The Planted Tank Forum banner
Cancel

Got eeny wild fry- maybe minnows -what to do?

632 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Aurie, 
B
Okay... So I recently brought some hairgrass-like plants back from a lake. I was fishing through them for scuds (food for my saltwater fish) and I spotted three tiny dots swimming in tandem. I wanted a closer look, so I caught them in a white spoon. Guess what? Fish.
I found several more... They're so tiny that I was afraid they'd get stuck trying to swim through the mesh in the fish hatchery I have. I decided that my best bet is to just put them in a container with their plant cluster and keep them in there until they grow a bit.
What do you suppose they are? They're beyond tiny... I'm guessing they're either minnows or darters. I plan to put them in my 65g if I can manage to grow them up.
I can't put them back... I added aquarium water to the container the plants were in before I noticed the fry.
That picture down there is one of the fry, with a hair for size comparison. That thing's twice the width of a hair!

Attachments

See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
PlantedRich
That has to be the smallest fish I've ever seen! Sounds like the plan to keep them with the plants will be the way to go. Water changes may be a challenge to aviod sucking them out but at least you won't need to feed them for a long time. Can you even tell which end is the mouth? Got lots of grwoing to do before you can even make a quess as to what kind of fish. Congrats on the good eyes!
Reply
Save
Like
H
I think the wide end is the mouth. :)

Kind of amazing that you spotted them at all, Betta123. Let us know how it goes with them!
Reply
Save
Like
B
The eyes are where the mouth is, I think XD.
I was looking closely for scuds in hopes that I could get my fish some treats, which is the only reason I spotted them.
I plan to keep them in a jar until they grow just a bit and get big enough to put in the hatchery without them fitting partly through the mesh and maybe getting stuck or getting out and becoming food. Once they get to a little over a half inch, I can put them in my microfish tank to let them grow until I can maybe recognize them.
I plan to put them in my 65g... I'm hoping I have minnows or shiners, not something larger. I may have to rehome them somehow if they're larger than a shiner...

Which do you think would be better for them long-term; a 1.2 gallon tank, or a 6X4" mesh hatchery? They need to get about the size of a microrasbora, then they can go into the biocube.
Does my plan sound plausible, or should I try something else?

I got a look at one from the side. They have pretty gold eyes. They're also incredibly active for something that small... Act just like most small fish.
Hmm... How large are mosquitofish fry, usually? These are so tiny, I'm not sure if they're livebearer fry... Don't livebearers have larger fry most of the time?
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
Aurie
Here's a White Cloud Mountain Minnow Fry. They are only a couple days old. In a 10 gallon aquarium. I managed to raise 24 to adult hood



See less See more
2
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
The Planted Tank Forum
A forum community dedicated to Aquatic tank owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about flora, fauna, health, housing, filters, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Tank Journals General Planted Tank Discussion Equipment Fish Shrimp & Other Invertebrates
Top