Fry Tank

[sted]

hi i want to start up a little fry tank instead of using traps is there any advice or anyone selling something i could use.

does it need a filter / heater / air pump ?

any advice would be great


thanks for your time

steve

 

[frankie21]

I set one up just like a normal fish tank with heater, hang on back filter and air but I don't think air is needed. I setup basic decorations that I had leftover and one of the plastic carpets they have for fry at the LFS. When they are really small I take the smallest net at fish store that's like a buck and cut the net off and band it to cover filter so babies stuck to that and don't go up into filter.

 

[OldMan47]

There is a big difference between a fry grow out tank and a tank where you place a female to drop fry before returning her to the main tank. In the case of a grow out tank, you want the biggest tank you can fit so that the fish won't need to move from tank to tank as they grow larger. I find a 55 gallon suitable for most common livebearers as a growout tank. If you just want a safe place to have a fry drop, you can do it in as little as a 10 gallon with no troubles and just grow the fry large enough in that tank to return them safely to the main tank. In either case, I would use a filter, heater etc. Plants like java moss make for good cover and give the fry a feeling of security. A good filter inlet cover is a piece of filter sponge like the one I used here. I just cut a slit in an end and slip it over the inlet tube on the filter.

One bonus is that the sponge acts as an added biological filter and helps keep the main filter from getting too dirty very fast. Once it has been in place a month or so, it looks like this.

 

[ewooten78]

I have a small fry tank a 5 gallon with floating grass. I have a filter with a sponge around the intake so that the fry dont get sucked up in the filter. I have a submersable heater as well. The fry are doing great. Good Luck!

 

[sted]

decided to get this!

 

[Jenste]

be careful with the divider - - fry can fit through the teeniest tiniest gaps - the holes in the divider, and between the divider and the glass - - you may notice your numbers dwindling as fry escape and get eaten. your best route is a separate tank all together

 

[sted]

cool point taken