One fry came home from the LFS by mistake!

[flippergonzo]

Hello,

I was at the LFS today picking up some new plants for my cichlid tank (I'm hopeful that I'll get java moss and anubia to grow and NOT get shredded by the cichlids) and after getting the plants in the tank I discovered I had brought home a new fish!

I discovered a tiny little guy about 1/2 inch long (or shorter). I picked up a breeder compartment (a little 6x6x6 floating tank) but have no idea how to take care of him/her. I don't know what kind of fish it is...all I know is it's orange. I'll try and get a pic, but don't know how soon I can expect to be able to identify it.

I've read a few things here indicating that I need a separate tank, but both tanks that I own are occupied.

So, my questions are:
1. what do I feed it?
2. how often do I feed it?
3. can he stay in that little breeder compartment?
4. how long does he need to stay there?
5. what else do I need to know?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Jef

 

[martiniduck]

You need to know what kind of fish it is to see, if it is compatible with what you have. I have had a lot of fry, this past year. Mostly mollies. I leave them in the breeder trap until they are big enough to not fit in the mouth of my other fish or someone comes to take them. When they are really small, I feed them Hikari First Bites that can be purchased at most LFS and baby brine shrimp. Once they get big enough they can take flakes. I feed them 2 times a day.

 

[mfdrookie516]

its probably platy fry. ive got several, and theyre all orange. i feed my fry crushed up flakes... i just basically crush them in to a powder and it works great for me

 

[dkpate]

Congrats on your "freebie!" But the poor little guy is all alone....

 

[Etunes]

Ya, i you would need to know what kind of fish he is, he is probably some sort of livebearer. I will tell you this, since it was a tank of plants i am sure it is a communitee fish. I would go ahead and try to find a tank of craiglist and get a 10g for it. A pic would also help for IDing if you could. But like martin said just try some flake food, crush it up real small then soak it in water form the aquarium so it sinks, only feed it a little since it is 1 fry.

 

[Markstanfill]

Guess Ill be the first one to say it.. Let him be the food. But if you want to keep him, Frozen daphnia is great fry/small fish food.

 

[joy13]

I know people that have brought home everything from guppies to white cloud fry in plants. If you can get a pic it is pretty easy to tell if it is a live bearer or egg layer.

 

[dkpate]

Don't let him be food!!! He's a survivor!

 

[mgamer20o0]

i have sent out real survivors that made it in damp moss across the country after a couple days. lol if you want to keep it crushed flake food would prob be best. if not just let it in the tank.

 

[flippergonzo]

Some pics and thanks!

Thank you all! He's doing well in the breeder trap. I had some flake food laying around (I feed both of my other tanks with pellets), so crushed it and used that.

I've uploaded a few pics for some help with identification.

I have my cichlid tank and another 30 G tank of tetras, guppies and loaches, so hopefully he'll be able to co-exist with someone!

Thanks again!

 

[flippergonzo]

Oh, I should specify....I originally tried to crush up some of the pellets to feed him/her, thus the pellets on the bottom of the feeder.

 

[joy13]

In the second picture it looks like a live bearer a sword or platy. Most egg layers have a split tail.

 

[dkpate]

It is SOOOOOO cute!!! And I think it kinda looks like a little cichlid in the first pic, but I am no fish expert!

 

[mfdrookie516]

i almost think it looks like a red zebra in the first two pictures, but looks like a platy in the last one... can you get up any closer to it?

 

[flippergonzo]

You guys are feeding my other habit now....I've been trying to convince myself NOT to go buy that macro lens for my camera. Now this might be the excuse!

I'll see if I can get a little closer and not have it be all fuzzy.

Happy New Years everyone! I hope you all had a safe evening.
Cheers, Jef

 

[dkpate]

Yeah! I wanna see him closer too! Cause I think he does look like a little zebra.
Happy New Year to you too!

 

[Blueiz]

Looking at the first picture, it doesn't look like a livebearer at all to me. The top fin appears to go the length of the body, and the head doesn't look like a platy or a molly either.

My guess would be some sort of cichlid. It almost looks like a peacock in that first pic.

What was in the tank that you got the plant it hiked in on?

 

[BigJim]

I'm with Blueiz. That looks like a cichlid to me.