First Time Fry

[aussiefish]

Hello
About 3 to 4 months ago we moved what we believed to be a breeding pair (as they had laid eggs in our community aquarium) to an 80 litre tank of their own (bare) they were unsettled for a while and now all of a sudden (after a water change 10 days ago) we have small fry! They are approx 5 to 8mm in size and we believe they may be a week old.

The fry are still moving in unison with the parents and seem to be feeding off them (as they are not yet wanting to feed on their own). Can you please let us know when would be the best time to separate them from their parents? Will the small fry survive with their parents as we don't have another tank to put them into.

[Eddie]

You are planning to never move them and keep them with the parents permanently? In an 80 liter tank? :(

[aussiefish]

Sorry Eddie not what I ment, how long do I need to keep the fry with the parents and is it better to move the parent or the fry to another tank (which i will need to purchase)

[Eddie]

Sorry Eddie not what I ment, how long do I need to keep the fry with the parents and is it better to move the parent or the fry to another tank (which i will need to purchase)

Some people keep fry with parents for up to 3-4 weeks. It will really depend on the state of the parents. If the pair starts deteriorating and developing physical damage, you definitely want to move the fry.


Eddie

[aussiefish]

Thanks eddie I will see how they look in about 2-3 weeks, also will the parents try to eat the fry. The male (red dragon) seems to be trying to get all the fry to be with him by hasseling the female, is this behavior normal

[Eddie]

Thanks eddie I will see how they look in about 2-3 weeks, also will the parents try to eat the fry. The male (red dragon) seems to be trying to get all the fry to be with him by hasseling the female, is this behavior normal

Difficult to say what is normal. Every fish is different and every pair is even more different. :o


Take care,

Eddie

[mmorris]

It is a small tank and so I wouldn't keep the fry with the parents more than three weeks. How big a tank are you thinking about buying? I move 3-week old fry into a 55 gallon. Your wc regime is worrying - you changed the water 10 days ago?!! I change 1/3 to 1/2 every 2-3 days for a breeding pair without fry in a 29 gallon, and when I am feeding fry bbs, I change 80% twice a day. I start feeding bbs when they are a week free-swimming. If you don't keep the water really clean you will run into serious issues. Congrats on the fry, by the way. :)