Hey all it's time to do my weekly 20% water change but my convicts have layed eggs AMD they've hatched to wrigglers, do I still go about doing my 20%? or do do leave it for an extra week? Thank yous 
water change with fry?
- Thread starter brendans72
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Hello; I have changed water in tanks with very small fry. I have an attachment with a fine screen that can plug into the end of a siphon tube. The screen slows down the flow and is fairly useless at removing detritus. It may be best to try to stay away from the fry even with a screen.
That said, my take is that a main purpose of a water change is to maintain water quality. I have often done without water changes for a time when fry are small and weak swimmers. If you have a test kit the water parameters can be checked to help determine if levels of ammonia or nitrate are becomming a problem.
I have found that a fry tank can have some detritus or plant matter and be of some benefit to the fry. When I have known of eggs in time I would pour some boiling water into a gallon jar with a few lettuice leaves. (Glass gallon jars were easier to come by in the past) Left uncovered the jar will develope a culture of infusoria in a few days. With luck the infusoria culture is ripe around the time the fry become free swimming. I would stir up the now soft lettuice fragments and pour a little of the culture into the tank. The fry then feed on the small critters in the culture and in particular on the ones on the bits of semi rotted lettuice. This practice is best for those of us who are single or who have tanks in a basement or garage. The culture does smell. A bit of hot water can be added to the culture jar each day. I understand that the tank water will not be clear and may even be a bit cloudy, but for fry the water with some food culture seems to be a better deal than crystal clear water.
One other thing I have done is to lower the water level in a tank with eggs. Saty down to about half or so. That way I can add either a little of the feed culture as needed or simply add fresh water to help with water conditions. When I would set up a breeding tank I would use the biggest tank available so that I could start with the tank about 1/3 full and be able to add fresh water. For example you can induce kribensis to spawn in a 10 gallon tank, but I would use a 30 gallon.
Good luck
That said, my take is that a main purpose of a water change is to maintain water quality. I have often done without water changes for a time when fry are small and weak swimmers. If you have a test kit the water parameters can be checked to help determine if levels of ammonia or nitrate are becomming a problem.
I have found that a fry tank can have some detritus or plant matter and be of some benefit to the fry. When I have known of eggs in time I would pour some boiling water into a gallon jar with a few lettuice leaves. (Glass gallon jars were easier to come by in the past) Left uncovered the jar will develope a culture of infusoria in a few days. With luck the infusoria culture is ripe around the time the fry become free swimming. I would stir up the now soft lettuice fragments and pour a little of the culture into the tank. The fry then feed on the small critters in the culture and in particular on the ones on the bits of semi rotted lettuice. This practice is best for those of us who are single or who have tanks in a basement or garage. The culture does smell. A bit of hot water can be added to the culture jar each day. I understand that the tank water will not be clear and may even be a bit cloudy, but for fry the water with some food culture seems to be a better deal than crystal clear water.
One other thing I have done is to lower the water level in a tank with eggs. Saty down to about half or so. That way I can add either a little of the feed culture as needed or simply add fresh water to help with water conditions. When I would set up a breeding tank I would use the biggest tank available so that I could start with the tank about 1/3 full and be able to add fresh water. For example you can induce kribensis to spawn in a 10 gallon tank, but I would use a 30 gallon.
Good luck
I change water 3 times a week on my fry tank (30-50%), I use my regular siphon hose I just am very careful where I point it. When I refill I use an airline to siphon the water back in from a 5g pail that is above the tank. That way it doesn't disturb much. My fry tank is only a 15g but it wasn't setup primarily for fry, so it has sand, some plants. My fry are a little over a month old now.
hello; One other thing came to mind. At the times when fry came along unexpectedly I would put canned peas in for food. I would squeeze the peas to release the soft inside and throw a few skins in as well. The fry can feed on these at about any size. Leaving the skins in for a few days also seemed to produce some tiny critters for the fry to feed on.
I have also seen kribensis fry graze on a mature sponge filter that had been in the breeding tank setup. I would throw in a sponge filter to a breeding setup and turn off any external power filter. Even with a suitable sized screen a power filter can have too much suction for small fry. they can get sucked onto the screen and can be too weak to get away.
A bit of detritus, lettuice bits and pea skins about a fry tank is not a bad thing. Many fry can and do feed on the tiny things found on such things. After the fry get large enough to take prepared foods and are strong enough swimmers the power filters can be use and the more aggressive siphons during water changes can be used.
I have also seen kribensis fry graze on a mature sponge filter that had been in the breeding tank setup. I would throw in a sponge filter to a breeding setup and turn off any external power filter. Even with a suitable sized screen a power filter can have too much suction for small fry. they can get sucked onto the screen and can be too weak to get away.
A bit of detritus, lettuice bits and pea skins about a fry tank is not a bad thing. Many fry can and do feed on the tiny things found on such things. After the fry get large enough to take prepared foods and are strong enough swimmers the power filters can be use and the more aggressive siphons during water changes can be used.
