# Fry Tankmates



## Peacock88 (Jan 21, 2007)

I have a 20 gallon tank that I use for fry rarely. I keep it up and running but sometimes it's a while before fry turn up from the cichlids. I was wondering if there are any community fish I could keep in the tank. I was thinking fancy guppies or gouramis (paradise fish?) but idk if they will eat the fry. 
Any suggestions on colorful, friendly, small fish?

Btw, the tank is well planted with small rocks and has plenty of cover for fry.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

IMO a fry tank is just that. All others should be left out.

Aside from eating the fry you want to be sure nothing out competes them over space and food.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Why do you keep it running with no fish in it ?
You do realize that the filter would contain no beneficial bacteria.


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## nauTik (Mar 18, 2009)

noddy said:


> Why do you keep it running with no fish in it ?
> You do realize that the filter would contain no beneficial bacteria.


I'd assume he feeds the tank w/ an ammonia source when it's empty.


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

I think a tankmate would have to satisfy two conditions.

1.) Will not eat the fry
2.) Is compatible with the adult version of your fish

I have seen a 1/2 inch yellow lab try to kill a 3" gourami and it would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids. I mean if I didn't stop it.


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## Isis24 (Dec 10, 2008)

The tankmates wouldn't have to be compatible with the adult version of the fish if it's only a fry tank.

What about cherry shrimp? That's what I have in my fry tank. Or maybe Otos?

The yellow lab story sounds pretty extreme. Is that the norm?....


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

I've done fry with otos without issues


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I still wouldnt keep anything else in there.

If you want successful fry why disrupt the growing process? They are already going to be competing with each other. If you want tank mates for those fish swap them to a established tank with the tank mates already in it when they are close to being considered juveniles.

I also saw fry act violently myself. My leleupi fry at only a few centimeters in size will attack anything. They even come after my fingers and snails of all sizes and they aren't much bigger than the eraser on a pencil.


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

*JWerner2* makes an excellent point. Fry will grow faster with less competition.

The reason I said that fish would have to be compatible with the adult version of the fry is that you really cannot predict when fry will start showing their adult aggression levels, even if it is only for a moment or so.

I can't say if it is the norm for yellow labs as it was the first time I tried mixing the two, and I have seen adult gouramis with more aggressive cichlids. But once the trouble started I decided not to try that again.

I had an oto with some fry that mysteriously died. Its eyes and stomach were consumed by the fry but that doesn't really prove to me what happened.

These experiences I had have really turned me off to the idea but I am not wholly discounting it. Though again *JWerner2* is right about how it is just more competition, and as for myself my fry never get anything bigger than a 20 gallon to grow out it so its not like I am easily hearkening to the velleity of having a fish with my fry.


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

I had a 3-spot gourammi that was the most proficient fry eating fish ever - it would constantly steal fry from a pair of convicts (the males was pushing 5")... That gourami was smart too; as soon as I put anything in the tank (a net, python etc.) it knew the cons would be distracted and it would dart in and out of the fry cloud with reckless abandon.

My conclusion was that a gourami would not be good in a fry tank.

You could try pencilfish as I have heard their mouths are to small to eat the fry... of course once your fry get bigger they may want to snack on the pencil fish


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## Peacock88 (Jan 21, 2007)

Thanks for all the comments and advice. I was thinking more along the lines of fancy guppies because they don't get humungous. I haven't had much experience with them so I'm not sure what they would do with fry around. 
I have a ton of hiding places for the fry that are much to small for a guppy to get into and I'd feed the fry their own food with a syringe at the bottom of the tank. (Baby Brine, Market Fry Food).

I just want something to occupy the tank while fry are not in the tank. Its held fish before. My adult cichlids are still pretty young and there's only been two holding females that have spit in the tank. I've had fry before and I know how to raise them and everything so I'm not really new at this. 
I haven't had a ton of luck with getting a lot of fry and I'm still trying to sort out my main tank so it might be a few months or so before my fish are actually set.

I also have access to some guppies for free but they'll only be available until the end of May.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think the cichlid fry will nip at the fins of the fancy guppies. My lab fry are terrors with the snails!


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

G'day *Peacock88*

Ideally a fry tank is bare bottom, with just a sponge filter and heater in it.

If I don't have any fry, my sponge filters live in my tanks. Doesn't hurt to have another filter in the main tanks. When I have fry, I just setup a fry tank, siphon water from the parents tank and put the sponge filter into the new tank. Hey presto, one fry tank with a seeded spunge filter.

For the first two weeks to a month, I do daily water changes on the fry tank, as they are getting three feedings a day of baby brine shrimp and Sera micro powder. The water comes from the parents tank.

Once I think the fry are developed enough, I stop using water from the parents tank, and start using water from my water drum.


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## overleaf (Jan 18, 2009)

Why not just keep a BN pleco or 2 in the tank? They won't bother the fry assuming they are free swimming, and they should be if they're in a grow out tank, and the fry surely won't bother them.


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

I generally raise fry in a net breeder in the fry tank.

That way I can raise multiple batches at the same time without mixing them. It also helps to concentrate the food to the fry and make tank cleaning easy.

I keep the tank bare bottom and filter with a sponge and a box (air driven).

It also allows you to keep something in the main tank. I usually keep another group of fry that have outgrown the net breeder...

Matt


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

DJRansome said:


> I think the cichlid fry will nip at the fins of the fancy guppies. My lab fry are terrors with the snails!


Not only that but to be honest fancy guppies are the last thing you would want to introduce to a fry tank. To much disease unless you can get good ones from a very good breeder! But thats not saying I would do it anyway.

Unfortunately most readily available fancy guppies are filthy, dirty, and diseased fish.

I remember reading articles about them and some diseases and internal parasites that are only known to be found with them do to over breeding via inbreeding.


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