HELP! Baby Fry Questions...

[PJGirl112]

Strange things happening with my pineapple swordtail fry. No casulties so far...they were born last Sunday...I keep seeing babies swimming around free in the tank. I thought I did a good job fishing them out the day they were born, but it seems like I keep finding more fry not already in the fry tank!!

1) Since the new ones that I am catching seem to have done really well (bigger than the others and have managed to stay away from the betta and the mature swords) is it OK to put them in the fry tank?? I have heard that they may eat the littlier fry... They don't seem too interested in the fry food either although the others are eating well and I have been giving crushed fish food also.

2) How big or how long should they stay in the fry tank?? I read somewhere that they should be about 1 month old??? :help:

 

[Kissofthegorami]

Make sure the fry tank is cycled. I'd use aquarium water from the big aquarium plus some new water. use gravel from the main auarium or take some and put it in a mesh bag and put it into the fry tank or some of the filter media. The fry wont eat the smaller fry. Put lots of plants in the fry tank. algae is good too. Crush flake food into a pwder with your fingers. They will eat that and the algae.

 

[maaltan]

If you are looking for maximum production (minimum casualties) do what your doing. Although I've found the fry are hardier and more savy if they grow up with the big fish.

I was in your situation. i had about 7 in the fry net and the others got away from me and i could never catch them. When i released the ones in the net they almost got fried instantly. the nieve fry were into everything, taunting the adults, sniffing around the filter intake, trying to steal food from the adults, etc. where the ones that grew up "in the wild" learned food will come to them. they all lined up under a leaf where the current blew the scraps. The aggressive adult male claimed the nugget of tubifex worm running all the other fish away, the wild ones learned that when the male chased the others away he spits the food out. instant prechewed baby food.

good luck, Again, if you want them all to live do what your doing. I just felt like sharing a story

 

[judgemax]

I was in your situation. i had about 7 in the fry net and the others got away from me and i could never catch them. When i released the ones in the net they almost got fried instantly. the nieve fry were into everything, taunting the adults, sniffing around the filter intake, trying to steal food from the adults, etc. where the ones that grew up "in the wild" learned food will come to them. they all lined up under a leaf where the current blew the scraps. The aggressive adult male claimed the nugget of tubifex worm running all the other fish away, the wild ones learned that when the male chased the others away he spits the food out. instant prechewed baby food.



sounds like that was a pretty interesting tank to watch!

 

[PJGirl112]

Headcount...

Per my earlier message:

There are a total of 16 fry...5 swimming around with mom and the betta in the big tank and 11 in the little fry tank. I moved the 11 out of the net last night and they seem so happy to get out of the breeding net and into the little 2.5G all by themselves!!!

The fry in the big tank have excellent color and seem to be free swimming and eating with the big fish w/o problems at this point. Although they do hide pretty darn well for most of the day. I am going to continue to watch but I think that I will keep them in there as they seem to be doing fine. :dive2:

I totally agree with you...those first few hours after they were born I thought 2 had been eaten right in front of my eyes (it was hard to tell because of the plants and rocks)...but all of the babies that I counted that day being born have showed up in the tank alive and well.

Thanks for your help!!!
P.S. When can they get off the liquid fry food??? They seem to really like it still and the tube is almost gone.

 

[ashdavid]

If there are plenty of really small places to hide , then a few should survive. I have a fair bit of java moss in my tank and the bigger fish cant chase them in there, so generally the strong ones survive. Like they say survival of the fittest.

 

[maaltan]

I was in your situation. i had about 7 in the fry net and the others got away from me and i could never catch them. When i released the ones in the net they almost got fried instantly. the nieve fry were into everything, taunting the adults, sniffing around the filter intake, trying to steal food from the adults, etc. where the ones that grew up "in the wild" learned food will come to them. they all lined up under a leaf where the current blew the scraps. The aggressive adult male claimed the nugget of tubifex worm running all the other fish away, the wild ones learned that when the male chased the others away he spits the food out. instant prechewed baby food.



sounds like that was a pretty interesting tank to watch!

it was. had to trade the bully male. since it ripped the entire tail off of one of the other males. Now everybody just hides in the weeds... err well placed undergrowth . been 2 months since i got rid of him and still they hide like i torture them. I've been noticing some pack like behavior in this brood. I removedd the alpha and the rest are lost in life. hmm.