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Caring for the Fry |
The First Two Days When the eggs actually hatch, the young fry will appear motionless for two days. Don't move them. Basically they look like two small eyes attached to a piece of glass. They are very slight and do not need to be fed. They live off the yolk sac.
This is the easiest time as the hobbyist needs to do nothing for the first two days. It is important not to disturb your fry until they start moving of their own accord. Do not stir them up. They will begin moving under their own power, so do not attempt to agitate them on your own. Do as little as possible to ensure that you don't ruin this important hatching phase.
Days Three to Ten
It is important that scum does not develop on the surface of the water in the hatchery. You should have an aerator in the tank, and that should do a great deal to prevent the scum from settling on the surface. No matter, you should skim the top of the tank a couple of times. Why?
The first movement goldfish make is toward the surface. They take a gulp of air. Many experts feel that this is an attempt to fill the swim bladder. Adult goldfish will sometimes do the same. If the surface is filled with scum, the bladders in these young fry will become injured, the fish will have problems swimming properly and will become what some goldfish hobbyist's term belly sunders.
After two or three days the fry will begin to move around looking for food. They will begin doing this not by swimming toward the surface, but by swimming horizontally across the tank, back and forth. They really dart.
At this stage, some experts encourage you to turn up the heat by about 2F to 4F. It is thought that this encourages appetite and activity among the fry, which will induce them to eat.
This is the easiest time as the hobbyist needs to do nothing for the first two days. It is important not to disturb your fry until they start moving of their own accord. Do not stir them up. They will begin moving under their own power, so do not attempt to agitate them on your own. Do as little as possible to ensure that you don't ruin this important hatching phase.
Days Three to Ten
It is important that scum does not develop on the surface of the water in the hatchery. You should have an aerator in the tank, and that should do a great deal to prevent the scum from settling on the surface. No matter, you should skim the top of the tank a couple of times. Why?
The first movement goldfish make is toward the surface. They take a gulp of air. Many experts feel that this is an attempt to fill the swim bladder. Adult goldfish will sometimes do the same. If the surface is filled with scum, the bladders in these young fry will become injured, the fish will have problems swimming properly and will become what some goldfish hobbyist's term belly sunders.
After two or three days the fry will begin to move around looking for food. They will begin doing this not by swimming toward the surface, but by swimming horizontally across the tank, back and forth. They really dart.
At this stage, some experts encourage you to turn up the heat by about 2F to 4F. It is thought that this encourages appetite and activity among the fry, which will induce them to eat.
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