Buying Fry?

[L_ouise]

Hiya

I've never really like pet shops just because I always see at least one thing that looks like a welfare issue. I like to buy direct from the breeder and I'm wondering if this is realistic with fish? I'd like to see them grow into their adult form.

I realise that once I have fish that are a bit bigger than fry that any new fry will be a snack, but does anyone else do this?

I don't have extra tanks so any fry I buy will be going right into my main tank but with somewhere nice to hide.

Could I buy fry of different species and grow together without posing a risk to each other?
Could I put fry in a tank with some net or something to protect them until they are bigger?
Will I need to overbuy fry to ensure I have some that make it to adult size?
Is it better or worse value for money?
Are tank requirements different for fry?

 

[fluttermoth]

I wouldn't recommend buying fry for a newcomer to the hobby.

Raising fry properly is not easy. The mortality rate amongst fry, if not cared for in exactly the right way, is very, very high; they're also far more vulnerable to being moved when small. It would also limit you very much as to what fish you could have; most of them just aren't bred by hobbyists, but in huge ponds out in Singapore and the Middle East.

Most fish shops (proper aquarium shops, rather than pet shops with a fish section) have very high standards, and as a beginner it would be much easier for you. It's just a case of touring the shops in your area and finding the right one for you.

Just to save commenting twice, in different places, I'd also advise you to steer clear of discus for the moment; again they're a very difficult fish to keep, and you want to get some experience with less delicate fish before you move on to things like discus

 

[L_ouise]

Thanks

When you see fish smaller than adult size at the pet shop, are they small because they are young or because they are in confined tanks?

 

[fluttermoth]

It's because they're young.

Most shops have a very fast turnover, so fish aren't there long enough to suffer from stunting. Also, people generally want to buy young fish so they have them longer and, like you, they can watch them grow.

Most fish shops also have massive filtration systems hidden away, so the fish actually have a lot more water volume than you see in the tanks.

 

[OldMan47]

I just bought 6 fry at a national club auction of livebearer enthusiasts. The particular fry that I bought are those of an endangered species and they are never seen in a pet shop. I did get collection data on the line of fish these came from so that also makes species preservation a better chance. I got 6 because that gives me a 97% chance of getting at least one breeding pair rather than all one sex or the other. Fry are just as easy as adults to care for. To raise to maximum size, pristine water conditions and plenty of suitable food is all it takes to get the proper response from your fish. Tank size is not an issue if you can maintain optimum water conditions by doing enough water changes. Stunting as such really results from underfeeding or poor water quality, not tank size. Don't forget that water quality is a lot more than simply the nitrogen we often monitor. It also includes things like phosphates, temperature, pH and even mineral content.

 

[fluttermoth]

I do see you point, OldMan, but L-ouise is only just setting up her first tank

I'd want people to learn a bit more about the nitrogen cycle and good maintenance before taking on fry, rather than have them as their first fish in their first tank. Maybe I'm being too conservative.

 

[OldMan47]

You are no more conservative than I was a few years back fluttermoth. I have learned to relax a bit with my fish since I figured out that fry always live under the identical conditions as their parents do when in the wild. Any we see today have done that for many millions of years so I figure the weeding out of weaker fry has already happened. There are exceptions. One known exception is among the plecos where 1 month old fry routinely experience very high losses even when cared for by very experienced fish keepers. It is just a period they go through where very few fry ever survive. I would hate to buy 10 of them and end up with none but that would be the most likely outcome for plecos. At that point, as a new fish keeper I might think it was something I had done wrong and I would be very upset. At a mere inch long, they are past that point and again would be a nice economical way to buy a few plecos.