# WOOHOO!!!



## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

For the first time i have a fish holding. It is a female nyererei. I just noticed it this morning. In the tank is 3 other nyererei 5 white top hara's and 6 yellow labs. I would like to kep some babies but i have no freaking clue how to do the egg tumbler or anything. Can people give me some advice here??


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

My advice, don't do the tumbler! Just wait 2 or 3 weeks, puller out, and strip her. You'll be stripping either way, one way involves the tumbler, one way doesn't. I just pulled my first holding fish on Wed at the 3 week mark and stripped her into a cycled 10g. Doing the same thing next Wed with my 2nd holding fish. Will be putting them into the same tank but into a breeder net to separate them from the other fry... which have doubled in size already in the past 4 days.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok do you know the holding time for the nyererei? And how do I strip?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Or just pull her out in 2 weeks and let her spit in the fry tank. You will need a fry tank to raise the babies anyway. During the upcoming 2 weeks you can run the fry tank filter on an established tank to get a good crop of beneficial bacteria growing.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Got a good sponge filter going already on a 30g tank I have. Would a 20g.tank work? My buddy just broke my 10g tank I have on accident lol.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

20G would be fine.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok kool you by chance know how many babies I can expect?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

20 maybe?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Will crushed flake work to feed them? It's a tropical flake. Other than that I dunno what else to feed the little guys when they pop out.


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## sumthinfishy (Jan 26, 2013)

i agree with pulling her out and letting her spit. thats what i do. u will want to pull her out after she spits as she may want to eat them. i dont want to be the barer of bad news, but if this is her first brood she may swallow eggs if hungry or confused about what to do or stressed. this is common with first brood. not always, but does happen.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Whatever you feed the adults, crushing it will work for fry.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

Ok well I feed the adults a mix of veggie fx and frozen brine shrimp can't really crush the shrimp. How would be the easiest way to crush the pellets?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

ratbones86 said:


> Ok well I feed the adults a mix of veggie fx and frozen brine shrimp can't really crush the shrimp. How would be the easiest way to crush the pellets?


In between two spoons.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Or mortar and pestle if you have one.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

actually dont have a mortar and pestle so ill try the spoon trick. Anything else i should know about raising fry?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

ratbones86 said:


> actually dont have a mortar and pestle so ill try the spoon trick. Anything else i should know about raising fry?


If trying to maximize growth rates, frequent large water changes, multiple feedings, and as large of a water volume that you can arrange.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

How frequent should i change the water? im going to be using a 20g tank and how much should i change each time?


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

Spoons... mortar and pestle... I just grab the closest thing and mash my NLS pellets on my API Master Test Kit color chart card... usually with the lid of my Tetra Easy Strips bottle, and just toss it in. I've found that the current from my filter grabs the mashed food and distributes it evenly throughout the tank and it finds the fry.. because they don't seem to come find it on their own. It's a mess, but I clean the water almost everyday so It's no big deal. And man do they grow up fast! Even today I noticed they had grown another 10-15%. Just today!


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## Demigod (Mar 22, 2013)

I always change as much as I can... which is about 50-85%. That way the params are *always* good, and the mess is always gone. I try to change water every day.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

+1, they'll eat anything small enough to fit in their mouths, and need clean water!
I'd strip the fry. It's easier on all involved, and really isn't hard. If you wait for her to spit in the fry tank, she's more likely to get harassed/killed when you put her back in the main tank. If you strip a fish very early, you'll need the egg tumbler. You get more fry, and the females will hold again sooner, but it's extra effort and riskier. 
Congratulations on them!


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## underwatergirl (Nov 26, 2012)

brinkles said:


> You get more fry, and the females will hold again sooner, but it's extra effort and riskier.


+1 on getting more...I strip my a. baenschi females a few days after holding and counted 42 eggs the first time. When I let them hold and spit in fry tank, each clutch gave me 21. I however am not trying to keep any more fry. She was holding again exactly 7 weeks later. 
It's exciting to watch them grow! Have fun!


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