Really Dirty Fry Tank

[arielsworld17974]

So my fry tank is super dirty. I feel really bad for them. I do water changes but I'm so afraid to vacuum it. But there's algae growing everywhere. Is it safe to vacuum it or should I simply go get a snail or algae eater for the tank?

 

[LyraGuppi]

Dirty as in detritus, or just the algae?

 

[arielsworld17974]

I'm sure there's a little of both. Like food that hadn't been eaten and algae.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Its best to vacuum to get the uneaten food out.  If you are worried about siphoning the fry... use an airline.  It can still suck up the gunk, but shouldn't be so strong as to suck up the fry... especially if you keep a close watch on what you are doing.

Better than a snail or algae eater fish would be some small shrimp, like red cherries.

 

[arielsworld17974]

I would love a shrimp! Always have just didn't think they could be with swordtails! Definitely can't have them in my main tank! But that's a really cool idea. Thanks!
I think Saturday I will vacuum it. I'll just make sure I watch what I'm doing. Are bug water changes good for them as well? Or keep them at like 20%?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Bigger and more frequent water changes are best for fry.   I've seen as much as 50% twice daily suggested by some ichthyologists.  Also, they recommend taking the 'fresh' water from the main tank, which would then alleviate certain issues, like chlorine, temp, pH, etc.
 
 
I'm not suggesting shrimp in the main tank with the swords (although it would be perfectly safe if you got some of the larger species, like bamboo or Amano shrimp).   Someone on this forum actually put their cory eggs in a tank with cherry shrimp, and the shrimp were great caretakers of the eggs... keeping fungus from growing on them, and they were harmless to the fry as well.  
 
Ghost shrimp are another option, but the danger with ghost shrimp is that they often are 'feeder' options, which keeps the price down, but also means that they aren't always the best cared for shrimp.

 

[arielsworld17974]

I'll do 50% everyday then! I can't wait to go look for shrimp tomorrow! I'm glad to know they won't harm the fry. it's going to be great!

 

[Baccus]

As Eaglesaquarium said cherry shrimp will be fine with fry. I would only get the basic red cherry not any of the fancy and more expensive colour morphs of cherry shrimp since the other colours get trickier to care for. I also wouldnt put any crystal shrimp or tiger, tibee or other breeds with fry. Not because they would do any harm to the fry but because the crystals etc are more exacting in water paramters and temp which may not suit them in a fry tank undergoing frequent large water changes. The basic red cherry shrimp are practically bomb proof.
Amano shrimp should be ok with fry, but stay away from filter feeding shrimp like bamboo shrimp since they are more a specailised feeder and can starve in tanks with little or no water flow which most fry tanks will have for the safety of the fry.
The real bonus of shrimp with fry is not only the fact that they generally will leave the fry alone, but shrimp also eat a lot of food the fry might otherwise waste and shrimp have a very small bioload.

 

[arielsworld17974]

That's exactly what I'm looking for I have to make sure I feed my fry enough. So naturally there's uneaten food. So I'm going to head out tonight to find some shrimp. Thanks for the advice! I'll post pictures later

 

[Liv15]

I really wouldn't get ghost shrimp if I were you, I had one that ate 2 of my guppies and I know some other people who have had the same experience with them. Cherries are nice though! And bamboo shrimp are pretty cool but must go in a mature tank as they are very sensitive.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Liv...
 
It would seem that the shrimp that you had were not 'ghost shrimp', but likely misidentified 'macrobrachium hendersoni'  (sometimes also called 'red claw shrimp')  As juveniles, these can easily be mistaken for one another and we've had members fall victim to this.  Incidentally, all the members that I've noticed that have this problem were in the UK... so there might be something to that.
 
Anyway ghost shrimp look like this:

 
 
And macrobrachium look like this:

 
Notice how similar they look?  The clue is that the macro has a long claw in front, because it will eventually look like this:  a female

 
 
and a male:

 

[arielsworld17974]

So I got 3 red cherry shrimp today they're so cute and little.
I could only get pictures of two.

 

[LyraGuppi]

They breed like rabbits in freshwater, so maybe you'll get more.

 

[arielsworld17974]

Really?? I asked if they would and they said absolutely not. I was afraid of that. But I guess they're harmless to my babies so I guess it wouldn't matter.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

If you haven't learned it yet, learn it now.... Beware the information given by the LFS employees. Some are very good and have a wealth of knowledge. Others are part time workers with limited if no real experience and 'know' only what they were told as part of their training. Many 'freshwater' shrimp require brackish water for breeding or for their larval stage to develop... Cherry shrimp do not fall under that heading. Cherry shrimp will readily breed in a fully freshwater environment, assuming you have the proper genders. You can always get a few more to increase those odds.