Put In Breeding Net Or Not? Debate...

[Ryeguy]

I have a molly, who is definately about to have a fry within the next day or so i would say (havent had her long enough to time it out) ...anyway, i have a breeding net...i know some people on here hate them worse than almost anything, others dont have problems at all...obviously id prefer to put her/them in a thier own fry tank, but i just got that tank yesterday, and it will some time before i can get it up and running...

anyway, the debate is...should i put the female in the breeding net prior to having the fry, or wait until after and hopefully ill be around to save them before the other gluttons in the tank can do them in??? Shes a very healthy and feisty female, infact she has been chaseing around the male all day today...but shes not intimidated by the net either (i put it in a couple hours ago just incase, and all she does is poke at it and try to figure out what it is)...so id like to hear some opinions or previous success/horror stories, so i can make the 'best' choice...

many thanks

 

[WILDER]

Sorry i'm one of them that hate the things the nets breeders, the stress of the birth and then the stress of the net just don't agree with it, if there is plenty of hiding spaces and plants most of the fry will survive, plus you can always remove the fry afterwards, them nets case death and even aborted fry.

 

[breezer40]

I've only tryed the breeding net once with a female platty and the stress made her abort so she comes first and the fry are an added bonus.

 

[Dragonscales]

I've never had much success with putting pregnant fish in breeding traps either. I usually wait until they spit the fry out then put the fry in the trap until they are large enough to not be eaten then move them back to the main tank. I actually have around 16 guppy fry in my trap atm.

 

[wuvmybetta]

I'm of the opinion that the fry will survive,provided there are plenty of hiding spots, too. Right now I have more molly fry than I ever dreamed of- in a tank with around 50 krib juvies,older molly juvies, not to mention both sets of parents and they've all grown to the point that they're too big to be eaten in just a couple of weeks. It's heavy with cover and the babies instinctively know to stay hidden. I guess it depends on how bad you want the fry

 

[Ryeguy]

wuvmybetta you are my new favourite mod....the tool eye is key.

anyway, my tank is fairly new...and while i do have some plants, its not nearly as thick as i want to get it....i need more light and im in the process of a homemade job involving rain gutters and some flourescents....soon...but i digress..

well it looks like anti breeding net is by far the majority..so im just gonna wait it out i think

thanks for the help everyone

 

[dwarfgourami]

I would just add to the above that if the female is in a breeding net with the babies, that gives her easy access to a nourishing snack and nowhere much for the babies to escape. I know there is supposed to be some appetite-suppressing hormone working for females that have just given birth, but it's never worked for mine; I have seen them turn straight round and gobble up what just came out of their bodies. When my platy gave birth just before I went on holiday I netted the fry and put them in the breeder net until we were due to leave, then I bought some smallish plants with lots of leaves and just left them floating on the surface for the fry to hide in, and then I let the fry loose in the tank; it worked really well.

 

[iron maiden fan]

first of all most of the people on this site are very err... animal loving(which is good) and hate to see a fish under any stress so your going to be told not to use the net.Really it depends on the fish you have with it but I think the net is better assuming the fish has enough room to turn around in it

 

[Angry_Platy]

I do use breeding traps on my livebearers BUT only if I know they have allready started to give birth then they get taken out as soon as they have finished the birthing (after a good feed of course).....

Like they only go in there if I see new fry swimming around OR I see a fry being born

 

[dwarfgourami]

I have used it on occasion: once successfully with a sick female who was stressed out by the others in the tank and too lethargic to care about being in the net (not too lethargic to start eating the fry though, once she'd given birth).

Today I did put a pregnant guppy in briefly as she was being harrassed by the others, but then observed her for a while and decided she was getting frantic, so let her out into the tank.

Basically, I see the net as a last resource if you have reason to believe she will be worse off giving birth in the tank.