Teeny Cory Fry In Filter - Now What?

BeckyCats · Sep 19, 2016

I found another tiny Cory when I cleaned out my filter tonight. I emptied the filter water into a bucket this time and sure enough, there was someone living in there. The problem this time is that this little fish is tiny tiny tiny. It's head is about 1 millimeter and it's tail about 2. The picture is the best shot I could get of the little critter because it prefers to hide in the gunk but you can kind of compare its size to the tweezers.

So, my concern is that if I put it in the main tank, it is easily small enough for even the smallest fish to eat. Also, will it be able to find food in the main tank? Is it actually better off in the filter for another week or so until it gets bigger?

It is a HOB filter and a 55 gallon tank (pic also included).

Thanks!

Byron · Sep 20, 2016

When I clean the canister filter on my 70g, which houses many cory and upper characins, I almost always find fry. I now have three corys that I rescued, and several diamond tetra, etc. I wouldnot leave fry in the filter, as they can obviously manage there for a while, but at some point it will end.

With your lovely planted tank, they might survive on their own, under a chunk of wood. But other fish could find them too.

I have a permanently-running QT for new fish, so sometimes if it is empty of fish I put them in there to grow up to a size when they can be re-introduced to the main tank. I recently saw two corys spawning, and as I especially wanted fry (a rare species) I found a couple eggs and removed them before the other fish saw and ate them. These I put in a small nylon breeding net (I think this is what they are called), hanging in the corner of the 70g. This can work for the fry, as the fish is protected from predation, the water is the same and flows through easily, and you can feed them. Dried leaves are ideal for any fry. Pick up a few dead leaves that fall naturally from the tree (we are entering autumn, a good time to collect leaves for the year), rinse them off, and stick them in; they will become waterlogged and sink, and as they slowly decompose infusoria will be prevalent, and this is an incredible food for fry, and many older fish too. Oak, maple, beech are safe; just collect them in forest areas away from industry, or in the back yard provided no insecticides and such have been used. Or you can buy almond leaves in some fish stores. I also add a handful of moss pulled from a chunk of wood in the tank; this can contain all sorts of living micro foods.

Byron.

BeckyCats · Sep 20, 2016

Thank you, Byron. A nylon breeding net is a good idea. I'll try to find one. It would seem that cory reproduction is fairly successful even when left alone, as this is the second time this has happened. When I found the first one, it was already much larger - at least large enough not to be eaten - and I put him in the main tank. Of course, I barely had time to think that time because the very last thing in the world I expected was a living creature to come plopping out into the bathtub as I emptied the filter water and it almost went down the drain. So, this time I was prepared and instead of emptying the filter into the tub, I emptied it into a bucket. Good thing too, apparently.

Last night when I posted this, it was already late so I had to make a decision. I put the little fish back into the filter for the time being along with a small piece of catfish food. I figured since it is apparently safe in there and there is obviously food that it can eat, that it was at least the best place for the rest of the night. I like the nylon net idea though as this seems a much better place for it to grow until it can't be eaten. This will also be a good thing in case this happens in the future. Where do you think I should I put the net once I get it? Nearer or farther from the filter flow?

I like the idea of adding moss to the net. There must be all kinds of tiny foods on it. It is interesting that fish can eat things that we can't even see. My stiphodon gobies occasionally pick at a vege wafer, but they seem to prefer nibbling on invisible somethings from the glass, the sand, rocks, leaves, and other surfaces.

Byron · Sep 21, 2016

I would put it away from the filter. I have mine hanging in the front right corner, which is at the opposite end of the 4-foot tank from the filter spray bar. The fry must not be buffeted around, it takes a lot of energy which should be used for growth.

Don't forget to stick in a dry leaf or two, these are superb sources of fry food. I have a 10g tank of pygmy corys that spawn regularly, and I do not add anything except dry leaves and normal sinking food for the adult corys, and many of the fry survive.

BeckyCats · Sep 21, 2016

Byron said:
I would put it away from the filter. I have mine hanging in the front right corner, which is at the opposite end of the 4-foot tank from the filter spray bar. The fry must not be buffeted around, it takes a lot of energy which should be used for growth.

Don't forget to stick in a dry leaf or two, these are superb sources of fry food. I have a 10g tank of pygmy corys that spawn regularly, and I do not add anything except dry leaves and normal sinking food for the adult corys, and many of the fry survive.

That is interesting. Do the leaves stain the water? Are oak or maple leaves better for creating food or does it matter?

Byron · Sep 22, 2016

BeckyCats said:
I would put it away from the filter. I have mine hanging in the front right corner, which is at the opposite end of the 4-foot tank from the filter spray bar. The fry must not be buffeted around, it takes a lot of energy which should be used for growth.

Don't forget to stick in a dry leaf or two, these are superb sources of fry food. I have a 10g tank of pygmy corys that spawn regularly, and I do not add anything except dry leaves and normal sinking food for the adult corys, and many of the fry survive.

Click to expand...

That is interesting. Do the leaves stain the water? Are oak or maple leaves better for creating food or does it matter?

