What's the ideal setup for fry?
SOME BREEDERS prefer hatching in a one or two gallon container, like a recycled mayo jar. They may put this inside a heated ten-gallon tank, transferring the fry to the tank after a week or two. I use a 5 or 10 gallon (19 to 38 liter) tank from the start. A cover isn't essential, but can help keep the water's surface cleaner. Good light is helpful while siphoning off waste. Place a submersible heater low on the rear wall where it won't interfere with cleaning.
I use tap water, treated for Chloramine, with five drops of 10% methylene blue per ten gallons (38 liters) to inhibit fungus growth. Some use Maroxy or Marvel-Med. Don't use any fungus treatment if you're allowing the parents to raise the young; good parents will keep the eggs clean.
Take some care to match the temperature of the parents' tank before the transfer. It won't hurt to expose the slate to the air for a few seconds. Some breeders place an air stone near the slate, but this isn't essential. When the fry are free swimming, remove the slate and switch to a sponge filter. If fry stay in tank corners, reduce the air flow to let them rest. A thousand swimmers makes quite a sight -- but many will die. Typical survival is 200 to 500 using live Artemia nauplii, or 0 to 50 with dead foods.
It's important to siphon off debris and dead fry frequently, 1 to 3 times a day. Change 10% to 90% of the water every day for three weeks, and give the sponge a squeeze in the water you've removed. It will remove some debris by mechanical action, but won't become biologically active until all the fungicide is gone. If your refill water is cool, siphon it through small-bore tubing to reduce thermal shock -- but DO NOT leave a siphon unattended... it can tip over, reverse flow, and empty your fry tank!
Make a small cleaning wand from a length of 1/4 inch (6 mm) rigid plastic tubing. For better control, you can put an 80-90 degree bend near one end by heating it over a stove burner. Fit it to a length of air tubing. If you suck up a live one, stop the flow quickly by closing your finger over the end, and raise the end to return it to the tank. When you're done, swirl the removed water and watch for live fry, using the wand to suck them up and return them to the fry tank.
If you want quick help from the experts, please go to The Angelfish Forum!
Topic: fry with parents
Author: M. Newton
Email: esserefish@aol.com
Remote User:
Date: 16 Sep 1999
Time: 09:23:04
Comments
A couple of weeks ago I moved a large fish out of the tank ( gave it back to the pet store) because it was making a mess. Then two of my Angels got territorial. I had to send back my third Angelfish. Now they have laid eggs and last night the eggs have sort of hatched, lots of wiggling. The parents moved the eggs just after this happened. I really don't want to move the fry to another tank. I don't have another tank. However, I would like to see some survive. How long will the parents protect the fry? I have 3 small tetras in the tank as well. What would you suggest?
Congratulations on developing a breeding pair! Get another tank, give away the Tetras, give (or sell) your breeding pair to someone who wants to raise baby angels, or give up... the non-parents will love the snacks. (As noted elsewhere, you'll have to get rid of any gravel bottom and use ONLY sponge filters...)
Topic:
Author: D. L. Fefee
Email: dlfefee@yahoo.com
Remote User:
Date: 19 Sep 1999
Time: 13:11:37
Comments
As the (200-500!) fry get larger, do you leave them all in the ten gallon tank, or do you separate them into different tanks?
Thanks!
You have to watch 'em close to judge the tank loading maximum. If they are fighting for breath, move them to larger tanks right away. You can delay this event by changing out half the water every day. I like to see about 20 max quarter size in a 20 gallon tank, up through quarter (plum) size.
Topic: Eggs
Author: Honeil
Email: Honeil5673@aol.com
Remote User:
Date: 17 Nov 1999
Time: 18:44:09
Comments
When using Methyblu what color do the eggs turn? I have some eggs that turned white also some that turned a light blue.
Topic: dead fry
Author: Raynard
Email: spilopterus@pacific.net.sg
Remote User:
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 09:46:45
Comments
okay, so i got two pairs who spawned 5 days apart. 800 fry altogether. I was quite happy, not bad for a first timer. Considering that the first batch hatched on new years day. Anyway the fry began to reduce in number at quite a rate. At first I thought it was the parents but no. Two pairs were extremely protective over their fry. I found it was not the parents when I seperated the fry and all died in one night. Still trying to figure out why. Anyway how do I know all the fry has hatched, whenever I feed brine shrimp, some babies will have yellow babies while majority seem not to recognise the food. At first I had a problem feeding cause the parents, esp the father would attack me. Now, the first pair has spawned again. How do i prevent the same error? And is it true that the fry will feed off the parents slime when they do not eat enough food? Cause I do not mind leaving the fry with the parents as they are doing a very good job. Both pairs.
Topic: dead fry 2
Author: Raynard
Email: spilopterus@pacific.net.sg
Remote User:
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 09:50:43
Comments
sorry for the erroe, its actually how do I know tht they fry are fed, cause after feeding brine shrimp, only a small percentage of them get yellow tummies.
Topic: Exact Setup of tank for hatching fry without the parents
Author: Steve
Email: s_nathan@mailcity.com
Remote User:
Date: 25 Mar 2000
Time: 06:41:21
Comments
what is the exact setup for hatching the fry on their own??? my angels have spawned on plants in a comunity tank. I have placed the adults (and plants, whole with eggs attached) into a seperate 2ft tank. can i succefully hatch the eggs without the parents? what do i need to do??
Total beginer here!!!
Topic: eggs
Author: Jennefer Myers
Email: jm72174@yahoo.com
Remote User:
Date: 04 May 2000
Time: 16:00:47
Comments
How long does it take the eggs to hatch? From there...How long until they can survive without their parents?
Topic: first time eggs
Author: Bill
Email: webmaxx@hotmail.com
Remote User:
Date: 15 May 2000
Time: 22:49:01
Comments
I have 55 gal, tank and Im wondering if I put a divider down the middle of the tank and move all my other fishand the gravel to one side and leave the parrents and the eggs on the other side, would this be a good set up. Also this blue stuff you keep talking about would putting that in the tank hurt the other fish.
Topic: Sponge filters
Author: Cynthia Prewitt
Email: cprewitt@prodigy.net
Remote User:
Date: 06 Apr 2001
Time: 19:24:56
Comments
Take some care to match the temperature of the parents' tank before the transfer. It won't hurt to expose the slate to the air for a few seconds. Some breeders place an air stone near the slate, but this isn't essential. When the fry are free swimming, remove the slate and switch to a sponge filter
My question is.....switch from what? do you mean switch to a sponge if you had been using an airstone or switch to a sponge from something else I should have been using.....I have just hatched my first batch....today....I separated them from the parents and placed them in a two gal goldfish bowl with heater and sponge filter and airstone....when they hatched, I turned off the airstone and replaced half the water to dilute the meth blue......so far so good but I wish I had used a 10g tank from the beginning like you suggest....I just have to figure out where I can put more tanks in my house so my husband won't notice!