TLC-Jar

By Solace (Dan M.)

NOTE: This is a thread pulled from the CAAS web forum. Find the original topic on the CAAS Forum

Well I wasn't in a hurry to make this next jar. I just bought those containers with future plans in mind. Seems my turqoise sp's saw fit to ignore my wants. Looked in the tank and saw 400-500 fry swimming around. Decided to put the cheese balls in some ziplock bags afterall.

Here's a pic of the new TLC jar. I'm not excactly sure how big it is. (Forgot to read that plastic label like a dummy.) I'm estimating 2.5-3 gallons in size. This time I propped it up near the surface so I don't have to get my hands wet while turkey basting the BBS in to them. Ok not BBS, but decapsulated eggs. After using these for a while I just don't know if I will ever use any other type of BBS. The only drawback to the decapsulated eggs is holding them in suspension till the fry consume them. I solved this problem by feeding much smaller doses more frequently. Err sorry to get off topic.

I managed to suck up 200-300 of the fry. Left the others with the parents to give them practice. Oh the water is still partially dingy because I put about half of an inch of substrate from the tank in the jar too. It's clear now, just to lazy to take new pics.

Here's mom and dad in breeding dress.

After looking at the numbers of fry swimming around in that tank I don't think I got even half of them in the jar. I can see hundreds of them around the parents still. I'm hooked on these jars guys. They really are the ticket to keeping fry safe from predation.

Wait I went off on a tangent here. The reason for my post is because these fish just make me laugh. Every time I have used the TLC jars the parent fish/s still guard them just like they would if they were free swimming. This time however things are different. The fry I moved into the jar are now being adopted. A small female HRP has taken it upon herself to take over parental duties. She now chases everyone away from the jar including the parents. They initially tried to care for the fry both in and out of the jar, but the little HRP had her own plans. It's funny because the fry school towards where she is outside the jar.