About 3 months ago I tore down my 180 gal 6 foot tank (mostly lace rock and cichlid-black and white sand) in the attempt to capture some "cockroaches" i.e. pseudotropheus crabro fry.
Naturally this disturbed all the other inhabitants (Polleni, breeding group of venustus, 3 large silver dollars, pair of golden saums, breeding pair of convicts and naturally the parents of the offending fry).
I didn't pay attention to the female crabro enough and she began holding shortly after the tank disruption...it's been two months since I moved her to a different tank (125 gal), but she spit a mouthful of fry (50+) into the 180 before I removed her.
I counted 16 half-inchers a week ago-all of whom are now brazenly swimming among the other fish. THEY ARE NOT BEING EATEN!
I don't want to empty the tank of decor and spend way too much time thrashing about trying to catch and remove the little turds. I tried a "minnow trap" w/ brine shrimp in the bottom 5 days ago and not a single fry has been stuck!
I need a solution, and I think the solution is to add another fish to the mix. One that will eat the little fry but not take out the other fish (smallest is 1.5-2 inch convict female-well if she gets eaten she can easily be replaced...she's a convict...odds are good her and her mate will team up against the new fish to avoid being eaten...right?).
So the question is:
What piscivore will go well in the established tank ( not beat the crap out of the larger/older fish) and actually eat the rogue fry?
Naturally this disturbed all the other inhabitants (Polleni, breeding group of venustus, 3 large silver dollars, pair of golden saums, breeding pair of convicts and naturally the parents of the offending fry).
I didn't pay attention to the female crabro enough and she began holding shortly after the tank disruption...it's been two months since I moved her to a different tank (125 gal), but she spit a mouthful of fry (50+) into the 180 before I removed her.
I counted 16 half-inchers a week ago-all of whom are now brazenly swimming among the other fish. THEY ARE NOT BEING EATEN!
I don't want to empty the tank of decor and spend way too much time thrashing about trying to catch and remove the little turds. I tried a "minnow trap" w/ brine shrimp in the bottom 5 days ago and not a single fry has been stuck!
I need a solution, and I think the solution is to add another fish to the mix. One that will eat the little fry but not take out the other fish (smallest is 1.5-2 inch convict female-well if she gets eaten she can easily be replaced...she's a convict...odds are good her and her mate will team up against the new fish to avoid being eaten...right?).
So the question is:
What piscivore will go well in the established tank ( not beat the crap out of the larger/older fish) and actually eat the rogue fry?
