Vaccing a fry tank

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Katchan

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I have a tank full of swordtail fry at the moment and I need suggestions on how to Vac the bottom (lightly planted sand with elodia - only spare tank I had) without getting the fry

thanks in advance

Katchan
 
Shine a light at one end of the tank, they will either go towards or away from the light. Clean the area where they aren't. Or, shut off the filter & drop some food in the far back corner of the tank. When they go back to eat, vac the area where the aren't.

You can try using a turkey baster to clean the bottom, or a piece of air line tubing with a loose knot in it to slow the flow so you don't suck up sand. I keep fry in a bare bottom tank, and use the tubing with no knot. Fry get sucked up here & there, I just suck them out of the bucket with the baster & squirt them back into the tank.

Tolak
 
How little are the fry? I've always used my syphon and done it normally. I have a small 1" syphon that i bought for that tank. The flow is very slow, so they every got sucked up.
 
I usually take the tank strip light and turn it sideways across one end of the tank. They almost always swim over to which ever end the light is at and then I vac the opposite end. When I'm done with one half I move the light to the other end and they all swim over there and I vac the other half. You may need to turn the light off for a couple minutes at first to encourage them to follow it. Works like a charm. Check you waste water bucket carefully though just in case you do suck up one or two, they usually are no worse for the little adventure. I've found that when you do suck one up they'll hide in the bottom of the bucket and hold still. If you shine a flashlight down into the bucket they'll come swimming up to you.

I also like to keep 3 or 4 corys in my fry tanks as a cleanup crew. They help tremendously and have never hurt any of my fry.
 

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