Breeding/fry Tank Setup

[PaBucsFan]

I am not a hardcore breeder by any means but I would suggest sand as a substrate as I cannot count the number or fry I have lost as a result of the fry getting stuck in rock substrate.

 

[Darren5591]

Thanks for your advice, would it be worth a sand substrate then? Someone mentioned that trying "marbles" which provide protection for the fry in the first few hours, alongside java moss.

 

[Curiosity101]

Marbles are supposed to help cause the eggs fall between them and the parents can't get to them. But for anything that isn't a bottom feeder I'd definitely go with a bare bottom tank. It's easier to keep clean/spot dirt. If you put the tank on top of white paper you'd find it even easier to spot dirt and that way make the most out of the small regular water changes that are needed to keep the water stats spot on.

 

[Darren5591]

I understand, the tank will be on a cabinet so will mean that I could place paper underneath. Can you recommend me a small filter that would be up to the job? Obviously nothing overly powerful, just enough to maintain water quality and oxygenate the water.

 

[Curiosity101]

Basically anything that does between 125lph - 250lph. If it were me I'd go for the top end of this estimate. However if you can put up with the noise then an air driven spong filter would be even better than a power filter. I should have them on my shrimp tank but the noise really annoys me.

 

[Darren5591]

I was looking at the Interpet PF mini, this does around 200lph and I have a PF2 filter in my 60litre so I know the design etc. Would this be suitable?

 

[Curiosity101]

Should be yep, but I'd get a large square piece of foam to slot of the bottom of it where the intake is. And if I remember correctly...are they the ones with the funny venturi thing on top? I'd also stick some airline on that or plug it somehow to avoid fry getting sucked onto it as I've had happen before.

 

[Darren5591]

Should be yep, but I'd get a large square piece of foam to slot of the bottom of it where the intake is. And if I remember correctly...are they the ones with the funny venturi thing on top? I'd also stick some airline on that or plug it somehow to avoid fry getting sucked onto it as I've had happen before.

Good i'll get it ordered then. It has slots at the bottom for the intake so you're right in putting foam, otherwise I might not find any of the fry! You can turn off the venturi, or if you leave it long enough it decides to make itself useless anyway

I think my LFS has a sale on at the moment, and I think this was on offer. If its suitable then i'll get it sorted out. Java moss is being sourced by my LFS, so its just a light. Should be ok for now though as I dont need a light for cycling. Do you think I should cycle the media in my 64l for a while, then do a 25% water change, reuse the water in the new tank and bring the filter over with it? 2 birds 1 stone?

 

[OldMan47]

As C101 said, marbles are a strategy for egg scatterers. Things like zebra danios need the marble layer to keep them from gobbling down the eggs right after they disperse them. I find the java moss or najas grass make great livebearer cover. I have used both with about the same results. My najas grass seems to stay a bit cleaner from algae than my java moss but both work great for livebearer fry.
As far as the cover for a filter inlet is concerned, forget the foot from a pair of nylons. I use the ultimate cover for my filter inlet tube. I use the replacement filter sponge for a popular brand of filter. This means it is available almost anywhere. I just cut a slit in one end of the sponge and slip it up over the filter inlet tube. It looks like this laying on my desk top.

and it looks like this after it has been in place for about a month.

An even better solution for a fry tank is a sponge filter or an old fashioned box filter. With a sponge filter, there is no place for the fry to be sucked up and the sponge outer surface provides a place for infusoria, a perfect first food for very small fry, to grow. I use this sponge with a power head to move the water in a 40 gallon breeder tank.

You will find box filters called corner filters in some pet shops. I recently attended a fish club auction and actually bought a set of 6 of the box filters. I have no idea why they were selling them but I found the price irresistible. All 6 will become a part of my filter surplus. I always have a few extra filters in use somewhere in my tanks just in case I have a sudden need to set up a new tank. That way an impulse purchase at an auction or a need for a hospital tank is not a crisis, it is something I am prepared to deal with. I use Seachem Matrix in my box filters because I bought tons of it about a year ago and have plenty left. I also put a thin layer of filter floss on top. If you follow the instructions on the box, you would use lots of carbon and somewhat less of filter floss. Since my main interest is biological filtration, the carbon does not have a place in my filters.