Well, I have some mystery fry. Any help?

[CrysAnn]

My week has been extremely eventful with fish breeding. On Sunday I found out that my albino bristle nose plecos not only bred but the fry were at least 10 days old.

When I finally found them and moved them to a new aquarium the very next day I noticed around 30-50 tiny microscopic little fry in my ten gallon tank that I moved my pleco fry into.

The fish I had in the aquarium before (I did around a 75% water change and put the plecos in it) were Red Eye Tetra, Black Skirt Tetra, and an albino tiger barb (I know he isn't supposed to be alone and he nips fins but he didn't have anywhere else to go) Anyways. The fry are tiny. They look VERY close to baby guppy fry, but I haven't had a female guppy in a few months.

I have attached a picture (though they are TINY little eyeballs on the leaves) so it may be too early to tell but I was curious of your opinions.

 

[NinjaTetra]

Did you have two of either kind of tetra? You didnt specify. However, if the parameters are right, sometimes doing a large water change actually causes breeding in fish (breeding season is when tons of rain wash down rivers and dilute the water, so many fish would think that clearer water mean it was time to breed). If you had live plants in the tank and turned te lights lower or they were already low it would have increased the chance. If u dont want breeding, guppies breed at 7.0 ph to 8.5 ph, and almost all other fish breed from 6.0 to 7.4

 

[CrysAnn]

In my ten gallon I had 3 red eye tetra and 3 black skirt tetra and the tiger barb. I hadn't done a water change or anything recently so maybe it was just dumb (and random) luck. As soon as I noticed the pleco fry in the 55 gallon I moved the tetras and the barb into my 20 gallon with some other fish so I could have a tank just for the pleco fry. I did around a 75% water change before I put the new fry in but not while the tetras were in the 10 gallon. I do believe i have one male and one female black skirt tetra (One is significantly larger than the other two which I would assume to be the female. And she always seemed chubby). As for the red eye tetras I have no idea what I have of those.

 

[CrysAnn]

I also have another question about water changes. I know I am supposed to do water changes constantly to help ensure my Pleco fry succeed in life. But with all of the mystery fry swimming around it is very difficult to get any water out, let alone do water changes. Are there any suggestions on what to do? Or continue to scoop it at a cup at a time and check for fry that way?

I do have a python but I don't want to suck up all of the fry when I try cleaning up.

 

[Fdsh5]

Put a panty hose over the end of the python and pull it tight so it's flat across the end. I do that in all my tanks now to keep fish and shrimp out. After sending my female killifish on a ride two weeks in a row I had enough. Now she swims up to it still but can't go in

 

[brennae]

Put a panty hose over the end of the python and pull it tight so it's flat across the end. I do that in all my tanks now to keep fish and shrimp out. After sending my female killifish on a ride two weeks in a row I had enough. Now she swims up to it still but can't go in

Good tip! My peacock gudgeons are a bit too curious about the gavel siphon as well.