Angel Egg Hatching And Fry Raising Tank

[shortymet55]

I have an empty 10gallon tank. I want it to save some eggs from angels in my 29 gallon. But how do I setup this 10 gallon tank. Ive read around, but there are some conflicting opinions. What are you tried and true methods?

Q's:
- Should I keep in any decorations for when they start swimming?
- Barebottom or gravel?
- What temperature should I try for?
- Should I turn the light on during the day?
- Does Methylene Blue work for anti-fungus? I read some people use other products
- My Angels usually lay eggs on an Amazon Sword Leaf. How do I set up the aeration?
- I have a HOB, how can I protect the babies from this?

Thanks

 

[Tolak]

Decorations are not needed, they are just one more thing that will get in your way when cleaning, and will hold dirt.

Bare tanks are best, easier to keep clean. Gravel holds an amazing amount of dirt.

I keep fry tanks at 82-84F.

I keep a light on fry tanks the first two weeks 24/7. Young angels will shoal, and will settle to the bottom in a group when there is little light. The bottom is where debris collects, this translates to bacteria.

Meth blue is a good start, Acriflavin & Maroxy are a couple of others I use along with meth blue. Others have success with hydrogen peroxide or copper sulfate. The fungus you see is often thought to be secondary to the bacteria you don't see.

For aeration prop up the leaf, add an air stone near by to provide a bit of circulation. You are trying to replicate the gentle fanning of the parents.

Hob filters are generally not used with younger angel fry. Besides the obvious intake problem, the water flow at many times is excessive, this can damage or kill fry. If this is all you have, poke a hole in a piece of filter sponge, and slide this over the intake. This works better than screening or fabric tied over the intake. The best filter for fry tanks is an air powered sponge filter, this can be kept cycled in the parent's tank and used when needed.

 

[shortymet55]

For the sponge filter, what size air pump should I buy. Right now, I have a Elite800 pump, but I need another, because I would have to have a pump for the filter (I suppose I could put this by the eggs, so the bubbles fan them) and a pump for the brine shrimp egg hatchery. What size pump will filter well, but not overpower?

Thanks


Also, would a 5.5 gallon be to small? I kinda was cleaning the 10 and getting it ready, and it sorta slipped from my hands and shattered..... so now I have a 5.5 gallon only free.

 

[shortymet55]

Anything? I know there are plenty of you out there breeding Angels!

 

[Tolak]

The sponge filter doesn't require much air, you could probably use a gang valve & run both off of the one pump.

A 5.5 should be good for at least two weeks, 3 if you count the hatch time. Three weeks swimming in a 5.5 is kind of pushing it, and is about as long as you would want to keep them in there before moving to larger quarters.

 

[shortymet55]

ok thanks. Ill hold off on raising them yet, because I wont have enough space to grow them out too selling size. I dont have much space to grow them out in my big tank either.

 

[shortymet55]

Im searching on craiglist for another 10 gallon, or even better a 20Long or something. Then I should have adequate room.

 

[shortymet55]

Ive decided, if a 20L has enough space to grow them out sufficiently to selling size, then thats what im getting. I have an old 29 gallon light and hood, which would fit on a 20L and I have a desk that only has enough height space for a 10gal or equivalent (which a 20L is), so I think its the perfect size tank.

But what is most important is a 20gallons big enough? Just need the space to grow out most the fry to selling/ giving away size. If I have any that look really nice, I might sell my breeding pair and grow my babies hoping to find a new pair.

 

[Tolak]

A 20 long should be good enough for raising 60 angels to dime body size, 40 to nickel body size. The usual stocking rate is 3 dimes per gallon, 2 nickels per gallon.

 

[shortymet55]

Very nice. I was just at the LFS and they had one left and I went to look at air pumps and filter. When I came back, I saw someone purchasing it. They should get another in the next few days.

 

[shortymet55]

By the way. I was at the store looking for the sponge filter and they didnt sell any. Would taking a "Bio-bag" for a whisper filter and putting it on the intake of a HOB filter work as far as preventing fry from being sucked up? Its definitely thick enough to prevent fry from being sucked up. but would they stick to it? I doubt, but just curious if anyone has tried it, or something similar.
Thanks

 

[shortymet55]

ok, I have my filter running on my 29gallon, so Im getting ready to setup the 20L. I want to go buy it in the next few days, add water, let temperature adjust. I have a few questions

1.) When should I put the filter on the 20L? If the eggs are going to be eggs for a day or two, will that hurt my filter bacteria? Should I leave it on my main tank until I see some wigglers? I just dont want to lose my bacteria before the fry are born.

2.) How big should they be before sending a few over to the main tank to grow out? When I start seeing colors, Im going to pick my favorite few and keep them. How long will this be for them to color up and be large enough to keep safe with old angels?

Thanks

 

[Tolak]

As I said before, a piece of sponge slid over the intake works best. You don't need to add the filter until they are swimming, this is generally 7 days after they are laid, at a tank temperature of 80F.

I've put dime size angels in with adults with no problems. At pea body size you will have some idea of colors and such, dime body size more so.

 

[shortymet55]

Thanks you

This will even give my filter an extra week to make sure its mature enough.

 

[shortymet55]

The tank has been purchased. It was $25, and Im using the hood/light I got with my 29g (but soon upgraded), using an old heater, and old filter. Not to bad a setup cost.

Anyways, Ill get the water ready and heating up today. Filter is being matured as we speak in my larger tank. I have brine shrimp hatching right now (but ill start a fresh batch right after the eggs come). I think there is one thing left... angelfish eggs!