I was not planning on using the fry to feed the other fish, rather, my plan was to allow the other fish to control the livebearer populations by eating the fry. I still planned on feeding the fish with a tropical fish food.
is this tank idea ok? (55 gal)
- Thread starter Rablasewdfer
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You should be basically established now. For some reason, I was thinking this was a newer set-up, sorry for my misunderstanding. After a couple months, the biofilms are present on every surface covered by water, and these are the host sites for all bacteria, algae, infusoria, etc. This is why you see so many fish browsing surfaces; they are collecting microscopic food bits, and most of it is live. There probably is algae in this biofilm even though you can't actually see it. If you run your finger over the surfaces, they should feel sort of slippery or slimy; that is the essential biofilm. I keep it off the front glass and sometimes the side glass, but otherwise I leave it alone. Plants and chunks of bogwood promote all this even more.
I have tanks in which I cannot see algae, but I know it is there. It is the problem algae that when it appears has to be controlled. My prime trouble-maker is brush algae, but once I found the balance between light and nutrients for the plants, I've been OK.
Algae-based wafers are good. Omega One make a sinking disk called Veggie Rounds that I particularly like, and I have not so far had any catfish that did not relish these. Shrimp pellets are good too. And if you want to try fresh veggies, consider zucchini, yams, cucumber. Not all pleco will take to these, especially the more omnivorous species, but when you get the Bristlenose try one or more of these.
On the fry issue, my point was that fish should not be eating other fish. Anyway, as I said, there is no way the tetra could even begin to keep livebearer fry within any limit. After about two months you will have a lot.
Byron.
Thank you once again for being such a great source of information. I was a bit worried that I simply didn't have any algae at all in my tank, which did not seem very natural considering I haven't actively been trying to prevent algae growth. Based on what you have told me regarding the livebearers, I won't stock with guppies and I'll stick to just swordtails, I understand swordtails to be a bit less prolific when it comes to reproducing, and I prefer swordtails to guppies as a fish anyways.
You're most welcome. I have a bit more info...but it is best to know before rather than dealing with trouble after.
If both sexes of swordtails are to be housed in the same aquarium, there should be more females than males to provide some rest for the females from the attention of the males. Maintaining males and females in the same tank will result in regular batches of fry approximately every 28 days, and once impregnated, a female can deliver successive batches on her own [this is known as superfetation] and this can continue for as long as six to eight months. In fry, this impregnation can occur before the males attain their colouration. The number of fry varies depending upon age and condition, but once a female gets going, each batch of fry can be up to 100. And remember that this is not a small fish; males attain 4-5 inches, some getting to six, and females are a bit larger. The 2-3 inch size of fish in pet stores are fish that are approximately 6-9 months of age.
Byron.
