Fry size...and ages....??

[Mmathis]

Are GF fry supposed to be a certain size by a certain age? And when do they change from looking like babies, to looking like little fish? Benchmarks?

How do I know how old they are, or does it matter? Is size more important than age?

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Guessing it's been a little over a month since I discovered GF fry in the pond. Since I never saw the spawning, nor did I see any eggs, I have no idea how old these guys are. However, I did end up with a half-dozen or so that, once I got them in the tank, realized they were still at the sticking-to-the-side-of-the-glass stage -- so that would have made them a few days old at that point. Everyone else was free-swimming, small but some a little bigger than others.

I know that GF spawn based on an increase in water temperature. But doesn't the overall temp. matter, too? Back a month ago [and longer], the water temps. were still in the 60's, maybe high 60's a time or 2. But I never thought they would have been high enough for them to spawn.

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Anyway, where I'm going with this.... Looking through the internet at pics of various fry, I'm confused by the sizes pictured, comparing these fish fry to mine. Some internet pics will show a fish that still looks very much like a baby, and they'll say it's maybe 8 weeks old. Etc., etc., etc.

Based on that, when I compare it to mine, that's what mine looked like when I "rescued" them -- which means they would have been spawned when the water temps were, oh say, in the 50's to 60's (in March?).

My biggest ones are all at the 1/2" - 3/4" size range, and there are 2 or 3 that are pushing 1", and one that has to be 1" at least, [except for the ones that were teensy a month ago -- they're still small guys]. The "comets" [I say that because I apparently have about 50% normals and 50% Shubunkins in the brood] are fully colored [that silvery-bronze color] and literally look like miniature fish now, not like babies at all. Most have nice, rounded body shapes [side view], though the smaller ones are more slender. The Shubes are following suit, but not as big.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The only thing I can really say is that my fry looked like fry into autumn, then I started seeing a couple with color.

 

[dieselplower]

They will all grow at very different rates. Each spawnig will have fast growers and slow growers. Of course it will also depend on how much and how often they are fed. Too many variables to say. Even water quality could play a role in growth rate.

 

[fishin4cars]

Very true, Some will grow larger even through adult hood. I've got some from the same batch of fry that are quite different in size and are 2-3 years old now. Same with Koi.

 

[Dave 54]

TurtleMommy as Desilplower and Larkin say they grow at differing rates some even become cannibals and eat their brothers and sisters for a better start in life themslves .
Mum and dad also may eat the odd fry as will uncle and aunt the your going to get some predated y aqatic insects like the dragonfly Nimph .
Basically just let mother nature take her course and your going to get survivor's that are good and strong i;e survival of the fittest will be a play, sounds a bit harsh I know but thats how mother nature operates .

Dave

 

[koiguy1969]

the fry that are larger are called "tobies". and yep, they get that way from eating their fellow fry. sometimes at their own peril. i have found them dead with another fry bent in half inside the mouth/throat. or ripped open at the anus with a fry 1/3 or 1/2 way out. genetics, and eating habits, to personality are all contributing factors.

 

[Mmathis]

the fry that are larger are called "tobies". and yep, they get that way from eating their fellow fry. sometimes at their own peril. i have found them dead with another fry bent in half inside the mouth/throat. or ripped open at the anus with a fry 1/3 or 1/2 way out. genetics, and eating habits, to personality are all contributing factors.

Oooh, gross!

I also read somewhere that the tobies put out a chemical that causes growth reduction in the remaining fry. I don't know if this is true.....

 

[shakaho]

If it were true, separating the small fry from the large ones would speed up the growth of the small ones. People have tried it and it doesn't work. The runts usually don't get more than average size and some stay very small. Among my fish, the fry that are larger than their siblings don't usually grow up to be larger than those who were average-sized fry.

 

[Mmathis]

If it were true, separating the small fry from the large ones would speed up the growth of the small ones. People have tried it and it doesn't work. The runts usually don't get more than average size and some stay very small. Among my fish, the fry that are larger than their siblings don't usually grow up to be larger than those who were average-sized fry.