I do 50% every other day. Most important thing is checking temp &matching it
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just leave it in a week or two until they can swim freely..and then do the 20percent water change every day if you feed them a live foods..if not,then you can water change every other day..but dont forget checking the temp after..good luck..
Hello; You do 50% every two days in a just hatched fry tank? I like clear water and no detritus in a display tank with more mature fish but have found such clear water and no detritus not to be an advantage for fry.
The physical act of siphoning the water and the adding of such a volume would be a concern with regard to damage to the fry.
I also have found over many batches of fry that they can be so small and such weak swimmers that a lot of available foods in all parts of the tank to be an advantage.
Some fry are tiny enough to be sucked into an eye dropper or thru the smallest screen and can only move a few inches a day. Zebra danio fry look like hairs when they first hatch out. They can be seen attached to the glass the first day of hatching. When i raised them in classrooms we would siphon them with eye droppers or air tubing. They were tiny enough to be placed in a dished microscope slide with a few drops of water and viewed with a stereo scope. I would feed them with an infusoria culture, with canned peas and some dry food ground to a powder in an old coffee grinder. My approach was to keep plenty of foods on hand at all times for a few days so the fry could graze anywhere. Larger fry, like cichlids, start out a bit larger but still can graze on the tiny stuff for a time.
My experience has been that fry in tanks that are a bit messy do quite well. I keep an eye on water parameters and try not to be too concerned if the water is a bit cloudy or there is some stuff floating about as there is food in that stuff. In the end we each get to run our tanks any way we wish.
Good luck
I do weekly ~ 70 % water changes on all of my tanks.
The only difference for me with fry in the tank(s) is that instead of attaching a 100 foot hose to my siphon and draining the water to the outside (down hill) I use the old small siphon to plastic buckets.
I have always sucked fry through the siphon with zero concern. I then examine the water in the buckets before dumping outside, and use a brine shrimp net to return the fry the buckets to the tank after it has been refilled. I have yet to ever notice any type of fry die from being sucked through a siphon.
In fact, when I am attempting to re-home fry from the breeding tank to a growout, I have an extremely strong preference to remove them via siphon than totally aggravate myself attempting to net fish. That is by far my most HATED function of fish keeping.
I have killed so darn many fish with my ineptitude using a net in a tank with decor that I will never attempt extracting fry with any other method than siphoning.
Keeping your water clean is IMO the best course of action for your fry. I do agree with the suggestion of mature sponge filters in a fry tank (Especially stackable pancake sponge filters specifically for providing fry both a food source and shelter.
Lastly, I have also grown out guppy fry in unfiltered Rubbermaid bins without challenge doing daily to 2 day high % water changes.
Temperature & PH match of the massive water changes are as another poster claimed very important.
The only difference for me with fry in the tank(s) is that instead of attaching a 100 foot hose to my siphon and draining the water to the outside (down hill) I use the old small siphon to plastic buckets.
I have always sucked fry through the siphon with zero concern. I then examine the water in the buckets before dumping outside, and use a brine shrimp net to return the fry the buckets to the tank after it has been refilled. I have yet to ever notice any type of fry die from being sucked through a siphon.
In fact, when I am attempting to re-home fry from the breeding tank to a growout, I have an extremely strong preference to remove them via siphon than totally aggravate myself attempting to net fish. That is by far my most HATED function of fish keeping.
I have killed so darn many fish with my ineptitude using a net in a tank with decor that I will never attempt extracting fry with any other method than siphoning.
Keeping your water clean is IMO the best course of action for your fry. I do agree with the suggestion of mature sponge filters in a fry tank (Especially stackable pancake sponge filters specifically for providing fry both a food source and shelter.
Lastly, I have also grown out guppy fry in unfiltered Rubbermaid bins without challenge doing daily to 2 day high % water changes.
Temperature & PH match of the massive water changes are as another poster claimed very important.
I'm dealing with texas Cichlid fry. I feed(or over feed) daily and I keep the tanks very warm(86+). Water changes are most effective way to keep nitrates & other things that may slow or stunt growth from being a factor. I want them to grow as fast as possible. I wait till they are free swimming- then try to stick to 50% every other day.
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I stick a sponge in the end of the hose so as to not suck them up.
I have yet to find a fish that didn't show improvement the more water changes I've done. better colors, higher activity level, better appetite.
as far as I'm concerned, as long as you aren't shocking the fish it just isn't possible to change too much water.
I mean, seriously, who's ever had bad effects from breathing too clean of air?
I have yet to find a fish that didn't show improvement the more water changes I've done. better colors, higher activity level, better appetite.
as far as I'm concerned, as long as you aren't shocking the fish it just isn't possible to change too much water.
I mean, seriously, who's ever had bad effects from breathing too clean of air?