Maintenance of Fry

During the incubation period the fry do not need to be fed. The fry will swim freely on the 7th week. Supplementary external live feed such as young guppys or bloodworm can be given at the early free-swimming stage to prevent the fry from attacking each other. The fry are very vigorous feeders and should be provided with ample supply of feed. We recommend a partial water change of about 30% of total tank volume every 2- 3 days to maintain water quality.
Bigger fry of about 10 -12cm in length can be fed with freshwater prawn or chopped fish meat to accelerate their growth rate. At 4 months in age we rear fingerlings individually in 75 x 45 x 45cm aquariums to avoid physical defects from fighting with siblings. To enhance the colour and promote the formation of chromatophores we suggest to illuminate with artificial lighting at least 10 -12 hours a day. After 6 -7 months of free-swimming the fry measure about 20 -25cm in length and are suitable for market.