Fry not eating enough

[slava2929]

It's my first spawn of fish (rainbow cichlids) and I'm amazed at the huge size discrepancy between my fry. I have 13 fry that are about 8-10 times the size of my other two remaining fry. A few weeks ago, I noticed that as soon as my fry started eating blood worms, they increased in size VERY quickly. The problem is that the two tiny fish STILL haven't eaten blood worms despite all efforts to get them to do so. I realize size is a factor in them being big enough to ingest the worms but they should be big enough at this point. When fish are as small as my two small ones, they can die a lot easier than when they reach the juvenile stage but these two just refuse to grow up. I have recently purchased baby brine but that will only have a limited impact on growth as I fed that to the fry a month ago.

Two questions:

Is this size discrepancy common when breeding? In my case it's massive.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get my two little guys big enough so that they can eat worms or at least get big enough that they can reach the juvenile stage?

 

[duanes]

Size discrepancy is very common in cichlid most spawns.
Some eggs even hatch a day or two apart.
One of the things I needed to keep all different sizes alive, is having a number of small tanks to separate them into by size, usually 3 tanks in my case, one for the largest bunch, separated from the medium growth groups, and another for small ones. This allowed the small ones to get enough to eat, because without separating them, the largest always ended up eating the lions share, and surviving, while the smallest didn't get enough and often withered away.

The Australoheros in the shot above are all from the same spawn.
Note the same kind of difference in H carpintus fry

and below, a Chuco intermedia group of fry

below Nandopsis fry

Feeding many small meals throughout the day, and allowing lots of algae for them to graze on also helped, especially when first free swimming.

 

[slava2929]

Makes a ton of sense. I dont have a place to put my two fry but i will go out of my way to make sure they get their fair share going forward. I wasnt aware of the need for separation. Thanks.

 

[tlindsey]

It's my first spawn of fish (rainbow cichlids) and I'm amazed at the huge size discrepancy between my fry. I have 13 fry that are about 8-10 times the size of my other two remaining fry. A few weeks ago, I noticed that as soon as my fry started eating blood worms, they increased in size VERY quickly. The problem is that the two tiny fish STILL haven't eaten blood worms despite all efforts to get them to do so. I realize size is a factor in them being big enough to ingest the worms but they should be big enough at this point. When fish are as small as my two small ones, they can die a lot easier than when they reach the juvenile stage but these two just refuse to grow up. I have recently purchased baby brine but that will only have a limited impact on growth as I fed that to the fry a month ago.

Two questions:

Is this size discrepancy common when breeding? In my case it's massive.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to get my two little guys big enough so that they can eat worms or at least get big enough that they can reach the juvenile stage?

Congrats!

 

[YankeeJack]

I’d recommend focusing on the larger ones. They are stronger and will do better.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

What duanes said, I would also get some fish and pellets,and blend it up as food