More CPD stuff. and some questions...

[plecoL83]

Hi,
I'm intrested on getting some CPDs (or celestial pearl danios) for my 50 gallon tank, preferably 3 males and 7 females, and if I did find some I would want to try to breed them. Luckly I am also setting up a five gallon tank in my room and I could use it for this purpose. Although I would want something to keep the algea in my tank down so I though of some otto cats. will these eat my CPD fry or eggs? And what water parameters should I keep it at I'd be very intrested to hear about other peoples sucess and or failure in attempting to breed the CPD.
Thanks, Pleco L83

[Fishnut]

I'm so glad someone else is joining the CPD group! 

I highly recommend creating a species tank if you intend to breed.  That way you can ensure that there is nothing eating the CPD eggs.  Your 50 gallon tank would be a very happy home for that number of CPD's!  I recently put my tiger shrimp in there because the shrimp tank crashed and it was the only tank I had where the inhabitants would leave the survivor alone.  It's coming out as soon as the new tanks are up and running.

CPD's spawn in Java Moss.  Start asking around for Java moss soon because you'll need a lot of it.  What Dan has been trying is having a spare tank is set up and established.  By switching out the Java Moss every few days, the adults don't get a chance to eat the eggs.  All the fry hatch in a safe environment, where you can plump them up with freshly hatched BBS (baby brine shrimp).  Dan has been more successful at breding by using that method.  His MTS is worse than mine...lol   .  Your 5 gallon tank would be good for this purpose.  Soon I will have another tank to switch the moss into, so I guess I'm equally infected with MTS  .  Until then I scoop out whatever fry I find and put them into one of those net mesh breeder things that hangs in the tank.  It's working, but I'm not finding many fry.  Only 1 or 2 per week.

I have my danios (2 females and 1 male) in a tank measuring 30 x 12 x ?16.  One female scoots out to greet me every time I walk in the room.  The other female and male are chickens and I have to sit still for 15 or 20 minutes before they come out, and that's only after I feed them. 

I have an under gravel filter covered with a natural, medium brown gravel and a heater.  The Danios don't seem to like really warm temperatures so my tank is at a constant 78 degrees.  The lighting in my tank is really dim too, which they seem to like.  I started the tank with a chunk of mopani wood.  I ultimately took it out because there is no activated carbon on that tank and the tea colour was getting to be too much.  The light on top is likely of equal brightness to those 15 watt incandescent lights.  The Java moss is ok, but the rest of my plants grow slowly...including the algae!  I do a weekly water change and only have to wipe the sides of the tank lightly.

I haven't seen any CPD's in the fish shops in a long time.  Maybe someone else has.  If so, let me know because I want more!  When mine are ready to find homes and you're all set up, I'll be happy to sell some.  You'll want to get the CPD's from a few sources in order to preven inbreeding among siblings.

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[plecoL83]

wow thanks, that was a lot of really useful info, and you also asked a question of mine that I meant to ask, has anyone seen any lately, I was at big als on innes and saw none and supet pet (now petsmart) in Orleans had a nice healthy school but I haven't been there for almost month. and as for the topic of java moss I easily have enough to fill a ten gallon in my basement and then some but I've been letting it grow rampant because I setting up a 29g with only java moss in about a month. Thanks again fishnut.

[dan2x38]

Great someone else getting into the CPD breeding. The more ppl to exchange info. the better there is still little known. As Fishnut mentioned you'll need more then 1 tank & lots of java moss. There are less and less of them around.

In a basic display tank I have Egeria, Rotola Indica, Java Fern, & lots of Java Moss plus mopanis wood. Not sure if the other plants help but I did see some photos from their habitat in Mynamar with someone holding these plants. Besides with lots of plants they will suck up nutrients to decrease or prevent algae. They originate for marshy well vegetated flats at 3300' above sea level in water only 30cm. deep so the plants gives them security. I filter the water well with a 50 AC in a 20g tank. There is little water flow I have added a surface skimmer to keep the water surface clean. The water is not heated I try to keep it around 75f. Flourscent Aqua-Glo single tube on for 12 hours a day.

I have a 5.5g with sand, sponge filter, java moss, & 15w incdescent light 14 hrs. a day. In the 20g I do a 20% WC with matured water @ pH 7.5, GH 6, KH 3.5 using Prime at 75f. Three days later in the 5.5 I remove the moss clean the sides vacuum the sand and change 95% water then add the same water as used above. Now I switch the moss between the 2 tanks. I leave the light on each day. After about 3 days fry start to appear I start feeding BBS. After about another 2-3 days I slowly scoop out the fry into a 2.2g tank with bare bottom & nano filter with sponge on the pick-up. When almost all the fry are out I gently shake out the moss drop into a bowl then scoop out remaining fry. Now swap the moss and do it over again.

By changing the water plus the water from my storage bin is a little cooler I believe this triggers the hatching. I get about 15 fry per hatch. When they start growing out in the 2.2g I move to a 6g and start feeding dyphina. So far I am up to about 50-60 fry but they won't hold still to count... LOL The WCs and cool temps are the triggers and keys. When these guys start to grow out they are so cute.

So far this has worked on several cycles. I found the 1st cycle was small hatch but think it is more me then them. Glad to help if I can just ask. Tosh member here also has had luck breeding this little characters.

Clean water, java moss, clean water, java moss... 

[Fishnut]

Dan, no wonder you have way more fry!  I certainly haven't been putting THAT much effort into it!  The second CPD tank will be the only one I'll be using to switch out the moss.  The fry will be staying in there until they are big enough to go back with the parents.

Post some pics of the tanks Dan.  Even if the fry are little fuzzy things in the pic, I'de still be interested to see what you've done.

Why have you decided to leave the CPD tank unheated?  I figured that since they were from a tropical county, that the temp should be slightly warmer than here.  Obviously it's working for you having the tank unheated though!

Interesting stuff!

[dan2x38]

Everything I've read said to keep them below or at 75f. They are at 3300' above sea level naturally. Will you keep som eof your aquarium breed ones sepaerated for breeding with other aquarium breed?

Here are a group of pics of the tanks used not the best but best I can do for now:



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[plecoL83]

That's really awsome dan, nice to see them appear so happy and healthy.