Fish fry have a mouth size approx the same size as their eye so this is a good way to work out what size food is acceptable since their eyeballs are more visible. So vinegar eels and artemia are much too large....
Green water is what your need with barb fry. Your java moss should allow you to get SOME survivors but you will have rapid die off shortly as they will exhaust their energy reserves soon. Once you get some small size you can then move onto infusoria and then onto vinegar eel or artemia and then crushed flake. Live food is always better since it doesnt pollute water quality as fast and is instinctively recognised as food by fry.
The best way to get green water is to use old water from your established aquarium with a small pinch of soluble or liquid fertiliser (anything high in nitrogen). Place in a clear 2L container in the direct sun which will go green in a few days. The darker the green the better but dont overdo the fertiliser. After each day, start up another culture since your first culture will peak soon or be used up. (I use 7 cultures on rotation). You can use a tiny portion of a green culture on the next one to speed the process. To feed, use some airline tubing to start a drip siphon into your raising tank. As slow a drip as possible over a gentle airstone. Fry will quickly workout where to wait for the food this way and ensures all fish get fed. While this is happening, start up your infusoria cultures as these take a little longer to peak. I recommend sponge filters and bare glass bottoms for your fry tanks.
Once your on vinegar eel/artemia then your almost safely out of the woods.
Raising tiny fry is extremely rewarding. Good luck and keep up posted.
Green water is what your need with barb fry. Your java moss should allow you to get SOME survivors but you will have rapid die off shortly as they will exhaust their energy reserves soon. Once you get some small size you can then move onto infusoria and then onto vinegar eel or artemia and then crushed flake. Live food is always better since it doesnt pollute water quality as fast and is instinctively recognised as food by fry.
The best way to get green water is to use old water from your established aquarium with a small pinch of soluble or liquid fertiliser (anything high in nitrogen). Place in a clear 2L container in the direct sun which will go green in a few days. The darker the green the better but dont overdo the fertiliser. After each day, start up another culture since your first culture will peak soon or be used up. (I use 7 cultures on rotation). You can use a tiny portion of a green culture on the next one to speed the process. To feed, use some airline tubing to start a drip siphon into your raising tank. As slow a drip as possible over a gentle airstone. Fry will quickly workout where to wait for the food this way and ensures all fish get fed. While this is happening, start up your infusoria cultures as these take a little longer to peak. I recommend sponge filters and bare glass bottoms for your fry tanks.
Once your on vinegar eel/artemia then your almost safely out of the woods.
Raising tiny fry is extremely rewarding. Good luck and keep up posted.
. Seems the java moss was ample food for them though as they grew exponentially over a period of a few days. THey are now little see through guys with red bellies, and they all seem healthy and happy. There's at least 100 of them, hopefully we'll see them through to full size, which is always the hard part.