[KFed]

Greetings! I've been browsing for a bit, thinking about signing up but it seems my hand has been forced.

So recently, I traded a 60P for a Fluval Spec V. I ordered plants online (dustinsfishtanks) and started up a sponge filter in my main tank (40G). The sponge ran for just under two weeks in my main and the plants arrived before I had a chance to do a hardscape, so I threw them into my 40G for a few days.

My 60P has been running for two weeks and today I decided to get some shrimp. The shrimp came with a piece of filter floss (which I believe wasn't in a tank) and I'm certain there wasn't anything else in the bag. After releasing the shrimp I noticed them checking out the tank and one of them was on my sponge filter. An hour after the shrimp were in the tank I saw five fry swimming around!

So...my questions is where do you think these fry came from? I fed them some crushed up blood worms and I'll see about real food tomorrow. Any tips would be appreciated. Sorry for the photo quality...and orientation apparently.

 

[WaterLife]

Those look like fish fry. Didn't see a mention of any potential fish involved so we can't ID what fish species the fry could be.
Try asking your plant or shrimp supplier what fish they had in their tanks (mention the plants/shrimp you got so they can ID what fish they had in those particular tanks).

Otherwise just grow the fry out and we can probably ID the fish once it gets larger.


Welcome by the way
Congrats on the surprise fry.
Try not to overfeed too much (they have tiny bellies) as water quality is also very important for the fry survival.

 

[KFed]

Thanks, good to be here!

I went to the store and they only had a tetra and a Endler in there. If I had to guess I'd say they came from my main tank, so if that's the case they're either Rainbows or Botia Loaches...but from what I've read it sounds like they're Rainbows. I bought some new life spectrum small fry starter food and I'll take some better pics later.

I'm guessing they've been in this tank for a bit and I just didn't notice...The last plants were put in here at least 10 days ago...

 

[WaterLife]

Well between the rainbows and botias, it would be from the rainbows since the fish are staying in the midwater column (since botias are bottom dwellers you know).
Rainbows are more likely to breed as well in comparison to Botia loaches.

 

[touch of sky]

Congratulations! Surprise fry are great. I once came home from vacation and found a baby rosy barb in the tank. I wish I had been home and maybe could have saved a few more. The little barb has grown into a beauty and I hope yours do the same

 

[KFed]

I hear it's hard to breed loaches too, and I've seen my rainbows going at it before. I guess the only question is which two. Yesterday I took a piece of Hornwort from my main tank and threw it in for my fry to snack on and today I count six fry! One being a bit smaller than the others...didn't think that was possible to be smaller. I've still got a small piece of Hornwort in my main tank still, I'll move it over tomorrow morning..maybe a floating piece of Rotala too.

Touch of sky, that'd be a nice surprise! I came home from vacation to find my filter had been off for at least a week.

 

[KFed]

Just bought a water test kit and here's my parameters.

(Edited)
PH:6.4
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 5
Nitrate: 120

Looking at this, I think should move my fry over to my main tank. Best way to do it without a turkey baster? I also bought a breeder box that's a mesh so they have a place to live.

 

[PlantedRich]

For really small fry of that size, I favor using a siphon tube into something like a bowl that can be poured out into the other tank. The rounded bottom makes them less likely to stick to the edges. When I have a tub full of fry that are now free swimming, I stick the tube in, suck out what looks right and leave the remaining herd for the parents to help them learn to bond and parent. Small fry shoot through the smooth tubing real nice.
A single fry may make for more of a chase though. The smarter ones who survive are also the ones who don't want to be caught!

 

[KFed]

I think that will work well. Do I need to worry about acclimation though? My other tank reads PH at 7.2; I guess I could siphon them into a plastic bag and then siphon them out again when it comes time to drop them in...

 

[PlantedRich]

Unless there is a known major difference in the two tanks, I would not bother. Since the fry is really not ID'd real sure, I would think it likely that one tank is as close to what it needs as the next might be? I find fish to be pretty tough guys and small ones are pretty easy to move around other than mashing them.
When moving small fish, my major blunder has come about due to problems with the net breeder boxes that I've had. I found that they let the adults suck the fry in and kill them through the mesh as it had too much slack. They didn't get them eaten but they did mash them enough to kill them.

 

[KFed]

oh...great...that's exactly what I was going to put them into...well I'll load the box with plants so they hopefully don't notice the fry and see if I can clip it shut so there's no slack. Thanks for the heads up.

Got them into my main tank, the breeder box was already falling off it's "clips", so I used a few of my own and clipped it to the rim instead. I tried getting a better pic of them but I don't really think it worked to well...still being lazy about charging my good camera heh. Soon! Speaking of soon, hopefully this other tank cycles sooner rather than later.

I don't understand why these images are getting flipped, they're aligned the correct way up until I the point I post them...

 

[quiquik]

I just recently purchased a Marina hang on breeder box and love it. Raising some panda cory fry. Google it and check it out,,, also on youtube.

 

[KFed]

Wow, that looks awesome! Unfortunately I've been going on a tour of the LFS in this area and I don't think I've seen one here. I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for one though for next time. My fish haven't bothered my fry yet, thankfully. I'm debating putting the shrimp in here as well, I don't think they'd make it in the main tank...but at the same time they might attract fish to the box...