Returning fry to the main tank

[garfy]

How big do fry need to be to return to the main tank so I can strip my holding females?

 

[jetajockey]

It depends a lot on the fish that are in there, but basically larger than the mouths of the adults. It sounds cruel, but when you think they are ready, you can test out a few at first to see how they do before you throw them all in.

 

[garfy]

Well they are about 3/4" long and I have 4 adults bigger than rest.A male eye biter at 6 1/2" , a male auratus at 5" ,a male electric blue hap at 5" and a male yellow lab at 4 1/2" .Do you think I should try Agee of the larger fry? I have 15 red zebra fry in total

 

[jetajockey]

It's your call, I wouldn't risk it if they are still fairly small.

 

[garfy]

Well thank you for your advice I will sleep on it,but it may be a learning curve for me to see how big fry need to be to return to the main tank.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Rearranging the existing rock work to force new territorial establishment will also help as well.

 

[joel618]

I have heard they need to be 1/3 the size of the largest fish.

 

[kay-bee19]

...A male eye biter at 6 1/2"...

With full grown mbuna's, small 1"-1.5" are perhaps large enough to avoid ending up on the menu. With enough rockwork and luck smaller fry can survive though; I've got a bunch of mbuna's in my tank which were born in there and beat the odds.

However, with an ambush predator in the tank (the dimidiochromis compressiceps, and at 6.5" only slightly more than half grown) you're taking a chance with 0.75" fry, it's risky. These guys eat fry and small juvies for breakfast.

 

[garfy]

With full grown mbuna's, small 1"-1.5" are perhaps large enough to avoid ending up on the menu. With enough rockwork and luck smaller fry can survive though; I've got a bunch of mbuna's in my tank which were born in there and beat the odds.

However, with an ambush predator in the tank (the dimidiochromis compressiceps, and at 6.5" only slightly more than half grown) you're taking a chance with 0.75" fry, it's risky. These guys eat fry and small juvies for breakfast.

Yeah I figured as much.Ive had 2 female albino zebras spit in the main tank and never saw a single fry survive.I still have 2 red zebras and an Elongatus holding in the main tank so I think I'm going to bite the bullet.The 3/4" fry go back in the main tank and I will strip the 3 holding females.

 

[Jmedic25]

Im in the same boat garf...Let me know if its carnage....lol

 

[garfy]

I have a feeling it will be carnage.Wednesday is d-day lol.Report to follow.

 

[garfy]

Ok so I stripped 1 of my Pseudotropheus Elongatus females and got 15 fry and I got 4 fry from my red zebra female (she wasn't playing ball) so I'm happy there
I returned all my 3/4" red zebra fry to the main tank.The adults were on them in a flash.However most of the fry made it to the rocks and have been hiding there for the last 6 hours.They even nipped out at feeding time for a few morsels which is a good sign

 

[garfy]

These 2 pics are my new fry









And these are my 3/4" zebra fry hiding back in the main tank

 

[Jmedic25]

Stay low little fellas!! Keep me posted