Fry, Breeder Boxes, and Larger Fish

[Brewmeister]

Hello everyone,

So this is my first post- signed up a while ago but didn't really have anything to say until now.
I'm pretty new to fishkeeping- My freshwater tank (the one being referred to in this post) has been running for about 3 months now and is quite stable.

However, something occurred about 2 days ago that I was not expecting and was completely unprepared for. A mickey mouse platy I had put in the tank about 3 weeks ago began to drop her fry.

It was really interesting to see, but I didn't have a breeder box at the time. I believe before I caught it, that probably about 12-15 of the fry had been eaten before I was able to isolate her.

Anyway, skip a few pages and now I have her back in the main tank (10G described in my profile) and the fry (7 left) are in a breeder box floating in that tank. All seems well- they look like happy little fish, but there's one problem.

My favorite fish, my Dwarf Gourami, is obsessed with the breeder box. He sees the fry inside and is constantly nipping at the breeder box trying to get in. The box is plastic and has a lid, so I'm not so much concerned that he'll actually be able to get to the fry- my concern is more directed at the stress this may be putting on the fish.

Not only the fry, but the Gourami. Is there a chance that this could drive the Gourami nuts? I mean, being able to see food in the tank, yet not being able to get it? What about its effect on the fry? Will they be stressed out having the gourami staring them down all day?

Any advice is appreciated. I do have a second tank, but it's still beginning its cycle and is no place for fry. The breeder box has holes in it and I don't want the dangerous ammonia/nitrite levels getting to them.

Thanks so much!

[EDIT]
Also, please excuse my ignorance if I've posted this in the wrong forum. If so, please feel free to move it or inform me so I can re-open it elsewhere. Thanks!

 

[Fdsh5]

I use the marina hang on breeder boxes. That way the fry still get the same water as the tank but they aren't floating snacks. http://usa.hagen.com/File/Image/m/980/530/5ac7cd3f-f31b-4813-8b6f-6386e951fa2c
They come in 3 different sizes. Also, they make it easier to ensure the fry get all the food they want

 

[henningc]

In a pinch, you're in one, you can do a 20%30% water change into the new tank of a 5gal bucket. Put in an airline, heater if need be and a cheap corner filter with carbon and floss. Feed the fry live brine shrimp or decapsulated brine shrimp for the first week, then also start adding a very tiny bit of flake food crushed into power. Feed three to four times daily in very small amounts. In three weeks the fry can hold their own with parent.

I actually breed my Least Killies in 5gal buckets with water, duckweed and ramshorn snails.