Just a thought..... But you gotta wonder if there is some kinda of "natural" selection going on -- like WHAT makes the bigger ones be the biggest -- or does it all come down to genetics....?

 

[Usman]

(sorry it became too long like a biography lol) hi . do u have there pics? i observed few times spawning .. once it rained which disturbed water or its temp and they spawned next day , another time i fed them high protein after a gap and they spawned next day , 1st time it spawned in the start of summer in march ... so can b many things that can trigger or if you did 50% water change ..

when they r ready to spawn they wud chase and bump for 1 day or same day they wud release eggs ... the female wud splash water and while doing it , it will spread eggs (i saw lucky) they wud drop anywhere mostly in densed leaves roots it wud splash and after some time they wud start sticking , if u dont have plants underwater , u can add mop or any branches with small leaves to trap the eggs and keep them safe from fishes , just dip them a bit 2 inch deep so fish can come over it and lay eggs ...

, next day they may turn lighter from dark yellow (1st spawn i had produced 30s , later they r not hatching that much i dono reason) normaly the fishes wudnt see it lol if they r silly like my fishes ... they dont even eat fry or eggs ...

the eggs wud stick on roots or plants leaves like smalll yellow dots , depending on temp it may hatch within 2 to 5 days , 1st 2 days it spends most of the time laying on leaves or sides as u said and almost invisible just like eye lash lol ...

after a week if they r in pond then they wud b growing prety fast it wil b grazing algae all the daylight time , if ur fishes dont eat them , best is the pond for the fry or have one portion for them with mosquito net .. i once took few fryes seprate and they died , they get shocked or stressed easily when young ... if u put them in pond when they r 2 weeks i think they wud survive , they will grow faster and run allover more exercise eat more and sun light + algae willl develope darker colors, add some banana leaves they wud float on water and fry wud b safer , survival rate after a week or 2 is almost 90% in my experience til they become adult if u have shubs ,

1st 2 months they shud grow failry faster then later on , bcz of eating habbits and they r more active wud swim in schools its very pretyy , after 3 -4 months they wyd start growing longer fins and alot of colour its color can change till 1 year or 7 motnhs ... urs is groinwg fine as far as i can get ... genetics play part too since uil notice some will have fatter belly some longer fins some bigger mouth , they will have indivisual structure when they grow up but in my fry all had different shapes and features but they grew togeather , all were same size just few were naturaly born huge as i said with fat belly big mouth shorter fins , i expect they wud grow bigger then others from the body shape but same till now , just diff is there body is huge compared to fins and others have longer fin slimer body .

if u see in 2nd pic , on the left corner upper 2 kids r 6 weeks old , lower little guy is around 1month aprox

in 3rd pic on right side they r 4months old they seem to b adult gf wiith long fins after that they will grow slower , well will depend how fast u want them to grow , ur feeding wil decide

1st pic so cute 1 week

baby

 

[Nepen]

Wow Usman, you got some nice looking fish there


I have the babies both indoor and in the pond. The pond fry seem to be a lot bigger and darker. The tank fry are light and smaller. I don't know why the different in color.

 

[Usman]

Wow Usman, you got some nice looking fish there


I have the babies both indoor and in the pond. The pond fry seem to be a lot bigger and darker. The tank fry are light and smaller. I don't know why the different in color.

thnx , yes its bcz of algae it enhances the colour , the products that are in market to enhance colour r mostly from algae , other factor is sun light and background below , if its dark below and around them , they wud change to darker some how its kind of mimic or natural i dono reason but its observable , and sun definitely has great impact on colour , nothing can replace nature

 

[Nepen]

My pond is under 3 big trees so very little sun I have little algae problem but I guess the frys are eating the algae on the walls, which I don't see very much of. But you are right about the fry changing color to match the surrounding, it's dark in the pond and light in the tank!

 

[Mmathis]

My pond is under 3 big trees so very little sun I have little algae problem but I guess the frys are eating the algae on the walls, which I don't see very much of. But you are right about the fry changing color to match the surrounding, it's dark in the pond and light in the tank!

I think sunlight plays a part in the color development, too, but don't know if that's a permanent thing, or they'll change again in a different environment.....