Fry getting too big for the breeding trap

[NikkiY]

I keep my platy fry in a breeding trap within a 33g planted tank. The fry are getting larger now and I feel that they are too cramped in the trap. Here are the questions I have:

1. how big a tank do i need to house them? Would a 5g one good enough to raise them to maturity?

2. What filter should I use? I am thinking to use one like the Hagen Fuval 1 or the Hagen Elite Stingray. Would a corner filter be good enough?

3. Are there other things I need to consider too?

TIA.

Nikki

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How many fry do you have, their size and your main tanks occupants?

 

[Kittycat]

I use a 2.5 gal (for newborns) and 5 gal as a fry tank (I've kept about 15-20 fry there at a time), but I don't raise them there to maturity. once the newborns get big enough to compete for food, I put them in the 5 gal, then when they're too big to be eaten, I put them with the adults. I think tank size would depend on how many fry you have.

 

[Tolak]

Once the fry are too large to fit in the other fish's mouths, you could put them in the 32 gallon. You could keep them in a 5 for a while, but I think leaving them in there too long isn't a good idea. They'll need more room to grow, & may end up stunted, at least they will be slow to grow.

When I had platys, I just left the fry in the 55 with the adults. Plenty of plants & rocks for them to hide, and I was still overrun in no time.

Tolak

 

[NikkiY]

How many fry do you have, their size and your main tanks occupants?

My main tank is 32G planted with rosy barbs, tiger barbs, cardinal tetras, platy, corydoras and oto. Currently I have 23 or so healthy platy fry. The fry are roughly 10 to 12 mm long (head to fin)

 

[NikkiY]

My platy fry are around 12mm long now. With about 22 of them, will it be too crowded in the breeder trap? When they grow to 15mm or more, do you think they will be safe with the adults? BTW, do I need to worry about in-breeding at this point?

TIA

Nikki

 

[ferrikins]

I'd say go witch a 5 maybe 10g, with an undergravel or sponge filter.

They most certainly need to be moved from the trap. But I would never put fry in with tiger barbs, unless I wanted them to be eaten.

How old are they, they should'nt be sexauly mature till there 4-6 weeks old.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Most platys aern't sexually mature to at least 5months old.
A 5gal will be too small to raise them to maturity; you will be able to rehome them safely at your lfs when they are half grown if you like but if you want to keep them you will have to take into consideration not to let them interbreed with their brothers and sisters when they are older.
With platys you can go by the 1inch of fish per gal rule when they are mature so if you want to keep them all when they are adult we're talking a rather large tank here for 23 fry to grow to maturity in.
Because you have tiger barbs i would avoid putting them into the main tank for the mean time- how old are the fry?

 

[NikkiY]

Most platys aern't sexually mature to at least 5months old.
A 5gal will be too small to raise them to maturity; you will be able to rehome them safely at your lfs when they are half grown if you like but if you want to keep them you will have to take into consideration not to let them interbreed with their brothers and sisters when they are older.
With platys you can go by the 1inch of fish per gal rule when they are mature so if you want to keep them all when they are adult we're talking a rather large tank here for 23 fry to grow to maturity in.
Because you have tiger barbs i would avoid putting them into the main tank for the mean time- how old are the fry?

The fry are 3 weeks old now. The largest one is around 12mm long. Perhaps, I don't want to raise them to full maturity. Just large so that they won't be eaten in the large tank. At what size, they will be large enough to go back to the main tank?

Nikki

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I would say raise them to 2cm long and hopefully that should be fine. If you have to put them in the main tank i would suggest stocking up on making some realy planted areas in the tank; the platy fry will instinctively hide in the planted areas and stay out the other fish's way, theres still a small chance they can get get eaten but it will still be an option if you can't get a larger fry tank for them.

 

[sylvia]

Keep in mind that adding 23 platies to your community tank might end up over-stocking it once they reach maturity and are the full 1.5"...