Surface plants suddenly babies.

[Playsander]

Hi all.
I have a 180l tank that is stocked mostly with livebearers like guppys, mollys and platys along with a bnp, some Cory's and some cardinals.
I have had this tank years but have never had any luck breeding the live bearers I have only had 1 fry get to adulthood in all that time.

A couple of months ago I got a delivery of new plants along with this delivery came about 5 tiny flouting plants, i put them in, hey free plants I thought.

A few months later the surface plants have multiplied like mad. I have to skim some off every week. The wierd thing is I now have a population explosion of baby fish, its amazing.
The only difference to my tank is the floating plants.

Would this realy make such an impact?



Thoughts?

 

[connorlindeman]

What type of plants are they? If they have dense roots they would provide more places for fry to hide resulting in more fry reaching adulthood.

 

[GaryE]

The pattern I saw in my set ups was that livebearer fry dropped to the bottom, and if I had a few golfball sized rocks down there, did well. As they quickly gathered strength, they shot to the surface and lived in the floating plants.
When I caught mollies andmother livebearers in Mexico, the USA and Guatemala, I didn't even look for fish. I dragged my net through vegetation and sorted out the young fish I wanted to see. The best tricks was to pull the net up suddenly, from under the surface plants.

 

[Playsander]

What type of plants are they? If they have dense roots they would provide more places for fry to hide resulting in more fry reaching adulthood.

I have no idea what plants they are. They have three surface leaves and about a 4mm root.

 

[connorlindeman]

I have no idea what plants they are. They have three surface leaves and about a 4mm root.

Could you post a picture?

 

[Essjay]

Photo for ID?

 

[Playsander]

Here is a top view

 

[Slaphppy7]

Looks like duckweed.....prepare for LOTS more of it, if so...

 

[connorlindeman]

Yep its duckweed.

 

[Playsander]

OK. I'm cool with that as it's promoting the kiddies. I just scoop it out at each water change.

Would it realy promote the survival of the fry?

 

[Slaphppy7]

OK. I'm cool with that as it's promoting the kiddies. I just scoop it out at each water change.

Would it realy promote the survival of the fry?

Any plant matter that provides cover is good for fry.

 

[emeraldking]

Think that the duckweed may have come in by new plants. I know it's one of the best floaters one can think of but I hate it. Just a tiny part of one duckweed can overrun your tank in no time.
But yes, how more plants , the more fry can survive if you have other chasing fish in there.

 

[connorlindeman]

Think that the duckweed may have come in by new plants. I know it's one of the best floaters one can think of but I hate it. Just a tiny part of one duckweed can overrun your tank in no time.
But yes, how more plants , the more fry can survive if you have other chasing fish in there.

I hate duckweed as well. If you have it in one tank, it will show up in the rest.

 

[emeraldking]

I hate duckweed as well. If you have it in one tank, it will show up in the rest.

They're very good to keep the toxics down but it's a real pest in a tank.

 

[StevenF]

All plants consume nutrients in the water. Duck weed grows fast and will reduce nutrient levels in the water. So it probably changed the nutrient levels in your water and possibly increased oxygen levels. This may have changed water conditions enough to trigger breading and or increased the survivability of the fish. Any soil that same with the plants may have also released nutrients fish need but plant don't need like iodine, selenium, vanadium, cobalt, and lithium. I use RO water in my shrimp tank and I never saw shrimp breading, But once I added nutrients shrimp need breading started.