When to pull fry in harem tank

[Apsnake]

I've recently noticed a spawn in my harem tank I usually pull fry with little success but would always assume the other females will eat fry. This has happened but there is still 4 healthy looking fry about 9 days in, they've grown a lot and are now looking less like they'll Be eaten and more like little fish darting around mother. I understand the female will push the fry out soon will thy be capable of surviving or shall I remove to a breeder box soon now they are more capable? This is a harem breeder tank and I'm never sure how many females have spawned so I like to leave them all in but am just unsure on this in particular! Thanks in advance to this wonderful community

 

[Apsnake]

Bump?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I've recently noticed a spawn in my harem tank I usually pull fry with little success but would always assume the other females will eat fry. This has happened but there is still 4 healthy looking fry about 9 days in, they've grown a lot and are now looking less like they'll Be eaten and more like little fish darting around mother.

They should be all right now, but it will depend upon how much cover there is in the tank, if there is cover towards the top of the tank (moss, floating plants, 35mm film canisters etc.), they will spend their time near the surface away from the other fish. .

When I had A. cacatuoides as a harem, the females used to relentlessly steal fry from one another, and it would always end up with one fish (presumably the dominant one) with all the fry.

cheers Darrel

 

[Apsnake]

Hi all, They should be all right now, but it will depend upon how much cover there is in the tank, if there is cover towards the top of the tank (moss, floating plants, 35mm film canisters etc.), they will spend their time near the surface away from the other fish. .

When I had A. cacatuoides as a harem, the females used to relentlessly steal fry from one another, and it would always end up with one fish (presumably the dominant one) with all the fry.

cheers Darrel

Ok well the female is no longer guarding any fry and I cannot find them at all! It's a big tank and I'd say medium planted with purely water wisteria. My plants don't do well in here as I Am a cheap skate with my tanks I did have 5 to maintain it's now 3 it's expensive to maintain ferts co2 etc so I use diy co2 to bring on plants In my 40 which has recently had diy root tabs added. I posted photos in planted tank section if you care to look point I can't seem to keep my plants alive in my 200l so there's cover but not near the surface. I've only seen them in the plants and wood with mum since she has left them I havent spotted them atall. She's now switched off breeding and being picked on by the others We shall see I suppose soon enough. For future reference my females are successfully guarding fry for the first week most cases if I leave it 3 or 4 days is that a good time to separate to a breeder box? I just want the fry to reach a size where survival rates go up! It's while there tiny I can't seem to keep them alive. I have bred kribs and rams but never saved any apisto fry despite countless spawns

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

It's a big tank and I'd say medium planted with purely water wisteria. My plants don't do well in here as I Am a cheap skate with my tanks I did have 5 to maintain it's now 3 it's expensive to maintain ferts co2 etc so I use diy co2 to bring on plants In my 40 which has recently had diy root tabs added. I posted photos in planted tank section if you care to look point I can't seem to keep my plants alive in my 200l so there's cover but not near the surface........

The 40 looks good. You can always use <"floating plants">, they have access to atmospheric CO2. I only feed the plants when they show deficiency symptoms, via the <"Duckweed Index">.

For future reference my females are successfully guarding fry for the first week most cases if I leave it 3 or 4 days is that a good time to separate to a breeder box? I just want the fry to reach a size where survival rates go up! It's while there tiny I can't seem to keep them alive. I have bred kribs and rams but never saved any apisto fry despite countless spawns

Mine have usually looked after their fry for longer.

If I know I've had a spawn I feed the fry with microworms, but there is a lot of moss and leaf litter in all the tanks, and often the first time I see the fry they are already quite large. I'm pretty sure that moss and dead leaves aid fry survival.

Could you use another tank rather then the breeder box? I've never used a breeder box, but I think it might be quite stressful for the fry.

I have a small planted tank set-up, I treat it exactly like the other tanks, it just doesn't have any fish in it permanently, so I can use it for fry raising and also as a quarantine tank (I very rarely buy any fish).

cheers Darrel

 

[Apsnake]

Hi all,The 40 looks good. You can always use <"floating plants">, they have access to atmospheric CO2. I only feed the plants when they show deficiency symptoms, via the <"Duckweed Index">.
Mine have usually looked after their fry for longer.

