Cichlid fry grow out tank

[Italy592]

Now I have a grow out 15 gallon tank fully loaded with heater, light, sponge filter, but no substrate !! I've had 4 pregnancy already all successful but now i chose to buy a tank and start putting the females in the tank and let them grow out there.

My question is I noticed fry don't eat the food as mch so it goes to the bottom and sits there I guess so should I put a substrate in the tank or leave it bare ao it's easier to clean the tank ???

 

[Italy592]

CICHLID FRY GROW OUT TANK sorry typo

 

[Wy Renegade]

You can do it either way, its a matter of what you prefer and how often you want/need to do water changes. Are you keeping the females with the fry in the growout tank or removing them?

 

[Italy592]

Well im going to let them spit naturally and after a few days I'll return her to the main tank

 

[Wy Renegade]

Nice - In my opinion thats the best way. Why stress poor mom out if you don't have to? She has enough stress just trying to hold the eggs/fry, so why add to the stress?

My fry tanks all have substrate, but I'm a bit non-conformist with my filtering methods, so it works easily that way for me, but might not for you.

 

[Italy592]

Well if I do put substrate what do I need to do or watch for ??

Yeah I've have 4 successful pregnancy already in my tank and I felt bad keeping them in the small breeder cages ao I invested in a fry tank !!

 

[Wy Renegade]

Well if I do put substrate what do I need to do or watch for ??

Yeah I've have 4 successful pregnancy already in my tank and I felt bad keeping them in the small breeder cages ao I invested in a fry tank !!

You're going to want to treat the fry tank, just like any other tank, it should be fully cycled and will need a filtration system. Beyond that, moniter it just like any fish tank, but watch the fry for aggression as they begin to grow. I usually drain mine just before transfering the female, then refill it with water directly from the DT, then I don't have to worry about any changes in water chemistry for the fish.

 

[Italy592]

So your saying I should drain it and fill it with my main tank water ???

 

[Wy Renegade]

So your saying I should drain it and fill it with my main tank water ???

Yes, run it with its own water, till you are ready to introduce a new carrying female. Then (assuming you don't have other fry in there at the time), drain the water and refill from your main tank - that way mom has no adjusting to do to the new water's chemistry. Obviously if you are already keeping fry in there, it won't work (unless you went to a lot of extra effort).

 

[Italy592]

Wait I do have a few fry in there now so what does that mean ??

 

[Wy Renegade]

That means that mom will have to be properly acclimated whenever you move her from the main tank to the fry growout tank.

 

[Italy592]

So I can't put the fry in a breeders cage in the main tank and do what you told me with the draining and filing of the breeders tank ??

 

[Wy Renegade]

So I can't put the fry in a breeders cage in the main tank and do what you told me with the draining and filing of the breeders tank ??

Yes, you could do it that way as well, but catching and removing all those fry every time is going to be a bit of a pain. Also, unless you are interchanging the water fairly frequently, the fry would then all have to be reacclimated to the new water in the growout tank as well.

 

[Italy592]

So ok how many pwc do you do to your grow out tanks ?? And how do you breed your fish just so I have a understanding !! Thank you for all so far you been most helpful

 

[Wy Renegade]

So ok how many pwc do you do to your grow out tanks ?? And how do you breed your fish just so I have a understanding !! Thank you for all so far you been most helpful

My set-up is pretty different from yours, because I have lots of tanks. So I only very rarely have to introduce a female into a holding/growout tank that already has fry in it. My display tanks are 100gallon tanks (I have five), and each has only one or two species in it. Once we catch a holding female, we drain the water from a 15 gallon holding/fry tank and refill with water from the main tank. Once the female releases she is returned to the main tank and the fry are left in the 15 to grow. During this period, I do normal PWCs (weekly or biweekly depending on time) on the fry tank. Once the fry become large enough (usually a matter of several weeks), they are introduced into a larger tank (30 gallons), and held there until they are restocked into the display tanks, or taken to my not so local LFS and traded in for credit. Once the fry are moved, I then have my 15gal empty again, waiting for the next holding female.

 

[Italy592]

Not too different just more tanks so what do you suggest I do since I have a different set upp ??

 

[Wy Renegade]

Not too different just more tanks so what do you suggest I do since I have a different set upp ??

If I were you, I would do it the way you suggested - going to involve a bit more work, but in the end will be much easier on the mom.

I would set-up and cycle the fry tank, then when you notice a new female holding, I would drain the water from the fry tank into a basin or bucket and throw your fry into the breeding cups in the bucket. Then refill the tank from your main tank and transfer the holding female (maybe rearrange any existing rock structures in the process). Then acclimate the fry back to the growout tank and transfer them back in. If you do weekly water changes and always transfer some of the water from your main tank into the fry tank when doing them, that will help to maintain similar chemistry in the two tanks and minimize acclimation needs as well. Once the fry start getting large enough you will have to trade them off or sell them in order to prevent them picking on or killing the new smaller fry being released.

 

[Italy592]

Ok sounds like a plan !!! Now what if I do weekly water changes at the same time take out the water from tht fry tank like 40% and just fill it back up with the main tank water that I was just gonna dump when I did its water change this way it keeps the chemistry the same and everyone happy would that work is that the same thing you said ??

 

[Wy Renegade]

Ok sounds like a plan !!! Now what if I do weekly water changes at the same time take out the water from tht fry tank like 40% and just fill it back up with the main tank water that I was just gonna dump when I did its water change this way it keeps the chemistry the same and everyone happy would that work is that the same thing you said ??

Yep that should work very well for you.

 

[Italy592]

Now would I still have too empty it completely when a new female is holding or will it be balanced enough from the pwc