When Is It Safe?

[Amavi]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question, I have about 13/14 molly fry in the breeding net that are just over a month old. When is it deemed safe for them to go off to new aquariums? No website seems to give a direct answer. I am due to let them free from the net in the next 2 weeks when they are big enough to not fit in the adults mouth which I can't quite believe how big they are now!

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[FishBlast]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question, I have about 13/14 molly fry in the breeding net that are just over a month old. When is it deemed safe for them to go off to new aquariums? No website seems to give a direct answer. I am due to let them free from the net in the next 2 weeks when they are big enough to not fit in the adults mouth which I can't quite believe how big they are now!

Thanks in advance for replies.

When they are at around 2-2.5cm long. At least that's when I managed to release my swordtail fry or guppy fry into the main tank. They still bickered a bit but then ignored each other since the fry couldn't fit into anyone's mouth.

 

[Amavi]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question, I have about 13/14 molly fry in the breeding net that are just over a month old. When is it deemed safe for them to go off to new aquariums? No website seems to give a direct answer. I am due to let them free from the net in the next 2 weeks when they are big enough to not fit in the adults mouth which I can't quite believe how big they are now!

Thanks in advance for replies.

When they are at around 2-2.5cm long. At least that's when I managed to release my swordtail fry or guppy fry into the main tank. They still bickered a bit but then ignored each other since the fry couldn't fit into anyone's mouth.

Yeah I thought that would be suitable to just release them into the main tank, is it acceptable for them to go to new homes at this point also?

 

[Akasha72]

if you are planning to take them to your lfs for them to sell you need to ask them what size they need to be. Some lfs' will take them very young (as mine did today) others prefer them to be a certain size and age (especially where sexing them is concerned) before they will take them in

 

[FishBlast]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question, I have about 13/14 molly fry in the breeding net that are just over a month old. When is it deemed safe for them to go off to new aquariums? No website seems to give a direct answer. I am due to let them free from the net in the next 2 weeks when they are big enough to not fit in the adults mouth which I can't quite believe how big they are now!

Thanks in advance for replies.

When they are at around 2-2.5cm long. At least that's when I managed to release my swordtail fry or guppy fry into the main tank. They still bickered a bit but then ignored each other since the fry couldn't fit into anyone's mouth.

Yeah I thought that would be suitable to just release them into the main tank, is it acceptable for them to go to new homes at this point also?

If you have fish with bigger mouths though, the point of releasing would be at way bigger lengths, at which point you'd be better off keeping them in a separate tank until they'd grow. But with only mollies, that should do.

 

[garry123]

i put my largest of my molly fry in my tank the other week and was about 2cm long, far bigger than the mouths of the fish in the main tank. however since the colouration had not fully developed and the baby was still a little clear. my small angel thought is was big enough to eat and chewed it for about 20mins eventurally splitting it in half and eating the two halves.

RIP goldie

 

[FishBlast]

i put my largest of my molly fry in my tank the other week and was about 2cm long, far bigger than the mouths of the fish in the main tank. however since the colouration had not fully developed and the baby was still a little clear. my small angel thought is was big enough to eat and chewed it for about 20mins eventurally splitting it in half and eating the two halves.

RIP goldie

Angelfish are known to have an aggressive attitude most of the time. They aren't safe with fry and arguably may not be safe with Neon tetras either.

 

[OldMan47]

Here is your direct answer Amavi. When your fry are at least 2 cm long, not counting their tails, it will be safe to release them into a tank that holds adult angels. Angels are ambush hunters. It is why it is so hard to see them when they are among long thin plants like vals. They sit virtually motionless among the plants and when an unsuspecting small fish comes by they make a single swift move and swallow that fish. Until the fry are big enough that cannot happen, they are not safe in an angel tank.

 

[littlenemo]

yer my fry are staying out for a while. my angel is so horrid he chases my neons all the time even though there about 3 cm big

 

[FishBlast]

yer my fry are staying out for a while. my angel is so horrid he chases my neons all the time even though there about 3 cm big

I dread the day I'll have to put the babies in with the adults. I may not have angelfish, but I have a male sword that loves the taste of fry, and if he doesn't eat them, he just leaves them as a dead carcass on the sand. I hope he won't be interested in them if they'll be about 3 cm long.
But I've got an even bigger problem: 2 of the fry appear to be males. They are swimming backwards at each other already. -.- So Pinky and Ninja are probably guys. Which leaves Nightfish and Bee as the only ladies then.

 

[5teady_2012]

The general rule is if it cant fit in thier mouths, its safe.

I totally agree with oldman47 and his advice is always spot on, 2-3 cm is what i have always gone by, but i never had any big fish in my fry, only smaller ones.

 

[Joshwainwright]

Just make sure when you release them, they aren't too small Sounds obvious but I made the mistake once, released my fry and an hour later they were nowhere to be seen!

 

[OldMan47]

A side note here. Neons are the natural food for angels in the wild. I once disputed that but as my own angels grew larger there were less and less neons to be found in my tank. I started that big community tank with 30 neons because they made such a nice school, but it took the angels only a year to remove them all.

 

[5teady_2012]

When i first initially started the hobby a long time ago, i had same problem as oldman, had a school of neons, and 2 angel fish, my neons disappeared too.



I therefore purchased some cardinals, they look more or less exactly the same as neons but are bigger and have more red on them.