Aren't they just the cutest little buggers!?! Funky, well done mate. You should have about 30 or more in there for a first spawn unless there's been predation. I had rosy barbs in with my BNs for a little while, thinking there's no way, mostly vegatarian and their mouths aren't huge but alas, I was wrong again. I watched in dismay one time as about 20 of the babies came out of the cave into the waiting maws of the rosy barbs. And those rosies are so damn quick. I like the coloration on the babies, it's a different line than mine--pretty cool. For the babies, I blanch zuchini slices (peeled) to soften the veggies for the first couple of weeks and then they can handle raw veggies (peeled). I've also used mashed peas but that creates a huge mess requiring almost daily cleanings. I do every other day water changes until they're about an inch long since there's no telling from day to day just how much of the zuchini they'll eat. Just like any other young thing, growth and appetite come in spurts and I would rather over feed a little and do the resulting cleanings, than let them go hungry. I also like lower temps for the fry tanks and keep them around 74-75° F. Lower temps increase the amount of dissolved O2, and while the lower temps may slow the growth a touch, I rarely lose any babies and virtually never see any deformities. It works for me
Again, well done on the cute little buggers!
mike