Fry

[AmandaXIL9098]

I have kept cold water and tropical fish for many years. I have had a few fry along the way but not very often.

I now keep parrot fish, red parrots, polar parrots and white parrots. I also have Kribensis and a Marble Bristlenose.

I have one parrot fish, called Daisy and she is now 11 years old.

Two of my parrots, a polar parrot and a white one have had fry. I tried to keep them safe but unfortunately one of the other parrots sucked them out of the fry hatchery which I had stuck on the side of the big tank.

I then purchased a small nursery tank but only a few have survived in this. Not sure why. Some of them got stuck in the filter so I took it out and just put bubbles in there.

There are still some fry in the big tank and mum and dad are looking after these and doing a great job, so for the time being I will keep those fry in there.

Has anyone got any ideas about putting the filter back in the hatchery tank and maybe putting something around it so that the fry do not get stuck in there.

Grateful for any comments.

 

[BleuTheBetta]

Welcome to the forum!

What type of filter is it? Where the fry are being sucked up, you could put a piece of sponge so that they can’t get through.

 

[sharkweek178]

Welcome to the forum!

What type of filter is it? Where the fry are being sucked up, you could put a piece of sponge so that they can’t get through.

If it's a HOB filter, there are sponges you can put on the intake tube for that very purpose. I don't have fry in my tanks and I still use them. It's like adding a little sponge filter to your HOB. And it keeps things like uneaten food from getting sucked into the filter. The food sits on the sponge and fish peck at it.

 

[emeraldking]

You could also use a nylon stocking. And put it over the inlet.

 

[The603]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[AmandaXIL9098]

Thanks for your reply. It is a Ciano CF40. Like I said we have taken it out for the moment and put in bubbles. We were thinking of putting some tights over it or a sponge, so just need to purchase those and see how it goes.

I only had one fry in the nursery tank but cannot see it at the moment, however, I have a pair of Kribensis that look like they are mating so better get the nursery tank sorted in case something happens there, fingers crossed.

There are 3 parrot fry in the big tank with the parents and they are doing a good job keeping them safe, so will just have to keep an eye on it.

I absolutely adore my fish, they all have their own personalities, so we try to do everything we can to make them all happy.

Hopefully some more fry soon.

 

[Colin_T]

The only type of filter suitable for a fry tank is an air operated sponge filter or an undergravel filter. Anything else will be too powerful for the baby fish.

Leave the babies with the adults to look after. If the other fish are eating the babies, move the other fish out and let the parents have the tank to themselves and let them rear up the young. Or move the pair into their own tank. When the babies are a few months old and no longer come back to the parents at night or when frightened, then move the babies out.

Baby cichlids can normally eat newly hatched brineshrimp as soon as the fry start swimming.

 

[AmandaXIL9098]

The previous fry did not make it, however, last weekend had some more parrot fry. So put them in our nursery tank with heater and filter in. They are inside a fry box inside the tank to keep them away from the filter.

I have fed with fry food, however, I will have to move them out of the fry box when it gets dirty and will probably suck them up with the turkey baster.

Someone suggested that I should keep; the fry with the parents and take the other fish out of the tank but this is not an option.

I have left some of the fry with the parents as they are keeping them safe in one of my ornaments. When and if they get a bit bigger I will move those into the nursery tank too.