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How to move Fry

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Hello All,

I have a pair of P. pulcher currently shepherding 3 week (free swimming) fry. From what I understand the parents care for the fry for 1 - 2 months but at 3 weeks free swimming the fry start to wander. Since these guys are in a community tank I was considering moving the fry to a grow out tank. I am assuming they are two small and fragile to net. How does one go about the transfer?

Thanks - Dan
 

exotic_idiot

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
12
You can try using air tube to suck out the fries.. Just in case they grown bigger, just get a bigger hose..
Or you can buy those big dropper...
Unless they grew bigger if not you'll find a hard time netting them out.
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Thanks,

I tried a turkey baister and I couldn't get close enough before they scattered. The one time I did manage to get one in once the suction stopped it swam right out.

When using the airline or larger tubing, do I just try sucking them into the tube or am I trying to siphon them out?

Sorry about these questions, this is the first fry I am trying to relocate.

Thanks - Dan
 

DJ_JD

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
33
Location
Gastonia NC
Try the Turkey baister at night when ever the parents gather them around, if not then try to syphon them out.
 

bigbird

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
593
Location
Sydney, NSW Australia
yup that is the best way. wait t2-3hours after lights out or get up early in the morning when still dark. then get the baster and suck them out. cheer jk :)
 

exotic_idiot

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
12
Thanks,

I tried a turkey baister and I couldn't get close enough before they scattered. The one time I did manage to get one in once the suction stopped it swam right out.

When using the airline or larger tubing, do I just try sucking them into the tube or am I trying to siphon them out?

Sorry about these questions, this is the first fry I am trying to relocate.

Thanks - Dan
Yup i mean "siphon"..
So far any luck? I find it very hard to catch them in a community tank, and the fries are very small..
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Hi All,

Thank you for all the help.

I haven't had time to re-attempt yet, probably over the next couple of days. I'll let you know how it goes.

- Dan
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Hi All,

Just wanted to say thanks for the advice again and let you know that I was able to successfully move the fry to their own tank last night. I siphoned them out using a piece of .5" id vinyl line with no casualties (thus far)

Thanks - Dan
 

ronv

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
61
Location
Alabama
Might I offer a suggestion... I use a clear plastic tube larger than a air line tube. Its about 1/2" in dia. Start a syphon into a bucket. Start the syphon in the tank away from the fry and when it gets to going good and there is a gal or so of water in the bucket, move the tubing to the school and suck up the whole group into the bucket. Then transfer from the bucket to the new tank. It sounds harsh but I've been doing that for years. Keep in mind that the vertical distance from the bucket up to the tank will determine how strong the suction. My tanks are at appx. waist level and I put the bucket on the floor.
 

exotic_idiot

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
12
Hey dan, that's great.. No casualties is good news..
Normally you have to take care not to spook the adults.
Cheers,
Ben
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Thanks Ben, yea the parents were pretty spooked since the whole group (parents too) were in the flower pot when lifted. So I left 3 or 4 fry with them and come morning they were right back into the swing of it. I don't think any fish are going to get to those remaining, with that number they are having an easier time protecting them.

Ronv, thanks that is pretty much what I did :). I had the grow out tank (10 gallon) on a cart with wheels (scary I know) next to the main tank. I siphoned until about 3/4 full then lifted the pot ans siphoned the fry directly into the grow out tank. Once I had the fry I just I carefully rolled the cart to where I now have it. Then I just finished it up like a water change :biggrin:

- Dan
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Grow Out Tank Sizing

Hi All,

I still have the 14 remaining fry in the 10 gallon grow out tank on which I perform a 20 percent water change daily. They are now approaching 1" in length so I am wondering if and at what point I will need to move them to a larger grow out tank?

- Dan
 

tjudy

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,822
Location
Stoughton, WI
14 in a ten, at one inch, is not a problem environmentally. Aggression will force you to move a few out soon. They can go to a larger tank at any time. One strategy some people use is to separate obvious males as they mature. Removnig them allows less dominant males to mature faster. Eventually you will, hopefully, have a tank a males and females and no aggression in either. That also make sit easy to determine sex ratio and pull pairs.
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Ted, Thanks once again.

Yep, I have noticed a few starting to 'feel their oats' and chase others, but it hasn't been bad yet. Keeping an eye on it for now.

- Dan
 

dfea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
75
Location
Connecticut
Hi All,

So are they all males...At what point should I see females take on the signature red bellies?

I have tried viewing fin shape but I am having a hard time seeing any difference in any of the young. Additionally, I have yet to seen any red in the belly area on any of the young. At this point they are five months old so I expected to see some.

- Dan
 

Ade205

Active Member
Messages
172
Location
Swadlincote, England
Might I offer a suggestion... I use a clear plastic tube larger than a air line tube. Its about 1/2" in dia. Start a syphon into a bucket. Start the syphon in the tank away from the fry and when it gets to going good and there is a gal or so of water in the bucket, move the tubing to the school and suck up the whole group into the bucket. Then transfer from the bucket to the new tank. It sounds harsh but I've been doing that for years. Keep in mind that the vertical distance from the bucket up to the tank will determine how strong the suction. My tanks are at appx. waist level and I put the bucket on the floor.
I know this is an old thread and I'm extremely sad to make this post but I'd just like to add some caution to this method. I actually read this and decided instead of using airline to use half inch tube to remove some gbr fry. Whilst doing so the male in his attempt to protect his babies got sucked into the siphon and wedged. I had to cut him out but he died. I'm totally devastated that I killed him, somehow made even worse was protecting his babies, and not to mention he was the most beautiful and longest living male German Blue Ram I've ever had.
Use air line or a turkey baster if parents are protective and small enough to fit in tube because their attempts to protect their young are so aggressive and vigorous that this is a real and very distressing possibility.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
I've used the siphon method to move fry, but always keep my thumb on the outlet end so I can instantly stop the suction if a larger fish gets too close. Thanks for the warning, and sorry about Papa Ram. Be sure to tell his kids about their father's sacrifice.
 

Ade205

Active Member
Messages
172
Location
Swadlincote, England
Thanks Gerald. He certainly died a heroic death.
I'm still not quite sure how it happened. I knew for sure both parents were going to attack the tubing and I thought I was ready and quick enough to stop siphon but I wasn't! I had thumb ready over end as container i was siphoning into was pretty small so I needed to be ready to avoid overfilling. Alas I wasn't quick enough. Cut him out pretty quickly but was already dead, think suffocated as was wedged in very tight!
I wish I didn't get attached to some of my fish but can't help it sometime and sadly this was one of those fish. Would always been gutted to loose him but much worse as my stupid fault.
What's more annoying is these were my first pair of gbr's to master getting fry to free swimming. They'd had at least 15 spawns and had gotten past the eating eggs stage and become brilliant parents! Was planning to give them a tank of their own as wld of loved to see gbr's rear their fry to juveniles. Safe to say lesson learned! Hope can rear this batch of fry now in honour of their dad!!!!!
 

yukondog

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
664
Location
N.W. Fl.
As said above on using the syphon method, that's the way I have been doing it for years and has worked for me.
 

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