I posted this on chit/chat board, but I'm hoping for a little more input...
I did get one suggestion to put my live plants into my breeding tank and the fry can feed off of any "critters" from them. Any thoughts on if this would work??
Here's the original post....
I'm hoping to get some idea of what to do with my (unexpected) platy fry over a vacation.
I have already arranged for a neighbor boy to care for our tank while we are gone. We are going to be gone for almost 3 weeks. He can only come every 3 days, as he does not live nearby. The plan was to have him peek in at the fish and feed them every 3 days. (I got the every 3 day idea from this forum...saying it will help keep the fish from being overfed by the boy and to keep the tank clean until I do a water change). Two days ago, we woke up to about a 12 red platy fry. My son pestered me into rescuing them into a breeding tank.
Here's my dilema...I don't have a way to feed the fry 3-6 times per day...only 1 time every three days! I have already called all my local pet stores and no one will take them. Well, they'll take them and put them into their tanks and let them be eaten...but I could do that here!
Will fry survive that scarce feeding schedule? Is it best that I just let them go to be eaten? Any ideas that I haven't thought of yet? I have considered putting an auto feeder over the breeding tank...but I think that would WAAAY over feed them. I can't sink any more money into buying a breeding tank and putting it at the boy's house.
Thanks for any fresh ideas!
I did get one suggestion to put my live plants into my breeding tank and the fry can feed off of any "critters" from them. Any thoughts on if this would work??
Here's the original post....
I'm hoping to get some idea of what to do with my (unexpected) platy fry over a vacation.
I have already arranged for a neighbor boy to care for our tank while we are gone. We are going to be gone for almost 3 weeks. He can only come every 3 days, as he does not live nearby. The plan was to have him peek in at the fish and feed them every 3 days. (I got the every 3 day idea from this forum...saying it will help keep the fish from being overfed by the boy and to keep the tank clean until I do a water change). Two days ago, we woke up to about a 12 red platy fry. My son pestered me into rescuing them into a breeding tank.
Here's my dilema...I don't have a way to feed the fry 3-6 times per day...only 1 time every three days! I have already called all my local pet stores and no one will take them. Well, they'll take them and put them into their tanks and let them be eaten...but I could do that here!
Will fry survive that scarce feeding schedule? Is it best that I just let them go to be eaten? Any ideas that I haven't thought of yet? I have considered putting an auto feeder over the breeding tank...but I think that would WAAAY over feed them. I can't sink any more money into buying a breeding tank and putting it at the boy's house.
Thanks for any fresh ideas!
