fries. Which works out to be only 1%!!!
The remaining fries are all large and healthy and pure ST Extended Red. This proves that the line is very pure and stable.
The males fries have some that are super-delta but no where close to a half-moon. Most male fries also spot a clear outer rim on all the finnage which needs to be eliminated.
The fries when reach a spawn-able size will probably try to do some line-breeding to continue this exceptionally beautiful red line from Straits. But if work is to be done to improve on the finnage, out-cross is required.
Maybe they can be out-cross with the Half-moon Cambodia females that I have which probably contains the Leng Lim X Peter Goettner X Jack Lewin (Courtesy of Nicole).
|
