Eek, I have babies honey gouramis!

[kjgalaxy]

I'm new to a 'larger' fishtank. I've been keeping a betta for several years. I had salt water tanks when I was a kid (my parents did but I did a lot of the water changing and feeding and such) and I considered getting a salt water tank but the fish are expensive and require a lot more time and maintenance than I felt I'd be able to give it. Long story short, I decided to go with my first real freshwater tank, 20 gallons, 10 gallon aqoen pump with filter.
I spent a lot of time talking with a knowledgeable and passionate Petco salesman to make sure I got hardy fish that would be appropriate for tank size. I ultimately settled on 2 sunset honey guarami and 1 orange honey gourami. I got a couple ghost shrimp, a couple other shrimp and a couple snails. I have 1 hybrid cat fish in there that I was assured will not outgrow the tank. He convinced me to put some plants in there as well. The fish seemed to do well and I decided to get 1 more of each fish. I know the sunsets are all male but suspected one of the orange *might* be female.
At any rate I had a major health crisis come upon me (cancer will spiral your life into chaos) and have sort of ignored the fish beyond feeding them over the past couple months and adding some water. I let the floating fernlike plant spread until it fills the top 2/3rds of the tank. I'd pulled some out a while back to make sure to open up some space, and I was thinking I need to get more out of there so I can actually see my fish. I haven't been able to really sit down and enjoy them. So tonight after checking to see if I needed to feed them, I suddenly realized I have a couple baby fish in there--I'm guessing a few weeks old based on size. I haven't dug through the fern to see just how many I might have. The babies are probably about a half inch or less. They are able to eat the micro pellets I feed the adults. I saw them when I added a bit of food to confirm this.
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So here are my questions: I want to pull some of the fern plants out, maybe a third. (I'd planned on more but I think the babies need the protection. I've seen at least one male chase one of the babies) Will that upset/endanger them? I'm concerned the fern plants are getting too thick for the health of the adults so feel I really need to pull some out but I know the babies can be fragile. I currently don't have another tank for the babies. Since they've survived this long in there, is is okay to leave them in with the adults? Should I get a small 1.5 gallon tank (I have one that I keep my betta in) and move them into there or is that just going to be too risky and I should I just remove a small bit of fern and leave things status quo for now? At what point will the babies no longer be 'fragile'? Do I need to supplement their diet or will the micropellets be sufficient for their healthy growth? Thx. (why is it when I try to do everything perfectly, my fish die, but if I ignore them, boom I have babies? *headdesk*)

 

[OrionGirl]

I'd just leave them, personally, and not worry about removing plants. The plants provide cover, and host microfauna that the fry eat in addition to sucking up excess nutrients from the water.

Fish often benefit from 'benign neglect'--the lighter feedings mimic what they experience in the wild, water quality improves, etc.

See if you have a fish club locally, babies will bring a nice price at auction. If they're a half inch, they're safe to move--that's several weeks old. Gourami fry are literally eyelash size at hatching.

 

[kjgalaxy]

I'd just leave them, personally, and not worry about removing plants. The plants provide cover, and host microfauna that the fry eat in addition to sucking up excess nutrients from the water.

Fish often benefit from 'benign neglect'--the lighter feedings mimic what they experience in the wild, water quality improves, etc.

See if you have a fish club locally, babies will bring a nice price at auction. If they're a half inch, they're safe to move--that's several weeks old. Gourami fry are literally eyelash size at hatching.

I knew the plants are helping to keep the tank healthy. And my shrimp love it too. Okay I'll leave things status quo for now. I'll ask my petco guy about a local fish club. Thank you so much. I guess I better make arrangements for future fry or get rid of the two orange since I don't know which is female. Or maybe go into the gourami business. Lol.

 

[OrionGirl]

Having the shrimp helps too, since the gouramies will eat the shrimplets.

Check the internet, most big box stores don't know anything about aquarium clubs, IME.

 

[kjgalaxy]

Having the shrimp helps too, since the gouramies will eat the shrimplets.

Check the internet, most big box stores don't know anything about aquarium clubs, IME.

He may not, but he seems extremely knowledgeable and passionate about fish. He spent at least an hour with me educating me about fish and tank care when I bought them. I don't think my shrimps have produced babies. I've only got a couple.

 

[OrionGirl]

What kind? Most shrimp will berry up if both genders are present, but shrimplet survival is another matter. Amano shrimplets require marine/brackish conditions, but most of the other FW shrimp don't and will produce lots of young.

 

[kjgalaxy]

What kind? Most shrimp will berry up if both genders are present, but shrimplet survival is another matter. Amano shrimplets require marine/brackish conditions, but most of the other FW shrimp don't and will produce lots of young.

I have a couple ghost shrimp (I've bought a total of 7 at this point but I think only 3 are still in there). I bought 2 red cherry but I've only seen one for awhile, and the other I forget the name but it's red and white striped. Again, I bought 2 but only one survived. I think. I've got lots of nooks for them to hide so it is possible they're all alive.

 

[OrionGirl]

Aha--well, keep in mind that many of the varieties are line bred of the same species and will interbreed, so you lose the colors. There are different species that can be mixed, but a lot of stores don't know that and just dump them all together.

 

[kjgalaxy]

Aha--well, keep in mind that many of the varieties are line bred of the same species and will interbreed, so you lose the colors. There are different species that can be mixed, but a lot of stores don't know that and just dump them all together.

The cherry and crystal(?) red shrimp I got from a local specialty store so she helped guide me through what might do well in the tank and was careful to catch larger shrimp so they (hopefully) wouldn't get eaten. I know very little about shrimp. She didn't mention if they could interbreed, but she did imply the ghost and the reds couldn't. When I first got them I didn't have much greenery in there. They hid in the resin lanterns or in the niches of the basalt rocks.

I have the Aqueon 10 gallon pump but I also purchased a volcano bubbler (Hydro H2Show Volcano). I feel like the pump might be a bit too brisk but worry that the bubbler (which I haven't put in there yet) would not produce enough water aeration. Any opinion or advice? I've always been under the impression/opinion that anything larger than a goldfish bowl should have a pump with filter. I will have to pull out a dragon or lantern if I put the volcano in.

 

[OrionGirl]

Larger means likely all females, which might explain the lack of babies. Common names are hard--red crystal is used for a couple different animals.

I probably wouldn't add the bubbler. There's no real reason, and it will disturb the surface enough that it might prevent the gouramies from breeding again--they're bubble nesters, and usually build at or near the surface.