**fry Caught, Need Nano Heater, Help!**

[Whitey_144]

Hi,

my apistogramma cacutoides has just had a spawn of fry in my community tank. I've not had luck leaving fry with the mother or in a breeding net in the community tank, so on this 4th attempt i caught 13 fry and have put them in a breeding net in my microhabitat 8 nano tank (2gallons i think). problem is i don't have a heater!! I will call my local LFS soon, but i doubt they will have such a small heater.

In case i can't get one locally, can anyone recommend one i can get online, (i live in UK).

From googling forums, I think US walmart sells a Tetra Whisper Heater Model 2-15Tetra Whisper Heater Model 2-15 (not sure i can get that in UK?) and i've heard of the Hydor Mini Heater - 7.5W or 15W for 3g Pico. Any others that are better? or i can source easily in UK?

Does anyone have this nano and have a heater? i'm looking for one that preferably sits in the back compartment with the pump, but for now i just need to get one rapido before they the fry chill!!

thanks!
Whitey

 

[KittyKat]

NeWattino Plus are good, but the fry will not do well in an aquarium that size.

 

[Whitey_144]

NeWattino Plus are good, but the fry will not do well in an aquarium that size.

thanks, that looks like another good option. is it possible to change the thermostat, looks like its always set at 25C? on Ebay its £23, does this sound about right?

Why will the fry not do so good? there are 13 fry, what size tank would they need? at the moment it's the only way to save them, I'm trying to sort out a 4ft tank to move most of the community in it, and then i could put them back in with the mum...but could take a couple of weeks, so not sure she'd take them back....

thanks!
whitey

 

[KittyKat]

No, they're that small mainly because they do not have an adjustable thermostat.

A 2*1*1 ft would be a good starter aquarium, moving onto 3*1*1 ft as they start squabbling.

A 2 gallon is not much good because fish release growth stunting hormones into the water as they grow and without more swimming space, their muscles are unlikely to develop properly. If one was to feed the fry an optimum amount of food for growth, no filter in an 2 gallon could possibly cope with the bioload. For the moment, the best thing you can do is large water change. Emphasis is on large because the aim is to reduce concentrations in the water.

No, the female will not take them back even now, under normal circumstances.

In cases like this, I prefer to not raise the fry, instead of giving them less then the best start in life. The parents will spawn again, and next time you're more likely to be prepared.

Also, fry which are raised artificially make poor parents, often unable to raise their own young.

 

[waterdrop]

Well Kat will know better and will probably be back with some specific suggestions. It's funny, you triggered memories for me of the old days - I often had to run out and get another "setup" because of fry or other things that happened. The typical thing I and many others would go for was a generic 10 or 20g setup depending on what tank stands we had in the basement or shed. 10g tanks and cheap heaters were always around you could get up and going in hours. I'm not a full-blown hobbyist like that anymore but my reason for commenting is that it is sometimes overlooked that you can do a medium sized setup for the price of a good night out and then just sell the stuff later if you don't have space to store it, sometimes a "setup" gets put up in people's minds as a bigger deal than it needs to be if you get what I mean.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Whitey_144]

Well Kat will know better and will probably be back with some specific suggestions. It's funny, you triggered memories for me of the old days - I often had to run out and get another "setup" because of fry or other things that happened. The typical thing I and many others would go for was a generic 10 or 20g setup depending on what tank stands we had in the basement or shed. 10g tanks and cheap heaters were always around you could get up and going in hours. I'm not a full-blown hobbyist like that anymore but my reason for commenting is that it is sometimes overlooked that you can do a medium sized setup for the price of a good night out and then just sell the stuff later if you don't have space to store it, sometimes a "setup" gets put up in people's minds as a bigger deal than it needs to be if you get what I mean.

~~waterdrop~~

thanks Kitty and WD,

I do have a chest of drawers in my room and was thinking of getting 1or 2 small/medium sized tanks to sit on it which would give me options, so soon i should have a 4ft with most of the fish, the 30G with 2 angelfish and the trio of apistos and this nano and hopefully an empty small 2,1,1 ish tank. Next time the mum spawns, could i move her into this 2,1,1, tank with the babies and let her get on with it? or would it be too small to include the mum. That way all my problems would go, and whichever mum spawns 2nd gets a better chance of protecting her spawn against 2angelfish and the male in a 3ft tank.

I think i will buy the heater Kitty suggested, i needed one anyway because was going to use this nano for cherry shrimp,...

thanks!
adam

 

[KittyKat]

The female should not be protecting the young from the male, normally the male will help defend them. If you want to raise young well, it is best if you move the female and male into the 2*1*1 (it is fine for them short term, just not as a permanent home), let them spawn, then leave both of them to raise the fry. Once the parents look ready to spawn again or loose interest in the young, they can be removed.

 

[Miles_hot]

Where are you in the UK ?

 

[Whitey_144]

Where are you in the UK ?

I'm near gatwick airport in Surrey.

 

[Miles_hot]

ah, sorry - bit too far for me to travel. Maybe someone nearby might have a Q Tank which they can lend for a few weeks whilst you get in shape for these critters? Obviously they would have to be able to claim it back at a moments notice

 

[Whitey_144]

ah, sorry - bit too far for me to travel. Maybe someone nearby might have a Q Tank which they can lend for a few weeks whilst you get in shape for these critters? Obviously they would have to be able to claim it back at a moments notice

no problem, I'm sure i'll find something...i'll have to do some ebay scanning!