How do you stop a guppy fry hunger, if the fry can't see the food on the surface?

[Temp]

A fry just died this afternoon. I have realized it died of hunger, as the other five guppy fry didn't have any health problems. The dead fry didn't noticed there are food on the water surface, and it kept eating the algae at the bottom of the tank. This was all I know before it kept sinking to the bottom and died.

I am asking, how do I prevent the other fry from not able to see the food?

I don't like another fry to die of hunger again like this.

 

[Vircomore]

I'd recommend trying to buy some food that sinks, like "Hikari First Bites" or frozen brine shrimp.

Either that, or you can take your floating food and stir it with water until it sinks, and then add it to your tank.

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

they have liquid fry food at my lfs, i've tried it and all my fry survive...except for the ones that get eaten

 

[BigJim]

I've had luck with grinding up regular flakes to a fine powder. My filter swirls it around through the water.

 

[Temp]

So, the trick is to make sure the grounded flake powder of food is able to sink gently to the bottom, and let the fry know food is coming down from above, right?

Won't they avoid eating the food, as they might think the food is spoiled from above?

 

[Vircomore]

So, the trick is to make sure the grounded flake powder of food is able to sink gently to the bottom, and let the fry know food is coming down from above, right?

Won't they avoid eating the food, as they might think the food is spoiled from above?

Nope. Just like humans can taste and smell when our food is rotten - fish can tell the difference between rotten food, and fresh food that just doesn't float.

I had new Molly Fry (same general fish type as guppies) about 1 month ago, and I fed them a combination of:

"Hikari First Bites" - looks like putting sand in your water, but they gobble it up.

Powdered flake food - just put it in a Ziploc bag and grind it up with your fingers.

Fresh Brine Shrimp - Made a hatchery from instructions on YouTube, bought the eggs, and (then hatched the brine shrimp using the instructions before) adding them to the tank.

Baby Brine Shrimp are great for baby fish because:
--a. The shrimp swim around a little bit, which makes the babies chase them and get exercise.
--b. The shrimp are alive when you put them in your tank - so they don't go bad as fast as dead food.

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Ultimately, feeding your fry with enough food is going to be a bit messy until they're old enough to clean their plates. That's why people usually keep fry in breeder boxes, or in separate tanks, to keep from making their main tank messy.

 

[Temp]

Alright, thanks for the info.

 

[CaptainMako]

Good to know for when I get my guppy tank, thanks guys.
Think I'll go with some sinking food, since I almost expect the guppies to breed.

 

[Lowryder]

I use liquid food for all my fry, works great!

 

[sarahh]

i use hikari first bites, but because it floats for a sec, i put the food in a shot glass, then swish in a bit of tank water, then pour it in.. i do this for mollies, guppies, cichlids, platies etc.. usually the only deaths i get are from guppy fry being eaten (we don't separate the guppies)
hth

 

[mudraker]

Fresh brine shrimp is the best food for growing fry, though they do need other nutrients like the others have listed above. They will grow twice as fast if fed brine shimp from an early age.