Salt And Fry? + A Light Question

[Nick16]

hi, i have a 38l fry tank and i have been putting a little aquarium salt in as i know most common livebearers prefer it. when i do a water hange i top up my big tank with water and salt and them the same for my little tank. but i my fry seem lethargic and some have died. i have a fluval 1+ in there with and airstone but i have the option of putting a 2+ in there if need be but i will have to put some netting over the intake as the fish mite get sucked in!. my question: is salt harmful to fry? i have only been putting in very small amounts. should i stop putting it in, or put more in! thanks.


Also, for you light experts out there, i have a 30w light tube in my 30 gal. 1WPG. but my plants arent growing so i am thinking of putting either another 30w tube in there or jut havi9ng one 45w or i maybe a 55w if the do one in the right size. (900mm) which method would be best? i already use ferts and co2. Thanks.

 

[scooterchick]

What type of fry do you have? I'll assume they're livebearers in which case they need salt, but aquarium salt doens't reallu cut the mustard. In my personal experience I couldn't keep mollies until I provided brackish conditions for them, that is marine salt tank 1 teaspoon per gallon will make it semi salty.

The other thing, what temp is your tank at? Could it be a touch warm for them?

 

[Nick16]

they are platies and its at 24 celcius. same as my 120ltr.

 

[scooterchick]

they are platies and its at 24 celcius. same as my 120ltr.

Ok, you maybe don't have to go down the bracksih route with platy's but the aquarium salt certainly won't do them any harm. I would also turn the temp up slightly, like human infants, baby fish do better in slightly warmer water, although not too hot. Slowly increase the temp to 26 celcius.

Fry just die soemtimes, it's survival of the fittest and the weakest ones won't make it. The best thing you can do for them is plenty of small water changes, feed them good quality food (What are you feeding them btw?).

The filter should be ok, for that size of tank you only need to replace a couple of cupfuls of water everyday and maybe once a week remove the fry and give the gravel a good vac if you're scared of graveling fry! If you're confident just gravel vac with them in the tank.

 

[Nick16]

i dont have gravel in there and i just vac the galss with them in there. i just try not to suck them or the mts up! i feed liquifry no2 and tetramin baby. i raised the last lot without many losses but i have more this time so yeah i rekon it is survival of the fittest! ty for your help.

 

[scooterchick]

i dont have gravel in there and i just vac the galss with them in there. i just try not to suck them or the mts up! i feed liquifry no2 and tetramin baby. i raised the last lot without many losses but i have more this time so yeah i rekon it is survival of the fittest! ty for your help.

Hey no worries and good luck! Oh no need for liquifry or anything like that, finely crushed flakes and freeze dried brine shrimp is every bit as good, if not better, cos with the liquifry they can overfeed.

 

[Nick16]

whatdo you mean by overfeed?

 

[scooterchick]

whatdo you mean by overfeed?

Eat too much, get too much in them and bloat up.