african cichlid fry. HELP!

[isis]

hi. can anyone here tell me how to raise fry. i dont know what kind they are. right now i have 19 fry in a beta tank inside a 10gal tank with mom. this is my first time with fish babies. please help me so i dont kill them. i need to know everything and anything that will help, like filters etc... thanks

 

[Mrc8858]

It's pretty basic as long as you not dealing with sensitive or high need fry like discus. Go with a sponge filter and feed then 2-3 times a day. You can smash up flakes to do so too.

 

[isis]

thanks. the mom fish put most of the fry back in her mouth

 

[isiah1820]

Not to intrude on your post Isis but, this is random how do you pronunce your name? Having a girl and was looking for I girl names

 

[isis]

I-sis. i as in i and sis as in sister. isis. its an egyptian godess name

 

[phin]

If the fry are free-swimming remove the mother and put the fry in a 10g or 20g long. Use a sponge filter. While the fry are small pulverize your cichlid pellets into a dust/powder and feed OFTEN. As they grow they will be able to eat small 1mm pellets. Feed often.

 

[isis]

thanks. the only thing is , is that i dont have a sponge filter. i have 2 hang on the back filters and i cuted up a net and wraped it around the intakes
and put a rubber band around them to keep them on

 

[Mrc8858]

That should be ok then. You can actually make a DIY sponge filter pretty easily with an air pump, a little PVC, and a sponge. What kind of cichlid was it that bred for you by the way?

 

[isis]

will the mom eat her babies if i leave her in with them? cause she needs to gain back some weight and she gets attacked when i put her bake in the main tank and i dont have another tank to keep her in.

 

[Mrc8858]

A new mother or stressed mother may but after a few trys they usually become very good parents.

 

[Fishkeeper88]

Between spawns make sure your female fish eat good foods like blood worms and krill along with a regular diet of pellets.

 

[Jess1ca]

I only run a sponge filter in one of my fry tanks. I don't have a problem with em gettin in the filter. It is possible, but I don't usually have it happen. I feed my newborns cobalt Cichlid flakes, rubes between my fingers to crush em up until they are big enough to eat the smallest size NLS pellets. My babies also get some frozens, like baby brine & daphnia. Feeding often is a good thing, like stated above. I feed 3 times a day but they also live in planted tanks & have access to moss & plant matter. I don't usually baby my mothers to much. I strip & put them back in the main. After they are back in the display I have to be careful of what I feed so the omni & herbivores dont get too much protein so I feed a high quality pellet & mix it up with frozens & Repashy about 2-3 times a week. Hope this helps

 

[isis]

mbuna african thats all i know as when i got them they were in a mixed african cichlid tank. the male is all yellow with faint up and down baring and the female is a dusty yellow with purple up and down baring with blue under tones

 

[isis]

i do i just cant upload pics as i dont have permission on my husbons computer