How do I care for my fry

kirizarry · 11-06-2009, 09:40 PM

Ok, so I have the tiny swords waiting to be born, then what do I do. I have a net breeder I can put them in. I have a 10 G tank that the mom is in with only an Algea eater. Some plants. I could just leave them in there. Survivor of the fittest.....I don't have that much money to play with so I can't buy another tank, eventually I will give the fish away and keep a few ( depends on the number of survivors). So I need some ideas and Quick!

Newman · 11-06-2009, 10:19 PM

Quickest way:

Throw in a batch of Horwort or Cabomba, and leave that floating on the surface. tie it to a corner with fishing line if its constantly being bombarded by flow from the filter and is floating all over the place. Net breeders are not recommended for swordtails. BUT you can keep the babies in there for about 3 days until they get strong enough to escape the mother.

Heres what you do:
1. place net breeder into the tank. throw a strand of hornwort/floating plant into the breeder. Also place a sponge over the filter intake so that fry dont get sucked in.
2. make sure the tank has a cover! babies will jump out if they are chased. ive had this happen (yet i still stubbornly choose to keep my tank open-top ;P)
3. Buy 1 packet of Hickari First Bites. this will be their first food. Runs for $3
4. Buy a few packets of brine shrimp mix. San Fransisco bay brine shrimp packets are what i use http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Pets.../T710155_55672 Runs for $4 WILL LAST FOR 9 MONTHS, maybe a year.
5. if you are interested in instructions on hatching these, just pm me. its much easier than you think.
6. check each day for small yellowish-tan fry in the tank.
7. put any fry you find that are NOT in the hornwort/floating plant, into the net breeder with a brine shrimp net.
8. BTW get a brine shrimp net. darn useful thing to have when handling fry, and well...brine shrimp adults.
9. While in the net, feed the fry about 4-7 times a day with a tiny bit of first bites (sprinkle on water or use oral syringe to inject the mix into the breeder) Dont forget about the fry that hide in the floating plants as well. feed them the same way.

REMEMBER TO DO 25% WATER CHANGES TWICE A WEEK because youll be filling the water with a lot of food. you dont want your nitrates to rise.

10. After about 4 days, you can release the fry from the net to join the others.
11. at this time if youe running the brine shrimp hatching container, youll have brine shrimp ready to feed. take a syringe and harvest some baby brine from the brine shrimp container. squirt contents into a small cup and sprinkle a tiny amount of first bites. now use the syringe to inject all that food into the floating plants.
12. Continue feeding this mix to the fry until you see that theyre more developed and are hanging out freely about the tank. youll probably even notice them try to eat flake, bloodworms, tubifex, or whatever food you feed to your adult swordtail.
13. when you see them out-sourcing to other types of food, only feed them twice with the mix daily, until they basically become too big to even notice the brine shrimp. at that point theyll be about 3 months old, and concidered adults.

Hope this helped. Its based on what i do for my fry.

Newman · 11-06-2009, 11:40 PM

In case you dont care for buying either of those foods, you could also try to feed the fry finely crushed flake (or w/e food you feed to your swordtail, just in a crushed form)

kirizarry · 11-07-2009, 09:54 AM

Thanks so much for this.....you have been quite helpful through all of this. I appreciate it very much.
Ok, now about the sponge over the filter.......? How do I do that.

Newman · 11-07-2009, 11:48 AM

No Problem

What type of filter are you running on the tank? a sponge filter, an internal (submersible filter) or a HOB filter (hangs on back)?
Where ever the intake on that filter is, try to cut out a piece of sponge that will completely cover the intake...

But it would help to know what filter it is first.

beckyd · 11-07-2009, 12:53 PM

Gee whiz, Newman. How is anybody to add to your fantastic advice?

Just do what he said.

For the filter, I cut the netting off a net and rubberband it on the intake. Use the cheap green kind. Its got bigger holes. Rinse it out when you do your water changes. Good luck!

kirizarry · 11-07-2009, 12:54 PM

It is a HOB, think. It does hang on the back of the tank.

kirizarry · 11-07-2009, 02:40 PM

Beckyd, That's a good idea, I would have never thought of that one, thanks

beckyd · 11-08-2009, 11:25 AM

You're welcome! Mine are HOB too. Works like a charm

vampirefish · 11-17-2009, 02:25 PM

i've always found that java weed is great for fry to hide in and you can play spot-the-fish! (always fun

)

11-06-2009, 09:40 PM	#1
kirizarry Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 27	How do I care for my fry Ok, so I have the tiny swords waiting to be born, then what do I do. I have a net breeder I can put them in. I have a 10 G tank that the mom is in with only an Algea eater. Some plants. I could just leave them in there. Survivor of the fittest.....I don't have that much money to play with so I can't buy another tank, eventually I will give the fish away and keep a few ( depends on the number of survivors). So I need some ideas and Quick!

