Cleaning the maternity ward...

[Pysgodyn]

I have a 6 gallon bare-bottomed tank, containing 21 8-day old guppies. I left it bare-bottomed so that it'd be easier to clean, and safer for the little ones etc.

BUT, HOW do I clean it?! I use a syphon for my main tank, but I'm scared of sucking the little ones up!! Is there a better/easier way of doing this?

 

[longhorn13]

in my bare-bottom fry tank, i got a smaller gravel vac to suck all the poo out. you just have to be careful and be ready to stop the water flow is you accidentally suck one up.

 

[Angry_Platy]

Get some flyscreen from the hardware store and rubberband attach it to the nozzle of the syphon. Then if there are any adventurous fry wanting to check it out they won't be able to get in

 

[Tolak]

I use a piece of air line tubing on angel fry tanks. With 300+ fry, you do end up sucking up a few. I just take a turkey baster & squirt them back into the tank.

If you shine a light at one end of the tank, they usually swim towards it. You can then clean the bottom where they aren't. If you can put a small cory in there, I use a panda, that will help keep they bottom clean, the small cory will not bother the fry.

I also wipe the bottom daily with a paper towel the first couple of weeks, this is where the bacteria accumilates. If you leave a light on 24/7 for the first few weeks, it will keep them from settling on the bottom at night, keeping them away from any bacteria thay may be present.

Tolak

 

[Pysgodyn]

Cool. Thanks guys. Cleaned successfully today...and 21 fry are still there - I actually managed to count them! Maybe I can buy a panda cory...

 

[daudy_dojo]

put some pantie hose on the out side of it works for me!