It takes a number of leaves to cause any tannin-stain of the water, you wouldn't see it here. I have a 10g that is home to my pygmy corys that are spawning continually, and I have a lot of leaves, and initially it was noticeable but hardly so now.

As long as the leaf is safe (make sure the leaf has naturally dried, meaning fallen off the tree and turned brown so it no longer has internal liquid) and provided it is a hardwood, it probably doesn't matter. The leaf decomposing is what promotes infusoria, the microscopic life that the fish feed on. I have so far only used oak because I knew it was safe, I like the leaf shapes, and they have some substance even when dead. I have a maple tree, and intend using some of those leaves this year, as they turn red as they dry and I am wondering how this might look mixed in with the brown oak.

BeckyCats · Sep 22, 2016

If you do try it, let me know how the red maple leaves work out. That sounds like it would be pretty.

BeckyCats · Oct 11, 2016

Byron said:
When I clean the canister filter on my 70g, which houses many cory and upper characins, I almost always find fry. I now have three corys that I rescued, and several diamond tetra, etc. I wouldnot leave fry in the filter, as they can obviously manage there for a while, but at some point it will end.

With your lovely planted tank, they might survive on their own, under a chunk of wood. But other fish could find them too.

I have a permanently-running QT for new fish, so sometimes if it is empty of fish I put them in there to grow up to a size when they can be re-introduced to the main tank. I recently saw two corys spawning, and as I especially wanted fry (a rare species) I found a couple eggs and removed them before the other fish saw and ate them. These I put in a small nylon breeding net (I think this is what they are called), hanging in the corner of the 70g. This can work for the fry, as the fish is protected from predation, the water is the same and flows through easily, and you can feed them. Dried leaves are ideal for any fry. Pick up a few dead leaves that fall naturally from the tree (we are entering autumn, a good time to collect leaves for the year), rinse them off, and stick them in; they will become waterlogged and sink, and as they slowly decompose infusoria will be prevalent, and this is an incredible food for fry, and many older fish too. Oak, maple, beech are safe; just collect them in forest areas away from industry, or in the back yard provided no insecticides and such have been used. Or you can buy almond leaves in some fish stores. I also add a handful of moss pulled from a chunk of wood in the tank; this can contain all sorts of living micro foods.

Byron.

So, I did get a nylon breeding net but when I went to look for the little fish, it was gone. But then last night and again this morning, I saw it in the main tank hanging out with an adult cory. It is big enough to survive without the net now anyway (ssooooo cute!!!!), but the net is not unused. I already have 2 more little tiny cory fry in there. I am wondering if the new ones are peppered cories or bronze cories.

Despite appearances, I am not trying to breed these guys. It's just that if I see a baby, I have to help it, you know?

Byron · Oct 11, 2016

BeckyCats said:
So, I did get a nylon breeding net but when I went to look for the little fish, it was gone. But then last night and again this morning, I saw it in the main tank hanging out with an adult cory. It is big enough to survive without the net now anyway (ssooooo cute!!!!), but the net is not unused. I already have 2 more little tiny cory fry in there. I am wondering if the new ones are peppered cories or bronze cories.

Despite appearances, I am not trying to breed these guys. It's just that if I see a baby, I have to help it, you know?

My thoughts too. I just did my monthly cleaning of my two canisters, and retrieved two Farlowella fry from one of them. No corys in the other filter this time. The egg I saved hatched, and the fry is growing in the net.

FroFro · Oct 18, 2016

Your planted tank is gorgeous.

NickAu · Oct 18, 2016

That is interesting. Do the leaves stain the water?

I use Indian Almond leaf in my tanks and lots of it, at any given time there are up to 5 medium leaves in my Betta tank in various stages of decomposition and they do stain the water a lot, With the right and slightly subdued lighting in my tank It actually looks good. Just my opinion.

NickAu · Oct 20, 2016

Heres my tank see how much the IAL stains the water?
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/betta-being-a-betta.442007/page-2#post-3750472

Something like this will stop your fry getting into the filter,
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stainles...t-Basket-Mesh-Shrimp-Protect-SE-/142040990631

BeckyCats · Oct 21, 2016

FroFro said:
Your planted tank is gorgeous.

Thank you so much!

BeckyCats · Oct 21, 2016

NickAu said:
Heres my tank see how much the IAL stains the water?
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/betta-being-a-betta.442007/page-2#post-3750472

Something like this will stop your fry getting into the filter,
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stainles...t-Basket-Mesh-Shrimp-Protect-SE-/142040990631

The intake tube on my filter has a large piece on the end that makes it impossible to fit for any kind of pre-filter type attachment, unfortunately. I think the only thing I could possibly do would be to put a piece of hosiery/knee-high over it but that makes me nervous because last time I did that, my filter broke and I had to buy this new one. I'll have to do something though because I found 8 new Cory fry in the filter today. I put them in the new breeder net along with the other two from a few weeks ago. I also noticed a tiny Cory hanging out with the others in the main tank. Including the first one that I found, if all of these babies grow up, I will have a dozen extra cories. To my mind, this is more reason for me to get another tank!

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Teeny Cory Fry In Filter - Now What?

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