First baby tetra

[Retired Viking]

Last night I was checking the temp in my 55 gallon tank when I saw a tetra fry. I was not expecting fry since it is more difficult to breed them and I hadn't done all the steps involved. I had just fed the fish and he was near the top of the tank. I have ember, neon and red eye tetras in the tank with a few cory. My guess is he is a red eye since I had a male red eye trying to mate with a female. She didn't seem to give him the time of day and would swim off but I guess I was wrong. Back to the fry, he appears to be over 1/4 inch long and no egg sack. I saw him again swimming around the bottom of the tank this morning. I have had fry in the past but from live-bearers and always put the female into a birth tank. With a 55 gallon tank and plenty of plants I will probably have to leave him in there. He is also a fast little bugger.

 

[Back in the fold]

Hey man ! That's great ! When fry appear on their own that's a sure sign that all is well.

 

[Retired Viking]

Hey man ! That's great ! When fry appear on their own that's a sure sign that all is well.

I sure hope so, had a lot of great advice from here to help me

 

[seangee]

That's really cool. I have never (to my knowledge) had tetra fry survive in my community tank. It may have something to do with the 30 corys in there

 

[Retired Viking]

That's really cool. I have never (to my knowledge) had tetra fry survive in my community tank. It may have something to do with the 30 corys in there

Well maybe my two corys did help I am still very surprised to see him. Hope to take a picture and post it here but he has been hiding today.

 

[Retired Viking]

Finally was able to get a good look and take a picture of the new fry, it is a red eyed tetra.

 

[Fishmanic]

Congratulations. This calls for a celebratory cigar.

 

[Retired Viking]

Congratulations. This calls for a celebratory cigar.

Thanks I think he has his mothers eyes

 

[Retired Viking]

He already looks too big for the ember or neon tetras to eat and even came out at feeding time last night and swam with the others. The larger red eye tetra didn't seem to care he was there. He is back hiding today.

 

[Back in the fold]

That's just too cool !

 

[Retired Viking]

Doing my weekly water change/ vacuuming and I spotted another fry hiding under a moss ball. I only saw him for a second or two but he was half the size of the first one and looked to be all black. Still only have neon, red eye and ember tetras and albino catfish so not sure what he is.

 

[Byron]

The fry in the photo is several weeks old. Characins are egg scatterers, so a male and female will sidle up to each other usually in or over a plant thicket and dozens to hundreds (depending upon species) of eggs are released. Most get eaten by any fish in the tank, but if an egg or two manages to fall where it will not easily be found, it can hatch in a few days. The fry will usually remain well hidden, eating infusoria and micro foods. By the time you see it/them, several weeks later, they are usually not likely to be eaten, though that depends.

 

[Retired Viking]

The fry in the photo is several weeks old. Characins are egg scatterers, so a male and female will sidle up to each other usually in or over a plant thicket and dozens to hundreds (depending upon species) of eggs are released. Most get eaten by any fish in the tank, but if an egg or two manages to fall where it will not easily be found, it can hatch in a few days. The fry will usually remain well hidden, eating infusoria and micro foods. By the time you see it/them, several weeks later, they are usually not likely to be eaten, though that depends.

Thanks for the info, I made sure there was plenty of plants and hiding spots for the tetra to feel safe, I wasn't expecting to see fry. They sure like to hide under the moss balls. Years ago I bread live-bearers like Mollies and African Cichlids for fun so have had plenty of fry before but not by egg layers.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Congratulations! So cool!

 

[Fishguy13]

Nice job