Unexpected Cory Fry...

[yodafett]

So this morning while cleaning my tank, I found an unexpected Peppered Cory baby. I didn't have time to get a Baby Tank set up, and to be honest, I don't think I have a complete one anyways, but what is my best course of action at this point? He (she? Just didn't want to say "it") is about 3/8" long, and is still mostly transparent, but is already getting spots. From what I can tell looking at a couple other Cory breeding threads, I would guess he's about 2 weeks hatched, give or take? Is it worth investing in Fry Food, or Baby Brine Shrimp, or just progress straight to finely crushed flakes, since he's already gotten by this long? We do also use bottom feeder pellets and algae tabs.

Tank-mates (plus 2 rogue snails from somewhere) are in my sig, but my concern is that I'm also trying to fight a black algae infestation (I THINK it's staghorn) at the moment, so I don't want to use something harmful to him...

 

[smitty03281964]

The only fry food that I ever buy is Artemia otherwise the fry get the same as everyone else I just crush it up or pulverize it.

 

[yodafett]

That's what we've been doing since then. Ground the fakes up finely, and even powdered most of one of the sinking pellets. Still managed to find him this morning before work. (or another like him, at least).

Hit the tank with a "starting dose" of Flourish Excel for the Staghorn, but not an "overdose", since I was worried about him (even though I can't find measurements for an "overdose"), and have a couple air stones to drop in tonight to help provide some aeration and movement.

I was given a 30 gal that I'm slowly getting together so that I'm ready for the next batch of eggs I find. Hopefully I can do better for the next batch. I thought Corys were fairly uncommon to breed by accident? This is multiple times for us... (last time was in our previous tank several years ago, we had like 4 batches in 6 months, and that tank was CROWDED...)

 

[Community Disorganizer]

Wow, I have limited experience with corys, but I can lend help in the fry department. If they had already survived for 2 weeks without baby food, why add some now? I would just do as you were doing the past 2 weeks, and maybe crush up some flakes to be on the safe side.

 

[yodafett]

Well, a week later and the little guy is still there. Hides a lot, we only catch a glimpse every other day or so. He's getting a LOT more of his colors, most of the transparency is gone now. Can definitely make out some cory-like features to his face. Still skinny, but he's made it another week on his own.