[Ilwacotuna]

I have several tankfuls of bolivian and blue ram fry. The oldest are about 6 weeks and they are showing some of the black markings but only very faint yellows and blues. I have been feeding them almost exclusively newly hatched brine shrimp. They spit out most of the flake I give them. The largest of both species are about 3/4 of an inch.
When should I expect them to get more coloration and is there any prefered foods that will bring out more color. I can keep giving them brine shrimp as long as it takes but I am sure a varied diet would be better. The flake I have is tetra color but they eat very little of it. I think they are spoiled.

Another question is how many fry per gallon for grow out. I have them in 10, 20 and 29 gallon tanks.

 

[edburress]

I can't speak for the blue ram fry. But the bolivian fry are very large for their age, usually they are 3/4"-1" at 6 months of age. The black markings in the dorsal are the first color to develop at 3 weeks or so, along with blue sheen on the gill plates. The red in the anal fin and pelvic fins starts to be visible after a few months but isn't fully developed until 6 months or more. I have fry that are 9 months old and some of them still do not have yellow abdomens. Orange highlights in the dorsal and caudal develop around 7-8 months.

It sounds like your fry are ahead on growth. Generally bolivians grow very slow and are slow to develop their coloration as well. Most of their color starts developing at 5 months of age and they basically look like the adults at 9 months.

To suppliment the BBS you could crush up shrimp pellets. At 12 weeks of age I start trying to get them onto pellets. My fry always accept it eagerly.

Ed

 

[Ilwacotuna]

The largest bolivians are the ones who were left with their parents in a heavily planted tank. I am guessing they found more food as small fry while the group of smaller bolivians were in a pretty sterile 10 gallon. A marked difference in size between the two groups. Maybe 1/8 to 1/4 inch!
I read the article posted by edburress on the bolivian rams club thread and I have been doing pretty much the same things.
I have also noted that the blue ram fry I hatched from eggs have proven to be much weaker than the fry the parents raised and were than syphoned after a few days. I am down to less than 20 survived out of about 70 to start with. The batch the parents raised for a few days after free swimming are still going strong and there is between 150-200 of them still. Very few losses.
The parents can do a much better job than I can raising their fry.
I enjoy watching them grow but the feedings and water changes are getting to be a chore.