What do you put in fry tanks?

[MattW]

Just wondering what other members put or use in fry tanks (Equipment, Plants, etc)


I wonder if I may have gone a bit overboard with this sawbwa fry tank.

Just a simple sponge filter and a 50W heater for this tank. I've also got a large amount of filter foam in all 3 back compartments as well as a bag of carbon.
I do like a decent amount of aquatic plants in my tanks. Most in this tank are epiphytes since there is no substrate. A Crpyt and some Elodea are in terracotta pots. Also decided last week to add a few Rotala cuttings. Had no fish deaths so far. An army of bladder snails helps clean up excess food and such.

 

[Mr Limpet]

I keep a good-sized clumpJava moss in my fry tanks, which provides micro fauna for the babies to snack on.

 

[GaryE]

I start small fry in sponge filtered tanks with some Elodea. I want to see them. But after a couple of weeks, anything goes.

 

[MaloK]

Lots of more moss !!!

 

[MattW]

I keep a good-sized clumpJava moss in my fry tanks, which provides micro fauna for the babies to snack on.

I noticed a heavy presence around the java moss when I had it in a terracotta dish. I removed the dish since the snails were using it as a egg dumping ground

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Most of my fry are allowed to stay in the tank where they were born. But I only work with plecos and I do all species tanks for this. The tanks are mostly a sand bottom, lots of rocks and wood plus spawning caves. Off course, they all have heaters and filtration and usually something will be air powered.

When tanks get too many offspring in them I normally set up new tanks. These can receive anything from recent fry to young juveniles.

In my planted communities, which are planted, it is every fish for itself.

 

[MattW]

Lots of more moss !!!

I guess another pot of java moss never hurt anybody

 

[MaloK]

I guess another pot of java moss never hurt anybody

What do you mean "a pot" ?

Don"t tell me that what is in your tank at the moment is "a pot" ! how much do they sell you that ?

I'm talking about the little green ball in bottom left corner <<<

You will need 96 pots like that... I mean I could fill the tank to the top for 12$ here ?

You need a good 5-6 inches of packed java moss...

Stick it at 45° in a front glass corner, to be able to watch inside and outside at the same moment.

Pile your ceramic Noodles right under your filter.

 

[MattW]

What do you mean "a pot" ?

Don"t tell me that what is in your tank at the moment is "a pot" ! how much do they sell you that ?

I'm talking about the little green ball in bottom left corner <<<

You will need 96 pots like that... I mean I could fill the tank to the top for 12$ here ?

You need a good 5-6 inches of packed java moss...

Stick it at 45° in a front glass corner, to be able to watch inside and outside at the same moment.

Pile your ceramic Noodles right under your filter.

That is the amount I got for a pot from LFS for £3

Most places do these which aren't even that big (The usual price of these is £5.99)

Also, the fry use that area behind the filter would blocking that with the ceramic noodles be ok?

 

[MaloK]

OMG the price you are paying is outrageous I bought a clump of it a couple weeks ago in Canada and Payed 12$CD and it takes a quarter of my aquarium.

They will use the noodles as hideout. You can glue them in small pyramids... If you're a maniac. It will help your bacteria while providing hiding space.

 

[emeraldking]

Well what would I put in a fry tank? Well, in my case that depends on what kind of fry we are talking about. Most fry are left behind in the tank with adults. Simply for the reason that they don't care about the fry.
But witht hose that are fry eaters, I do puty the fry separate. But it still depends on what kind of fry we're dealing with. With goodeids, no specific plants or hiding spots are needed. But even if would have albino guppies (where most albino strains like to chase their fry) in a separate tank, there's still no specific need for hiding spots like plants. I do have to admit that it does look nicer with plants in it but not necessarily needed.
And depending on the kind of fish species a heater won't or would be needed.

 

[MattW]

OMG the price you are paying is outrageous I bought a clump of it a couple weeks ago in Canada and Payed 12$CD and it takes a quarter of my aquarium.

They will use the noodles as hideout. You can glue them in small pyramids... If you're a maniac. It will help your bacteria while providing hiding space.

Welp.. I feel robbed now I've noticed prices have crept up slowly for plants in the UK. Probably Import costs from Brexit or the ever-looming economic after-effects of the pandemic that the UK can't seem to deal with. Oh god I'm going off on a tangent again. Seems across the pond you have stuff under control

 

[MaloK]

Yes depending on what you are breeding. You can use a old style box filter to create a safe place for frys in any tank, and always have survivors that makes it to the pool.

You need to divide them in 2 compartment with small mesh and provide small and medium entrance for each levels. With each level growing in space from bottom to top. Some boxes looks like already dedicated. for this

Drill some small holes in the exhaust tube in the middle of each levels of the filter to feed directly the frys inside the box. Drill entrances on all sides for each levels.

And Voila !

Anything that can swim at birth will find it. and make good use of it... My father always installed them in a front corner to be able to see what was going on inside.

 

[emeraldking]

I agree with the above but wouldn't be a sponge filter be better...?

Then you don't have to drill those holes that MaloK has mentioned. And no way, fry can be sucked into the filter.