# Neolamprologus Multifasciatus Fry Feeding



## cdavitt (Apr 4, 2011)

Any suggestions on how or what to feed new multi fry? My colony finally is starting the next generation and I saw 4-5 little guys hanging out in a shell and darting up into the water. Is there something I should be doing for them to ensure they survive?

With Mbuna fry I would remove them to a fry tank which would make feeding them tons easier.

Should I try brine shrimp or microworms? Turkey baster or other technique to get the food near the 1 shell the fry are actually in? Finely crushed flake? Or normal feeding and let the extra food just hopefully get there?

Any other advice appreciated!


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## Aulonocara_Freak (May 19, 2011)

I feed all my fry Hikari "First Bites". It will float but to make it sink put it in a cup with tank water and mix it around. Live BBS and Microworm's are also good.


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

I have never really done anything special as far as feeding my shelly fry. I only just started keeping multies, but have successfully raised brevis and occies in the past. I added java moss to the tanks when I saw fry and fed the adults as usual. I assume the babies fed on insuforia in the moss or substrate until they were of an age to feed on the pellets I gave adults.

The adults also have the habit of spitting out chewed up pellets then sucking them back in. The babies hung close while that was going on and I saw them eat bits produced from the adult's messy eating as well.


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## Norm66 (Mar 3, 2005)

I buy frozen baby brine shrimp for fry along with crushing some nls pellets or flake. Almost all my fish go nuts for the frozen bbs.


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## malawimix (Oct 8, 2008)

I just grind up flakes or the small nls pellets between my fingers and let it sink. They do just fine on that.


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## cdavitt (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks for all the input! I will stick with crushed NLS and flake for now.

Checked on the new fry and noticed another batch on the other side of the tank. The fun begins!


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

mccluggen said:


> I have never really done anything special as far as feeding my shelly fry. I only just started keeping multies, but have successfully raised brevis and occies in the past. I added java moss to the tanks when I saw fry and fed the adults as usual. I assume the babies fed on insuforia in the moss or substrate until they were of an age to feed on the pellets I gave adults.


Ah thanks for the reminder about java moss. I just remembered I have a huge jar outside that is full of java moss that I set aside for babies! Infusoria and other microfauna, yeah.



mccluggen said:


> The adults also have the habit of spitting out chewed up pellets then sucking them back in. The babies hung close while that was going on and I saw them eat bits produced from the adult's messy eating as well.


I've observed this behavior too. This probably explains another behavior I've observed. I've seen them snatch up the pellets and then dash into the nest shell. A short bit later they come out and snatch up another pellet. This initially puzzled me as that was a departure from their initial behavior of just eating the pellets immediately on the same spot as where they snatched it. I'm guessing they probably chew it up the spit the crumbs out over the babies. Dunno if they try suck the food back in.



malawimix said:


> I just grind up flakes or the small nls pellets between my fingers and let it sink. They do just fine on that.


Hmmm, mebbe I'll try powdering my Tetra flakes for the larger babies. But it's probably not as critical since the adults provides for the babies by powdering the pellets on their own. I think in the long run, I probably wont be adding anything special to the tank (except for the java moss, mainly to give the fries an extra chance of escaping the alto calvus that are in the tank with them, it seems that the calvus are more efficient than I thought cuz I don't think too many fries survived from the first batch). Good thing the main tank where all these guys are going is still under construction, so I still can rethink some of the design.


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## malawimix (Oct 8, 2008)

yeah, with predators in the tank it adds a whole new dimension  . When the fry get hungry enough to come out of hiding they get picked off. Good luck :?


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

malawimix said:


> yeah, with predators in the tank it adds a whole new dimension  . When the fry get hungry enough to come out of hiding they get picked off. Good luck :?


Thanks, altho I actually on purpose chose to have both the Multis and the Calvus. Im already having lots of entertainment watching the multis try guard their territories and fries while the Calvus try stalk the babies. But I plan to have more Multis and Leptos both of which should be breeding enuff babies to keep the 2-3 Calvus (or should I say Calviis?) busy BUT not be able to get them all. Thus there will be lots of nooks and crannies in addition to lots of underfoliage (substitutes for long algae growths in the real Lake) for the eggs and babies to shelter in.


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## cdavitt (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks again for all the advice. Started with 8 random multi Mbita shipped to me for a 20Long. Found the first batch of fry after a few weeks and that triggered these questions. As I have been paying much more attention the last week I have found TWO MORE batches of fry! Now there are more fry then adults.

Prolific breeders to say the least!


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## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

As I hear it, with multies, it usually amounts to "just add water".


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## Lanaka (May 18, 2011)

cdavitt said:


> Prolific breeders to say the least!


Hehe, yup, had them described to me as the guppies of the cichlid world! In my case, just two! I bought the biggest, figuring a Multi that is about 2" long is safe to bet its a male. The other one I crossed fingers and bought the smallest one, figuring I'd have 50/50 chance of it being a female. I lucked out when I dumped them into the quarantine tank, the little one picked a shell and immediately started doing its breeding wiggle next to the male!


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## dajaxon (Dec 19, 2015)

I'm new to this too but have information that may help. I feed the multi adults mostly flakes.
What happens is that the adults will grab the flakes and tear them apart by trying to ingest a 
flake too large and then spit it out. This breaks the flakes into smaller bits that the fry are able
to attack. They are aggressive little devils and fun to watch. I have also tried frozen brine shrimp
(thawed first) for the aduls but some of the bits of the meal do float past the fry.

I imagine that the new hatchlings are not seen until several days. They must be relying on the egg 
sack for nutrition because I never see the really little guys.

My two hatches have yielded only 3-4 babies each time. I only have three now - one larger from the 
first hatch and two really tiny critters. It is possible that they are eaten - which explains the losses.
But as I read the lit - the multies a good parents and not cannibles. I'm leaving the fry untouched and
will suffer the consequences.


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## stayfrosty (Mar 31, 2011)

Holy thread rival batman


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