So Overnight I Became A Father?

[LondonguyJ]

In an effort to vary the time I feed my fish I figured I'd feed them this morning. Whilst spinning the cube of Daphnia I had in my fish feeding container (small circular tupaware thingy) with some tank water. I got down and started to inspect the aquarium and noticed two eyes peering at me from under the java moss. To begin with I didn't pay it any attention because the smallest of my green neons tends to be there in the morning with one of my diamonds sort of just hanging out

But as I looked up Pancene (largest tetra and leader of the pack/school) swam by followed by the rest of my green neons in a near perfect line. I had to wait for them to come back around to confirm that all 8 of them were indeed schooling together before going back to the java moss (held in place with ceramic rings) but couldn't find anything. Waited for roughly 15 minutes before I figured it must have been one of the shrimp playing clean and seek but as I was about to get up and leave this tiny thing rose up out of the substrate and then navigated it's way deeper into the moss.

?

I have 2 female guppies
3 female balloon mollies
4 female gourami (two red honey two yellow)
And 2 platties

I have no idea what my next step is. I spent the next half hour looking up the different fry of each species but don't have a clear answer as to what species they belong to.

I called work and told them I'll have to take the day off, which although I'm entitled to looks bad as I didn't give notice.

Once I removed the moss/turned it over I found several fry and long story short have caught 8 and put them in a bag which is floating in the aquarium (secured by the lid) there are about 3 more remaining but they were simply too fast to catch and the more I tried the more I messed up the aquarium. One swam upwards and my ballon gave chase but she wasn't fast enough. So after I partially tidied the mess I made of the aquarium I watched the 3 make their way back to the moss. So thought it best to leave them there Because I don't want to put the res of my stock through to much stress.

But as I said before I have no idea what my next step is. So any advice is more than appreciated here.

J

 

[Curiosity101]

If you really want to raise them then I have one simple question... how much money are you willing to spend?
There are varying options depending on how much money you want to spend, these come as cheap as releasing them back into the tank and letting them fend for themselves to just going to buy some 'hikari first bites' for them to eat all the way up to getting them there own little fry tank and live food source until they're big enough to go back in the main tank.

Oh and just incase you're still wondering they probabaly belong to one of the guppies, mollys or platys... pics may help the livebearer peeps decided specifically which one. But in short... do any of the females look like they lost weight overnight?

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Also how long have you had the other fish (you may have a male in there if you have had them a while)

 

[LondonguyJ]

I've had my stock for a week today. I don't mind spending money to ensure their safety but I doubt I'd buy another aquarium as it'll be uncycled.

The fry that are in the aquarium seem to be masters of camouflage. Two are in the crevices of my bogwood and another looks as though he is part of the substrate underneath the java moss. I think that for now only my shrimp can reach them but am not sure if my shrimp would kill them?

I have stopped the light cycle by taking the plugs out of the timmers and have read that I should grind up some flake food and leave a little in with them.


Anyone have any info on those plastic nursery box things that people have in the aquarium?

 

[Curiosity101]

You could easily cycle a fry filter by taking the sponges from the main tank and squeezing these into the frys tank (where there own filter is running). This will seed enough for a few newborn fry and the levels should be stable within a couple of days.

Like I said... the only thing stopping me giving advice with regards to raising them is whether you really want to keep them... and how much you're willing to spend.

 

[BethK]

guppies can have babies up to 6 months, after having their way with a male

so i would invest in a breeders trap, if you intend to ensure the survival of fry. you can pick up a breeding trap for £6 in lfs or you can make your own one with a margarine tub and corks

 

[LondonguyJ]

You could easily cycle a fry filter by taking the sponges from the main tank and squeezing these into the frys tank (where there own filter is running). This will seed enough for a few newborn fry and the levels should be stable within a couple of days.

Like I said... the only thing stopping me giving advice with regards to raising them is whether you really want to keep them... and how much you're willing to spend.

Yes I would like to raise them and send them to a good home once they are mature enough. The thing is, after waiting so long for my ehiem 2215 to cycle I don't want to mess with it. It's like one of the most precious things I own right now The giver of crystal clear, odorless, spike free, ammonia/nitrite deficient water and am strongly against even opening in it for fear of a spike

But please give your advice...

I am pretty much lost without it because there are a thousand and one articles via google and the other fish forums I read through from time to time and all are conflicting.

