I've got convict fry!!

[JnessaK]

Had a surprise in my tank today! Newly hatched baby convicts! Any advice on how to care for these little guys would be much appreciated, as this is the first time I'm dealing with fry. They're in a 30 gallon, and have moved the other fish out of the tank.


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[CCXGT]

Are the parents the only other fish in the tank?
If so you shouldn't have any problems raising them at all.

If you have other fish in there the parents WILL try to defend their fry but that doesn't ensure all of them will survive.


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[JnessaK]

Yep parents are the only ones in there, I removed the couple of firemouths that were in there into a temp tank until I can get a bigger one.


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[CCXGT]

Yep parents are the only ones in there, I removed the couple of firemouths that were in there into a temp tank until I can get a bigger one.


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Good job.

To feed them just crush whatever food you feed to the adults and try to squirt it into the fry's hideouts.
I just use a syringe, unbelievably handy.


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[Fishy Smell]

Syringe is a great idea. You can get specialist foods (egg layers fry food) which can be mixed in with some tank water and delivered via syringe also. You can also use a tiny bit of egg yolk, same method.


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[JnessaK]

Thanks guy!! When should I start doing that? These guys had to have hatched today so they're not very old. I'm gonna dig into done research while I'm wirk tonight.


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[CCXGT]

Thanks guy!! When should I start doing that? These guys had to have hatched today so they're not very old. I'm gonna dig into done research while I'm wirk tonight.


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You could start straight away.
Crush the food into dust.
Use a pipette or syringe to suck it up. (May need to add water)
Distract the parents by adding food to the other side of the tank.
Squirt some dust into the fry's caves.

Simple as.


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[Jason7894561230]

Newly hatched brine shrimp are an excellent source of food for fry. But crushing the fish food into a powder is also very food.
Well done on the breeding and the speedy removal of the other fish!

These guys breed extremely often, in 4 weeks there will be another batch of fry and the other batch with be kicked out.

 

[JnessaK]

Thanks for the help guys! I'll keep ya posted! Hopefully my LFS will take the survivors off my hands once they're bigger. Unless any of you all or anyone in the forum wants them!


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[Fishy Smell]

Make sure you feed about 3-4 times a day and don't go too mad with the quantity each time.


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[JnessaK]

So far all the fry have survived! I moved them and the parents into a 20 gal breeder tank


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[CCXGT]

So far all the fry have survived! I moved them and the parents into a 20 gal breeder tankView attachment 247697View attachment 247698


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Congrats to you.
Have you given it any thought as to what you'll be doing with them when they've grown?


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[JnessaK]

The LFS where I got the parents said they will take them once they get a little bigger. I will also post in the classifieds here to see if anybody here would want some of them, and I'm getting a 55 gallon next week (yah!!!) so I also may keep a couple.


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[Rivers2k]

I have month old HRP x Convict hybrids and they started on Hikari First Bites (.99 cents at petco) then moved them to crush flake food this week. I raised my fire mouth on the same method and they did very well.

Just so you know you can raise them for fun but don't expect to make any money off them they breed very easily and most fish stores I know wont take them. Its good that yours will.

 

[Mbratcher13]

Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff! Don't be afraid to continue water changes. I just try to watch where I out my gravel vac.


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