Maternity/Fry Tank

[number17Fan]

Well my Red Zebra starting eating again after a week of holding behavior, but low and behold my Rusty is starting to carry some eggs. So even though they are definetly hybrids - in fact their dad is a Hybrid I think, I decided to isolate her and see if I can raise the fry. Since I will probably lose a bunch my 1st time I figured I'd try with this batch.

So I set up an old 10 gal tank I found at the junk yard and strapped on a bunch of old stuff I had up in the attic. I took a cycled filter sponge from my 55 and bored a hole in it. Then I stuck it on the filter suction for Tetra 20 hang on filter. I also put some charcoal from the 55 in the filter insert so that I would have some good bio-filtration right off the bat. I'm hoping the sponge also prevents any fry from being sucked into the filter.

I have 2 rock piles. 1 for Mom and 1 for the fry. The fry rocks are too small for mom to move around in, but too heavy for her to move.

I read online about wrapping the heater with air tubing. Anyone do that? or is that paranoid? Let me know what you think.

 

[merc123]

I'd do a barebottom tank, strip the mom of the fry and let her rest for a day then put her back in the main tank.

The barebottom is easier for the fry to see the food and eat it. You can put something like a fake plant or a rock or two so they can hid but you don't want so much that the fry will have problem seeing the food.

 

[Wolf3101]

Simple is definatly better... I'd scrap the rock idea and just move the fry into the prepaired 10g. On fry tanks I like to stick with an air driven foam filter and nothing else.

 

[fish head )'>]

I see the benefits of a bare tank , but who wants to look at a bare tank? even if it is a fry tank.
I like the rocks, but lose the grid. seems like only a problem without using substraight.
Some people like to keep momma separated to get her strength back after fasting. I pull the wigglers pretty early so the female does not go for 3-4 weeks without eating. Lots of different philosophies on that topic.
I say use what you got, when it comes to filtering.
Now, about the fact that they are bastard hybrids......

 

[number17Fan]

Thanks for the info/tips. When the fry start to hatch (next week by my calculations), I think I will put in a tank divider and split mom from the fry by stripping her. I will pull the egg crate and leave a couple of rocks on the mom side to make mom feel at ease. But go bare, except for a plastic plant on the fry side.

Sadly, if any survive the stipping and first few weeks without the yoke sac, I plan to toss them into the main tank to become food.

Once I fatten up mom, I plan to see if I can give her back to my LFS. I started with 4 Rustys a long time ago and now she is the only one left. I hear they are prolific breeders, so I better get her out or else she'll make hybrids every few months.