Question about upgrading tank/new additions and controling the fry population

emilyekk

emilyekk

AC Members
Apr 28, 2009
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Hi guys!
I apologize in advance if these are too many questions at once but here we go.

? #1) I currently have a 10 gallon with 1 balloon molly, 4 corys, and 5 neon tetra - my molly had 4 babies leaving me with 5 balloon mollies. I want to keep these 4 new babies, but if any more reproduce I won't be keeping them. That said - what size tank should I look to be upgrading to to keep the number of fish that I currently have? What size tank should I get if I want to keep that number, but also add maybe 5 or 6 more neon tetra?

? # 2) I definitely am planning on upgrading the tank - just doing some research first while they are still babies - if any more babies happen to appear in my tank - what would be a good "fry eating fish" to already have in the tank in case this happens? I am happy to upgrade now because I was planning on doing this anyhow and also because I've never experienced my own fish having babies before - but I don't want to upgrade every single time. =)

? # 3) How long should it take for my balloon molly fry to actually look like balloon mollies rather than just teeny tiny silver fish?


Thanks in advance for your input. =D

:feedback:
 
answer to #1: a 33 or 40 gallon would be an ideal size and it would allow you to have at least 5 or 6 more tetras. once you have the bigger tank up and running and cycled and have your current fish moved over you could keep the 10 up and running for a qt tank for any new fish you get.

answer to #2: instead of getting a 'fry eating fish', why not raise up the babies a little bit and sell them or trade them at an lfs for store credit?

as for #3, i have no idea, lol. my endler fry are taking forever to turn into 'real' fish, hahaha.
 
BettaFishMommy said:
answer to #1: a 33 or 40 gallon would be an ideal size and it would allow you to have at least 5 or 6 more tetras. once you have the bigger tank up and running and cycled and have your current fish moved over you could keep the 10 up and running for a qt tank for any new fish you get.

answer to #2: instead of getting a 'fry eating fish', why not raise up the babies a little bit and sell them or trade them at an lfs for store credit?

as for #3, i have no idea, lol. my endler fry are taking forever to turn into 'real' fish, hahaha.
Click to expand...


Well, I have read that most LFS won't take molly fry because they aren't exactly hard to get, lol.

I also only have a petsupermarket near my so I don't see it happening.

I do have a betta in a 5 gallon so I guess I could give the fry to him - I think I'd just feel better if I had a fish in the main tank to take care of the additional fry, because I know it's nature and fish will eat fish - but I'd feel a little guilty transferring fry to my betta's tank to be dealt with, lol.
 
if your betta is agreeable, why not add him to your community tank? he'd be so 'happy', especially once you upgrade to a larger tank!

as for having only big box stores near you, that nulls and voids taking them in, dagnabit.
 
BettaFishMommy said:
if your betta is agreeable, why not add him to your community tank? especially once you upgrade to a larger tank, he'd be sooooo 'happy'!
Click to expand...


He's definitely not agreeable. lol. He has never been with other fish but the fish flares at his tank. lol. I don't know that I'd want to chance it to be honest. Plus my neon tetras were VERY nippy at my guppy when I had him - I don't think the betta would be thrilled.

Is there no other peaceful fish that could eat the fry?
 
The little problem I see, is that the fish eater fish that I know of will eat the neons too.

This one is fairly common... African Butterflyfish > http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/miscellaneous/butterfly.php
They sit around the top of the water all day. Are usually sold at adult size of about 3". But yea, will eat a neon too.

Leaf fish
http://www.mongabay.com/images/calacademy/600/leaf_fish.jpg
Hangs out where ever. Usually close to plants. And of course, if you had some leaves laying around somewhere. Top/bottom, where ever. He'd be right in them, patiently waitng for food to swim up to him.
Are usually sold at adult size of about 3". But yea, will eat a neon too.
I had one of these yrs ago. Kind of an interesting specimen. A 3" fishs mouth will extend close to an inch stright out, in a tube shape. I don;t remember all the technical how to whys. But basically it creates a suction with the split second move and sucks the fish in. And yes, if you blink, you missed it.

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Probaly not much real help. Unless of course you were to keep the neons in the 10g. ;)
 
Wow... well I really don't want to sacrifice my neons...

Maybe I will just have to hope for the best and give the leftovers to the betta.

It's hard to say though because I was like totally oblivious that the molly was about to have babies and by the time I noticed, they don't look THAT small to me. I still have them in the nursery tank, but they survived at least overnight in the tank without safety (I didn't have a nursery thing) and no one even bothered them.

Which worries me - I can't have 4 new fish every month, lol.
 
Mollies will produce new fry regularly, about every 5-6 weeks. I ended up taking a pair of sailfins back to the lfs because I got tired of returning the fry growing out in my 55. No store credit for any of them, they just took them off my hands. They were sharing a tank with African cichlids at the time, and the the fry still survived and grew.
 
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