Dying Platty fry

[tuffstuff36]

Hi, I was just wondering if any one had any ideas as to why my four week old platty fry have started dying. I have had a medium sized tank since xmas andit has 4 neon tetras, one neon dwarf gourami, one male siamese fighter, one khuli loach, one African dwarf frog and three platties (one male, two female). Everyone has been living together happily for several months, water conditions are perfect and we change a third of the water every 7-10 days.

Four weeks ago we notcied some tiny white fry swimming around and managed to catch 9 of the fry and put them in a floating breeding trap. They have been living in there ever since. The day after the birth we went to the LFS and brought a small tank (think it's 30 litres) and set it up with plants ASAP to put the babies in once it had cycled. After three weeks we added three harlquin tetras and they lived in there happily for a week. Water levels in the new tank were perfect so on Saturday (4 days ago) we put the harlequins in the old tank and transferred the platty fry into the new tank. The fry went mad and loved all of the caves and things we had built for them and seemed grow bigger overnight in their new space!! Last night we watched them for about 20 mins before going to bed and all 9 were present and accounted for and swimming about merrily.

This morning however when I turned their light on I noticed one of the fry floating on the surface. I was very sad and disposed of him. About 2 hours later I checked again and another one had died!! I am now too scared to go look.

Does any one have any ideas what is going on. Tested water after first death and ammonia was zero althought the nitrite had increased slightly.

Sorry for the long post, didn't want to miss anything out.

Thanks
Emily

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What stat was the nitrite at? You shouldn't be having nitrites in a cycled tank and it probably means the tank is still cycling...

 

[tuffstuff36]

Oh right, well i have the tetra test kit and yellow is 0 and orangey is 0.3 and it has gone slightly orangey. Do you think i should put the fry back in the breeding trap in the old tank? I just don't understand because on saturday nitrite was 0 and the guy at LFS said we might have over loaded the filter with biological waste from fish, but they are tiny!!!!

Thanks for fast reply

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

How big is the fry tank? I would keep the harlequin tetras in there for the mean time and move the fry back to the breeding net, but harlequin tetras do eat fry so they aern't exactly the best tankmates for them.

 

[tuffstuff36]

Thanks for the replies, have been to LFS this afternoon and they gave me a proper nitrite reading kit. The levels are 0.5 which is high so have put the fry back in the breeding trap and they are now floating in the old tank. He said that the harlequins are pretty hardy and to leave them in the tank to help cycle it? So have left them in there. He also said to add cycle to help condition the water so have done. Hopefully I won't loose any more.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Things should sort out now with a bit of time, you've done the right thing

 

[BLASK]

First of all, im preety much doing the same thing you are, I got a seprate 20g tank for my platy fry. You really want to make sure that the fry tank is fully cycled, because the fry will last a shorter period of time in 'bad' water than regular fish, you gotta treat them like your own babies and make sure that while your tank cycles, that breeding cage you got them in, make sure you circulate the water in there. I had one of those before I got an extra tank and if you didnt circulate the water (create a vacuum by lifting it slightly above water level and allowing the old water to escape and new water to come in at a very fast pace) you will see how fast the fry die. Especially if they have old food or poop laying there.

IMO watching platy fry growing and developing beautiful scales if a nice pastime. Good luck!