# Rainbow Cichlid fry feeding



## happypoet (Sep 25, 2010)

Hi all,
I posted a few weeks back about Rainbow Cichlids.
As an update, The two females fought as soon as one laid eggs, so the non-breeder got sent out the local fish shop, where she'll find a new home.
So I have a pair in my 36, and no other fish currently, and I have a couple hundred eggs on a lead already. They were quick!

I have grindal worms and Omega veggie flakes that can be crumbled very small.
Will these be ok for the fry to eat? Or do I need to get baby brine shrimp? If so, will frozen work, or should I plan on culturing some?

Thanks!!!


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Live BBS are best but some people have good luck with the frozen. If you can give them BBS for a week or 2 at least, it is better.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I think I told you it wouldn't work!  But at least there was no harm done.

I fed my baby rainbow cichlids frozen BBS with no trouble. (I use a plastic syringe to "shoot" them down toward the babies.) I also fed them finely crushed flake and "First Bites". In both cases, I put the food in a small container (plastic measuring cup) with tank water and then syringed the wet food in the general direction of the babies. I did this two or three times a day at first.

You only need to feed them once they are free swimming, which will take about a week from egg to wriggler to free swimming. If you want to try your hand at raising some yourself, I used a brine shrimp net to scoop up some of the babies after about a week and raised them in a separate tank. don't take too many, though, as once the baby swarm is reduced below a certain point, the parents won't consider it worthwhile to protect and may eat them. (they may eat or abandon the first few broods anyway.) Good luck!


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## happypoet (Sep 25, 2010)

yep, here are your prescient words: "Rainbow cichlids are PAIRING fish and have a strong pair bond from which they co-parent large broods. I absolutely would not do 1M-2F. I especially wouldn't try it in a smallish tank such as yours."

I'd say that was about as spot-on as one could be! 

I think I'll give the frozen bbs a try, but will switch to live if the frozen don't seem to be working out. I'm going to pick up a turkey baster today.

My plan is to leave the broods entirely with the couple, at least until I can see how they parent once they've settled in and have had a few tries at it.

What I might do in the future, though, is put many of the babies in my shrimp tank, which is packed with moss and infusoria, and then remove the fish only when they're big enough to eat my shrimp, at which point I could try to put them back in the 36, or if that doesn't work, a simple 10g set-up to finish growing them out.

Thank you!


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