If I know I've had a spawn I feed the fry with microworms, but there is a lot of moss and leaf litter in all the tanks, and often the first time I see the fry they are already quite large. I'm pretty sure that moss and dead leaves aid fry survival.

Could you use another tank rather then the breeder box? I've never used a breeder box, but I think it might be quite stressful for the fry.

I have a small planted tank set-up, I treat it exactly like the other tanks, it just doesn't have any fish in it permanently, so I can use it for fry raising and also as a quarantine tank (I very rarely buy any fish).

cheers Darrel

Well I have two spare tanks one 30l one 20l so I suppose I can use either of those! I just thought it might be better to keep in a breeder box to maintain the exact same water parameters to be honest. I have removed a spawn previously to a 20l tank and they didn't survive. Perhaps i wasn't vigilant enough. I do also not have access to any good quality live fry food. I have never hatched BBS and don't really plan on it I would rather have a worm culture honestly! Just don't have any access

 

[Mbkemp]

I think you can buy them on amazon


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[Apsnake]

I think you can buy them on amazon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Worm cultures? If so I'll have a look! I'm always reluctant to buy wet goods online as I have a good supplier for fish but best live food local is daphnia from a commercial LFS which is lame! I'm interested in white worm as they are meant to be quite easy and I have very little time for my tanks let alone a needy culture. I'm a hobbyist not a professional so I have to weigh up pros and cons. Bbs is something I wish to master for future spawns but I've been very tied up in keeping fish in good health

 

[Apsnake]

I think you can buy them on amazon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not sure how big white worm are or if they're appropriate for fry tbh

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I do also not have access to any good quality live fry food. I have never hatched BBS and don't really plan on it I would rather have a worm culture honestly! Just don't have any access

Are you in the UK? I can send you some Micro and Grindal worms for p&p.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mbkemp]

Worm cultures? If so I'll have a look! I'm always reluctant to buy wet goods online as I have a good supplier for fish but best live food local is daphnia from a commercial LFS which is lame! I'm interested in white worm as they are meant to be quite easy and I have very little time for my tanks let alone a needy culture. I'm a hobbyist not a professional so I have to weigh up pros and cons. Bbs is something I wish to master for future spawns but I've been very tied up in keeping fish in good health

Micro worms are a bit smaller than white worms. Micro worms are an easy culture to keep going once established


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Apsnake]

Hi all, Are you in the UK? I can send you some Micro and Grindal worms for p&p.

cheers Darrel

Omg can you actually? I'm actually flabbergasted by the generosity really appreciate it if you could! Yeh I'm based south east near Gatwick my friend

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Omg can you actually? I'm actually flabbergasted by the generosity really appreciate it if you could! Yeh I'm based south east near Gatwick my friend

PM me your address.

cheers Darrel

 

[The Dude]

Are there other fish in the tank with them? Have you noted anything that encourages spawning?My tanks with Apisto's are very large and densely planted with lots of hardscape, but they are also pretty well stocked as I like action.

 

[Apsnake]

Are there other fish in the tank with them? Have you noted anything that encourages spawning?My tanks with Apisto's are very large and densely planted with lots of hardscape, but they are also pretty well stocked as I like action.

To be honest I've noticed spawning seems to happen before water changes and induced by any kind of feeding really I don't feed live foods often enough to say they contribute but I feed a very high quality frozen food as staple for all my fish ATM or sometimes softline which is soft pellets. The frozen food I cannot remember the name but it's a green paste and the particles are very small so fry can eat too just have to spot feed with dissolved paste in small amounts so it's always a moving target. But my tank is not that heavily planted compared to my others, I mean it has enough cover for the females to have territory's but there's often squabbles. I just can't seem to work out what's best to do with the fry before they get eaten. The next spawn I am going to leave for probably 5-7 days after free swimming and remove to a breeder box then to separate tank! I have a heavy planted tank with a pairof macmasteri and tbh if I had a good spawn I'd move them and put them in there! There is a trio of yellow tail blue eye killis in there aswell but they are true surface fish and I've never seen them popping at fry it's the other females I worry as they are in the same level of water! I'm kind of realising that you have to teach yourself what to do no advice can help each tank is too individual! I understand that if This tank was as planted as ny 40 I would have no problems I just can't sustain plants in there for the most part they die! Sucks really!