11-06-2009, 10:19 PM	#2
Newman Super Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 2,758	Quickest way: Throw in a batch of Horwort or Cabomba, and leave that floating on the surface. tie it to a corner with fishing line if its constantly being bombarded by flow from the filter and is floating all over the place. Net breeders are not recommended for swordtails. BUT you can keep the babies in there for about 3 days until they get strong enough to escape the mother. Heres what you do: 1. place net breeder into the tank. throw a strand of hornwort/floating plant into the breeder. Also place a sponge over the filter intake so that fry dont get sucked in. 2. make sure the tank has a cover! babies will jump out if they are chased. ive had this happen (yet i still stubbornly choose to keep my tank open-top ;P) 3. Buy 1 packet of Hickari First Bites. this will be their first food. Runs for $3 4. Buy a few packets of brine shrimp mix. San Fransisco bay brine shrimp packets are what i use http://s7d5.scene7.com/is/image/Pets.../T710155_55672 Runs for $4 WILL LAST FOR 9 MONTHS, maybe a year. 5. if you are interested in instructions on hatching these, just pm me. its much easier than you think. 6. check each day for small yellowish-tan fry in the tank. 7. put any fry you find that are NOT in the hornwort/floating plant, into the net breeder with a brine shrimp net. 8. BTW get a brine shrimp net. darn useful thing to have when handling fry, and well...brine shrimp adults. 9. While in the net, feed the fry about 4-7 times a day with a tiny bit of first bites (sprinkle on water or use oral syringe to inject the mix into the breeder) Dont forget about the fry that hide in the floating plants as well. feed them the same way. REMEMBER TO DO 25% WATER CHANGES TWICE A WEEK because youll be filling the water with a lot of food. you dont want your nitrates to rise. 10. After about 4 days, you can release the fry from the net to join the others. 11. at this time if youe running the brine shrimp hatching container, youll have brine shrimp ready to feed. take a syringe and harvest some baby brine from the brine shrimp container. squirt contents into a small cup and sprinkle a tiny amount of first bites. now use the syringe to inject all that food into the floating plants. 12. Continue feeding this mix to the fry until you see that theyre more developed and are hanging out freely about the tank. youll probably even notice them try to eat flake, bloodworms, tubifex, or whatever food you feed to your adult swordtail. 13. when you see them out-sourcing to other types of food, only feed them twice with the mix daily, until they basically become too big to even notice the brine shrimp. at that point theyll be about 3 months old, and concidered adults. Hope this helped. Its based on what i do for my fry. __________________ Credit goes to Lludu Last edited by Newman; 11-06-2009 at 10:22 PM..

11-06-2009, 11:40 PM	#3
Newman Super Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 2,758	In case you dont care for buying either of those foods, you could also try to feed the fry finely crushed flake (or w/e food you feed to your swordtail, just in a crushed form) __________________ Credit goes to Lludu

11-07-2009, 11:48 AM	#5
Newman Super Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern NJ Posts: 2,758	No Problem What type of filter are you running on the tank? a sponge filter, an internal (submersible filter) or a HOB filter (hangs on back)? Where ever the intake on that filter is, try to cut out a piece of sponge that will completely cover the intake... But it would help to know what filter it is first. __________________ Credit goes to Lludu

11-07-2009, 12:53 PM	#6
beckyd Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 353	Gee whiz, Newman. How is anybody to add to your fantastic advice? Just do what he said. For the filter, I cut the netting off a net and rubberband it on the intake. Use the cheap green kind. Its got bigger holes. Rinse it out when you do your water changes. Good luck! __________________ Save money. Earn money. Buy more fish! www.365days-in-the-black.com 75g Community tank: lyretail balloon belly mollies, black moscow guppies, red hifin lyretail swords, 10 cardinal tetras, cory cats 29g :2 fantail goldfish 55g :angels, 55g :turtle tank,ghost shrimp, 1 pleco, 2 tadpoles (until they grow legs)10g :female bettas, 1 ADF 5g: king betta, 2g: VT betta

11-07-2009, 09:54 AM	#4
kirizarry Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 27	Thanks so much for this.....you have been quite helpful through all of this. I appreciate it very much. Ok, now about the sponge over the filter.......? How do I do that.

11-07-2009, 12:54 PM	#7
kirizarry Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 27	It is a HOB, think. It does hang on the back of the tank.

11-07-2009, 02:40 PM	#8
kirizarry Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 27	Beckyd, That's a good idea, I would have never thought of that one, thanks

11-08-2009, 11:25 AM	#9
beckyd Medium Fish Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 353	You're welcome! Mine are HOB too. Works like a charm __________________ Save money. Earn money. Buy more fish! www.365days-in-the-black.com 75g Community tank: lyretail balloon belly mollies, black moscow guppies, red hifin lyretail swords, 10 cardinal tetras, cory cats 29g :2 fantail goldfish 55g :angels, 55g :turtle tank,ghost shrimp, 1 pleco, 2 tadpoles (until they grow legs)10g :female bettas, 1 ADF 5g: king betta, 2g: VT betta

11-17-2009, 02:25 PM	#10
vampirefish Teenie Weenie Fish Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: York, UK Posts: 61	i've always found that java weed is great for fry to hide in and you can play spot-the-fish! (always fun ) __________________ 5g tank-5 platy fry 15g community-4 black neon tetras (Joshua, (RIP Faris), Tomethy, Spider Webb & Coffin Joe) 1 pygmy corydora (Pygmy) 1 female guppy 4 rummy nose tetras (Archer, Desperado, Mojito & Smirnoff) 1 betta