 

[BethK]

i've given some good advice but you seem to be ignoring it, oh well

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I'm with Beth. Get yourself a breeders trap until they are big enough to mix with the other fish

 

[Curiosity101]

With 7 female live bearers I think suggesting a breeding trap is a bit short sighted... I reckon a 10gal grow on tank would be your best bet if you'd like to raise the fry to a decent size and then move them on to new homes (as opposed to keeping them). Catching fish in a 10gal will be 100's of times easier. (if you main tank is the one in your avvy then it looks like a 125l to me?)

Also when you see females starting to square off you can pop them into the 10gal to allow them to give birth (breeder traps aren't the best as they can cause so much stress that the female aborts). Once she's dropped her fry she can go back to the main tank with the others.

Also don't be scared about opening the filter. I give you my absolute promise that it'll be fine for you to open it up and swish some of the sponges/dirt around in a different tank (so long as you've already de-chlored the water of course!).
Be aware that once you switched it back on it will probabaly kick a load of dirt into the tank... but this will clear soon enough and is only physical dirt, nothing to worry about.

You can pick up 10-15gal tanks pretty cheap second hand (or of course buy new)... so if you want to raise fry and money isn't a problem that is definitely my suggestion. (Oh n I'd really suggest a sponge/box filter rather than a power filter for a fry tank... but if you have a power filter try to cover the intake bits with some sponge so no fry get sucked in )

Also can I suggest starting up a culture of white worms and either getting some baby fishfood, or if you have flakes (which it sounds like you do) just crumble them up into a fine dust and feed the fry a 2-4 times a day. But don't give them a pinch or anything... just dip your little finger into the powder and touch the surface of the water to put it in the tank. Then the white worms can be a treat every couple of days

If you want to go down the cheaper option then get the largest breeder trap net you can find and pop that in your main tank. You may find it gets a bit full with that many livebearing females and also you may find it gets a bit full with regards to trying to grow 'x' amount of fry to a large enough size to be released back in the tank. Also, once released back into the tank you have to catch them again once at sellable/re-homable size.

Just some food for thought.

 

[BethK]

the trap is a good idea as a short period option, as to ensure the survival of the now fry!

although, research on live bearing fish would have been a good start, prior to getting them, so that you would have been prepared

 

[Curiosity101]

long story short have caught 8 and put them in a bag which is floating in the aquarium (secured by the lid)

When I read this I just presumed the OP meant a breeding net/bag... now I'm starting to think otherwise.

If it is just a 'bag' (plastic shopping bag? food bag?) then yes I totally agree, short term solution (until you get a tank if you want to) a breeder trap would be a good idea

 

[BethK]

bag will suffocate them, if left long enough.

If you used a sealed bag, then make sure it is tightly sealed, with mostly air in it, than water. The replacement of oxygen in the water needs to happen for the fish to breathe and that requires air to begin with. if you have used a normal shopping bag, then i would immediately remove them from it, not because of breathing but because plastic shopping bags have chemicals within.

 

[LondonguyJ]

Hey guys

I bought a hatchery over the phone from my lfs and had a taxi pick it up and deliver it to me so they are safe for now. Previously they had been in one of the fish bags I got on fishday...

@ curiosity

Thanks for the info...

I think an aquarium to house the fry is definitely the way to go. But after cycling and understand the process as I do now I'm leaning more towards an aquarium/filter that has been in use in the hope that some of the a/n bacteria are still present when I get it. I'm aiming for a 10-30L, something compact that I can put away once the fry have grown. Perhaps a biorb... But I don't know how the filtration on those work so will have to look into it.

In hindsight this is all quite hilarious. I spent a while on fish day making sure that all my fish were indeed females except my yellow honey male "Bannus" yet I didn't account for the possibility one could be pregnant on arrival. I don't have a camera to hand but I think the fry are the offspring of my ruby platty "Demarna" (my niece nephew and cousins used nonsensical words to name all my stock bar the diamond tetras and 7 of the green neons )

 

[Curiosity101]

She does look quite small... but we'd need a before shot to be sure.

As for the grow out tank... please don't buy a biorb, and pretty please get at least a 10gal. The average fry drop will be significantly larger than 8-11 fry. Get yourself a bog standard rectangular tank, trust me... soooo much better than a biorb. Apart from anything else (and there are many drawbacks) the curved surface makes catching fish a nightmare!

What area are you in? I could try helping sort through classifieds and ebay if you want? I enjoy shopping for other people
Give me a price and an area and I'll hopefully in undate you with possible tanks.