How Do You Get Your Fry?

[Em29]

I have a new 90l tank - fully cycled with 10 platy's. I used to have a much smaller non-planted tank and when little fry appeared I easily emptied the tank and netted them for the fry tank.

However, this new tank has lots of plants, rocks and slate etc Within 3 days I have platy birthing everywhere

But...I expected many of the fry to be eaten but I already have a fair few taking cover and passing the other fish un-hampered. I cannot get to them t net them but am concerned that the tank is going to become completely over run as the other fish are not much interested in cleaning up some of the fry for me.

Shall I leave them and start re-homing them once they are juniors?

 

[mike455555]

id say yes. let them grow any which die oh well and once there bigger you can net them out and sell them on

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

You could try using a turkey baster? Or just remove them when they are bigger

 

[ninjacheesefish]

Yeh its not that great to sell them on too small, so wait until they're about 1cm then sell them on. At this size they're not too edible and also it allows the weaker ones to die off.

 

[Em29]

Well thank you all!! I shall take your advice and leave them in until larger. I have a few juveniles in there..so cute I do not want to see them go ever - too sentimental

 

[basboi85]

If you have another tank that you could use for the fry I would say fill it up a little bit if not all ready full and I would suck them through a hose and would fill your fry tank as it goes then you can add fresh water in your main tank ( water change ) as you said you have plants/ rocks ect. They should be fine as fry are quite small ( newborn)

Or the more pain in the backside way That I have to do is try and persuade them to move out their hiding spot and catch them in the net.

Or how my fry like playing games and not budging or moving to a different rock/ plant before I could get them so have to move the plants/ rocks as best you can and try catch them.

That is if you want to keep them or let nature take its course

 

[HAMBONE]

You could try using a turkey baster

twss

 

[OldMan47]

You have a common problem of any fish keeper that takes good care of their fish, whether live bearer or egg layer. You end up with more fish than you have room to rear properly. When you have that problem it is the best kind of problem. It means that you take care of your fish well enough to have a surplus in the form of juveniles or fry. The only real long term solution is to sell off your excess. If I choose to keep all fry from a generation, sooner or later there will just be too many. What I have found effective is to attend a local club's auction and sell my adults and near adults there. That means that I end up with young fish in my own tanks, which keeps the population pressure down and means that I have a bit of time before I am once again overpopulated. It also means that the fish in my tank are young, maybe even first time breeders. Those fish are always robustly healthy and will demand a premium at the next auction where they are the ones that I offer for sale. If you care for your fish well, you will always have a surplus of superior fish to offer at a fish auction. For me, it pays my fish food bills.

 

[Em29]

Great information OldMan - thank you. However, my tank has been struck down with Ick. I have posted in the emergency section.

I am having palpitations