# Fry PICS - Callochromis pleurospilus (Raspberry Ikola)



## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

The callos are going nuts again! Just stripped a female callo this afternoon and have another one that is holding from a spawn yesterday. I messed up my last big batch of callo fry by putting them in with some more mature fry - BIG MISTAKE! So, I will try to be more careful and put them in a flaoting nursery basket for the first week or so.

My kilsa spawned again yesterday - try to get some pics of them up soon.



















Displaying callo male surrounded by kilesa









Russ


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

such big eyes...


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

londonloco said:


> such big eyes...


The better to see you with... :lol:

Sorry, couldn't resist 

How are your new calvus doing?

Russ


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

All 10 have settled in, have territories, shells, etc. However, the pump on the sump crapped out..sigh...thank god I have HOB back ups! None locally to be found, ended up 2 daying another pump, hoping to have the pump here, sump replumbed by Weds this week. Never ending story....


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## shon982 (Jun 18, 2010)

Hey Razzo, amaazing pictures as usual

At what day do you strip them?

Also, in your tank do you have any rocks?
My pleuros are so shy and hide in the rocks that there is in the tank
I'm thinking I'll remove them
There is 1M and 4F with another 2F coming


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

shon982 said:


> Hey Razzo, amaazing pictures as usual
> 
> At what day do you strip them?
> 
> ...


Hey shon982,

I stripped this one at, about, day 12. Still a little bit of egg sac left but not much.

I have a couple rocks off to the far left. Most of the tank is open space. My callos & kilesa are the least shy fish that I have ever owned. They are always out swimming eager to greet me.

Don't know how big your tank is, but you may want to consider getting another male. The interaction between competing males is very enjoyable to watch.

Cheers,
Russ


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Few pics of the kilesa that have just spawned...

Displaying male









Holding female









Russ


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## shon982 (Jun 18, 2010)

Thanks for that 

I don't think I need another male though, my male has 3 nests and displays constantly but the thing is, I need to sneak up on the tank but once I'm there he doesn't mind
Maybe it's the fast movements
I've seen all 4 females holding though

Let me know how fast your fry grow
I've had some growing for about 6 months and they wouldn't be bigger than 3cm still!
I can't see any problems with them or the water quality
Maybe just a slow growing species?


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

shon982 said:


> Thanks for that
> 
> I don't think I need another male though, my male has 3 nests and displays constantly but the thing is, I need to sneak up on the tank but once I'm there he doesn't mind
> Maybe it's the fast movements
> ...


I stripped my first brood of Callochromis pleurospilus fry on 4/9/11 and my best guess with a ruler in front of the fry tank is that,... they are close to an inch as of today 6/13/11. Hard to tell for sure but I would have to say definitely between 0.75" & 1.0" I am used to altolamp fry which grow slower than the redwoods in California so I think my callo fry grow fairley quickly.

Now, I didn't suggest another male to enhance your breeding program; rather, for the ejoyment of seeing them posture and taunt each other. They are a "hoot" watching them compete over a spawning female. All the posturing and stealing the female back and forth. It is really fun to watch. Forgive me, but,... I would even go so far as to say, that you are missing out on the callo experience without another male (IMHO). I can't help but think, all that competition must be good for the breeding program too :wink:

Russ


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

I am a recent convert from the point & shoot world to a DSLR. I am just starting to learn how to use the DSLR and I am really loving it! So much more capabilities. This first pic is in automatic on the DSLR and it stinks! The lighting is all wrong, the fish blur because they move around too much, and you can't tell what the true color on the fish is:










I started messing with the settings in manual mode with the goal of capturing motion (basically, chosing a faster shutter) and look how much the shots improved:

*F1 Callochromis pleurospilus (Raspberry Ikola)*






















































I am still learning but I am having fun with my baby steps 

Russ


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## TMB60 (Jan 6, 2011)

Nice pics Russ. Can't do much better than that :thumb:

Just bought 2 iMacs last week for me and my younger son (good riddance Windows) so that's going to push my hopes of a DSLR back a bit. Ahh.........someday.

Cheers,
Tom


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

TMB60 said:


> Nice pics Russ. Can't do much better than that :thumb:
> 
> Just bought 2 iMacs last week for me and my younger son (good riddance Windows) so that's going to push my hopes of a DSLR back a bit. Ahh.........someday.
> 
> ...


Dumping Windows and getting a mac - I am soooo envious!


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## londonloco (Mar 31, 2011)

Razzo said:


> Dumping Windows and getting a mac - I am soooo envious!


You should be. I've had my mac for 2 years now..."once you go mac, you NEVER go back".... :thumb:


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## TMB60 (Jan 6, 2011)

Razzo wrote:
Dumping Windows and getting a mac - I am soooo envious!

Well I'm envious of your DSLR which I now have to wait longer for.....lol.

My college son switched to Macs 6 years ago and is a whiz with them so he helped cut my learning curve way down. Truth be told, the Macs are amazing and not hard to learn. After only 3 days with the thing, I'm kicking myself for not switching sooner.

Nice fish Russ Nice fish Russ Nice fish Russ Nice fish Russ Nice fish Russ (for the mods)

Cheers,
Tom


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

The recent batch of callo fry are all doing well in a floating nursery in the main tank. This is he frist batch that I did not lose some after the first day. I shall have to repeat this procedure with future spawns (got to strip another callo next week).

My holding kilesa is still holding and is resisting the urge to eat. That's a good. Think I may just get my first batch of kilesa fry from this one. Fingers crossed!

Russ


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## growpower (Jan 22, 2010)

do you have kilesa in with Callochromis pleurospilus? would they work in a 5' 100G, if so what size groups?


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

growpower said:


> do you have kilesa in with Callochromis pleurospilus? would they work in a 5' 100G, if so what size groups?


Yes, mine are in a 72 gallon bow front tank that is approx 4-foot long.

8 kilesa & 6 callos

Russ


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

CRAZY! These callo fry (guess I should call them juvies by now) are about 2.5 to 3" long. Have a male colored up (looking good) and this afternoon, a female with a mouth full of eggs! I can't even get rid of these juvies let alone fry of fry!

Just may have to catch her and put her in one of my altolamp tanks so she can release in there. No sense letting those fry go to waste :wink:


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