Fry tank help please

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earhtmother

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Mar 22, 2010
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So I decided to separate my most pregnant female guppys into a 10g with hormwort & java moss for the fry to hide to see if I could grow out some fry to adulthood. Now I have questions for those more experienced in this than I

I originally was going to leave a bare bottom but am rethinking that after seeing how quickly it looks messy so maybe a *thin* layer of gravel?
To help with waste/excess food disposal a small 4" pleco or rock shrimp? There is an Aquaclear 200 filter attached so it is just bottom cleaning I am worried about since I assume using a gravel cleaner may suck up fry I don't see.
 
Bare bottom tanks for fry fishes is a good way to help keep the water cleaner. The fact that you can see the dirt should be a warning of how much overfeeding you may be doing so it actually helps YOU control your feeding amounts. ( You just use some airline tubing attached to rigid tubing to siphon it out without getting the fry.) It also helps the fry find their food more easily. Once the fish get a little bigger, you can transfer them to a better decorated tank or decorate the existing tank. I use either live or plastic floating plants for the fry when first born so that they are protected from the Mother.
As for a clean up crew, I use small bristlenosed Plecos ( which I am breeding) and just keep 1 or 2 in the tank with the fry. This way, I don't have to worry about any predation from other types of catfish or scavengers.

Hope this helps (y)
 
Ok I has *assumed* since the fry were generally up at the top of the aquarium that the adults were the only ones eating from the bottom. I.have an extra small pleco in another tank so I will transfer it down
Thanks
 
Ok I has *assumed* since the fry were generally up at the top of the aquarium that the adults were the only ones eating from the bottom. I.have an extra small pleco in another tank so I will transfer it down
Thanks

The fry will be at the top for protection but should really not be with the parents again until they are bit larger and not able to be eaten. My Guppy fry that are alone in a tank are all over the tank but the ones where I don't see the births, the fry stay in the top plants for protection until I get them out of there then they swim everywhere. :blink:
 
Unforunately I dont have the resources to have anymore than 1 fry tank so with multiple females.pregnant at what looks like similar stages this is a maternity/fry tank. If I ever have the extra cash may add a tank for fru only but right now keeping them out of the main tank with limited adult interaction is the best they get
 
an aqua clear 200 on a 10 gallon? thats really powerfull. i would recomend sand as a subsrate, good job with plants
 
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