Unexpected Arrivals

[Far_King]

Hi everyone,
 
I'd been keeping a pair of Golden Panchax in my quarantine tank for around five weeks when one of my cories got sick (peppered cory started floating to the surface and pinching it's tail fin).
 
I decided to end the QT slightly early and move the Panchax into the display tank where they're doing very well and both seem extremely happy.  They come and see me whenever I go near the tank.
 
Now, I left the water in the tank as it was as I didn't want to stress the cory by doing a water change as well.  It's 65litre and the water was partially changed a few days before anyhow.
 
I'd added a couple of moss balls in as I prefer some live plants but in the main in that tank I use silk.
 
A week later I decided I should do a change, so I went for an 80% change.
 
I removed all the plants and rinsed out the moss balls, used a pump to remove the water etc and vaccuumed the bottom of the tank which is bare.
 
Upon filling it back up I was surprised to see two very small fry wriggling around!  Absolutely tiny.  I was both pleased and upset as I must surely have disposed of some but I can only wonder if the change of water was enough to make them hatch.
 
I believe they must be Panchax fry but I've not seen them again since.  I add small amounts of food to the water in the assumption that they're hiding away.  My Cory still isn't well and but better than he/she was so I've left him/her in there for the time being.
Heshe isn't really eating so I doubt heshe has consumed the fry.
 
I'm petrified of doing any other kind of water change as I have no idea if the fry even still exist.  I hope they're just curled up in a moss ball somewhere.

 

[Akasha72]

I was in a similar situation not so long back Far King, I added some cory eggs to my small Q tank but ended up with an unknown fry. At first I thought it was a cory but after a week it became clear it wasn't. I'd found the cory eggs attached to a leaf that was floating round in my current and so the leaf had been picked out and just thrown into the Q tank. Something else must have hitchhiked though.
 
The baby survived against all probability - it was so tiny I have no idea what it fed on but it did survive. It turned out to be a Nematobrycon Palmeri tetra baby. I currently have another that I rescued from my main tank before my angelfish gobbled it up. 
 
I've found with fry that the best thing to do is to add a sponge filter and some plants from your main tank. There's loads of infusoria on them and this has to be the food source for fry so small. The moss balls are also a good idea. 
 
Another tip for later. When you get to empty the tank completely add something white to the base of it. If the tank is bare any fry show up against the white base and you can see them better. It's much easier to water change and check for any deaths that way. I've also been known to use a turkey baster to suck up fry and move them to a jug while I water change and clean up their tank. That way I guarentee I don't accidently throw some away!

 

[Far_King]

Thanks Akasha.
 
The base is painted on the outside with a white stone finish, but the back it black.  I assume they're just hidden somewhere.
 
I do have a turkey baster on standby, it's one of the most handy things to have.
 
The filter is an internal sponge filter.  I'm just finely crumbling some flake and putting a small spoonful of fine dried bloodworm dust into the water.  I'm hoping this will be enough for them to gain some sustenance.  The moss balls are still in there.

 

[Akasha72]

try not to add too much food. If they're not able to manage it and it goes uneaten you could be tempting water problems. I'm treading that fine line myself right now. I've also finely ground up some flake food for my two babies (a baby panda cory and a baby tetra) The easy way I've found is to use a pipette. I add a small amount of water to a medicine measuring cup then dip the wet end of the pipette into the ground up food and dip that into the cup. I then add another pipette full of water to the cup as I want the food to sink for the cory. Once I know it's gonna sink I pour it into the tank. I'm just doing that twice a day for now.
 
Another option for really tiny fry is Liquifry. I've mix that in a small measuring cup too and then use my pipette to squirt it over the moss ball in the hope it adds to the infusoria

 

[Far_King]

I've got a tiny spoon with the bloodworm "dust" and just drop in a small amount of that.
 
It's harder with the flakes but I roll it between my fingers to try and turn that into small particles too (this worked well enough for my platy fry so I'm hoping the same will be true).
 
Also the Cory in there is getting the odd algae wafer.
 
 
My worry is in doing any kind of water change at the moment as they fry are pretty much invisible (I'm still not sure if they're there or alive!)  I may just do a very small amount using a litre jug and examine it thoroughly.

 

[Akasha72]

I actually remove fry when they are that small to the water change. I find them and suck them up with my turkey baster and add them gently to a seperate container and then do the water change before adding the fry gently back. It seems to work

 

[Far_King]

Ok, thanks.  I'll have to see if I can find the little monkeys

 

[Akasha72]

I hope they're still there and surviving. Keep me posted with them

 

[Far_King]

Will do

 

[Far_King]

I found one alive and well at the weekend - woo!  I'm very pleased about this as I'd seen no sign of them for two weeks!

 

[Akasha72]

great news Hope it keeps going from strength to strength 

 

[ricbea]

Hi Far_King,
 
Jumping in here a wee bit late but if I may add another thought about how to grind up flake into dust. I may have read this somewhere so I will not claim as my own idea but it did come to me as I was grinding some flake for my fry.
 
I took a sandwich bag and poured in a small amount of flake enough for a weeks worth of food 50ish fry and then crushed in the bag first by fingers then rolling pin to break it right down. I was able to do it effectively and tidily. Then I poured into a small container from which i can dispense as much as needed at feeding time.
Congrats on the keeping the fry going you were doing it right all along. 
 
Good luck.
 
Richard.

 

[Far_King]

Nice idea Richard, thank you.  I'll give that a go

 

[Far_King]

I've definitely got one fry free swimming and feeding on flake food now and it's clear that it's a Golden Panchax already.
 
I'd say it's now a quarter to a third of an inch in length.  There were definitely two before but now I can only clearly see the one.  I'll have to have a proper look around the tank to see if I can find any more.

 

[Akasha72]

congrats  
 
and it would be wonderful if the 2nd one turned up. Hope you find it