grow out tank

[Andie]

hm...now you guys are scaring me.... do you think it would be a bad idea to spawn in a divided 29 gallon?

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IMHO, eventually you're going to need all that room I think the biggest fear with a really big tank is the concern that the spawning pair won't be able to find each other, so as long as the blocked-off portion is small enough to allow them to do that, I don't see why it should be a problem

 

[SRC]

awwwwwww look at that little anal finnnnnn

that is TOO freakin cute!

 

[wuvmybetta]

The biggest problem with large spawn tanks is this: you won't (I promise you) do as large of a water change on the fry tank as you should every day. More water equals more space, this is true- but the pheremones are just the same. You have,have,have to take out about 75-80% of the water daily, in a small tank that is no problem and no time, but in a 20 this will quickly become tedious and time consuming. Its very easy to slack off. You'll look in and say "Well, it looks clean, I suppose I can skip today since I just don't feel like it" but in a small tank you will know you HAVE to. That's how it works with me anyway.

Moving them at four weeks old is typically easy, they'll begin to gather in groups and you just scoop em up with a cup and dump them in the new tank. If you're doing your huge changes as you should this will be of no shock to the fry since they're used to straight,clean water like that.

I use a five gallon up until one month of age (unless the spawn is huge) The tank is small enough for me to pick up (after syphoning out 80%), set gently into the new grow out tank- and dump the entire contents of the five into the grow out. Bada bing,bada boom.

clover~ your babies are beautiful

 

[Andie]

Gah now I'm tempted to use a smaller tank too )

Fortunately I'm bordering on obsessive-compulsive when it comes to water changes, so for me that wouldn't be such an issue witht eh bigger tank, but yeah I can see it getting to be a problem if it looks okay . . . hmm . . . something to ponder.

 

[splashluff]

I'm afraid that I'll do exactly what Wuv said... so I've definitely switched from wanting to spawn in a 12g, to a 5g

I also KNOW that my female would just lose my male in a 20g. she would. He is also a wierdo, and he'd probably forget about her.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'd still rather use a bigger tank TBH. Hey, its good excersize And theres no way I'm going to fit a 5g anwhere in my room, not with two hamster cages, 3 divided betta tanks (will be when I've got the pair), a 15g and a 20. No, I can't use the 15, that will house the fish that will be evicted from the 20

EDIT- wuv, what exactly do you mean by pheremones?

 

[Andie]

Hehe the 'naughty' tank

Yeah so far I'm still planning on using the 20 as well I know how obsessed I am with clean water, so I'm not worried about letting the changes slide; especially with the possibility of HM babies, I plan to be fanatical about the water

I just plan on keeping it divided during the spawning procedure so the Mum and Dad don't lose each other completely

ETA: Pheromones are biological chemicals that all species secrete, typically used to attract/effect the behaviour of the opposite sex. Think of them as the failsafe perfume of the animal kingdom

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yeah, I know about that, but I was wondering about the context... Pheremones in a tank of fry, how does it affect them etc.

 

[Andie]

I think she meant the mother will release the same amount of pheromones regardless of the space she's in . . . at least that's how I read it. I'm not sure how it relates to the fry themselves but it might have an impact on the spawning if a larger tank weren't divided . . . hmm . . .

Oh darn, now you've got me wondering, too!

Wuv! Help!

 

[OohFeeshy]

I don't think its anything to do with the parents... she said
'The biggest problem with large spawn tanks is this: you won't (I promise you) do as large of a water change on the fry tank as you should every day. More water equals more space, this is true- but the pheremones are just the same'

So by this the water change is mainly because of pheremones.... Heck, yup, now I'm thinking about it its more confusing.

 

[Joby]

As I understand it, the fry release a hormone which is supposed to stunt its siblings growth, therefore making it the bigger better fish so heavy water changes are needed to dilute this. I'm hoping this is what Wuv meant.

Please correct me if I'm wrong )

 

[wuvmybetta]

I don't think its anything to do with the parents... she said
'The biggest problem with large spawn tanks is this: you won't (I promise you) do as large of a water change on the fry tank as you should every day. More water equals more space, this is true- but the pheremones are just the same'

So by this the water change is mainly because of pheremones.... Heck, yup, now I'm thinking about it its more confusing.

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Whoops, sorry folks. Had to go pick up the kiddo and such

Fry release pheremones as well. Joby beat me to it though You go girl!! That's exactly what I meant, and exactly why water changes are so important (aside from ammonia etc)

 

[OohFeeshy]

Ah right..... OK then. But surely then you'd be OK to do smaller water changes in a 20 as theres about 4 times the amount of water to dilute it in?

 

[wuvmybetta]

I see what you're saying, but from my point of view they release the same amount either way and my point was- doing water changes on a tank with three times the amount of water takes three times the amount of time. It all has to do with time consumption over here with me. I can whip out a five gallon water change in about 8 minutes. But, my marble tank for example (which is a 20, 3/4 full- filled with about 150 fry) takes at least twenty to thirty minutes to do. Every day.

It's easy to get lazy with a big tank when the water *looks* clean. With a small tank there is no excuse for not changing it out everyday.
I guess I don't know what my point is Maybe that I like small tanks better...? )

Standing at a fry tank with a syphon is less than fun. You can't really leave them and let it drain. You have to stand there and watch over them or you'll end up with casualties.
So,personally I'd rather only stand there for a few minutes, rather than the 15-20 it takes to drain out over 10 gllon of water with an airline.
They grow better,larger and faster with big wc's.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, I'll look into it . One of the hamsters is looking very old and ill now, he may not be with us when the time comes to spawn . Theres a good 2ft or so of desk where the cage is, big enough for at least one divided tank (not fry tank, its under my bed and isn't tall enough for me to stand up under).

Clover- sorry for hijacking )