# Keeping fry together



## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

I have a small 10 gallon with about 11 mbuna fry about 1/2" long.
In my main tank, I have an auratus that is holding and looks like the fry have developed.

I am thinking about stripping her and putting the fry with the 11 other fry I have already.

My question is, will the newer fry be ok with the fry i have already, or will i have to put a divider in the tank to protect them?

Tim


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## FishandFire (Jul 2, 2007)

I wouldn't put the new fry directly in with the 1/2" fry. They will become a tasty little snack. I use floating breeder boxes for my new fry. This allows them some swimming space but protects them from the larger fry. This also makes it easier to feed the small ones. You can feed them without the larger ones eating all the food.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The half inch fry will eat the newborn fry. A divider will help but will not 100% keep the newborn fry contained. Part of the joys of raising fry, you need a lot of tanks.


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

So I guess the net breeder or a fry pile will be the best options.
Yes I do agree, that part of the joys of raising fry is having more tanks.

Equally more enjoyable is my wife having the same view. She kicked up when I built the 10 gallon!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Oh I think you will save the most fry with the divider. Just maybe not 100%.


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## DeViANtX (Jun 19, 2007)

i would get a net breeder because the fry might be sucked right through the net. Go with a plastic floating container for the fry


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## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

*** also noticed the fry have stunted grow rates when traped in those breeding nets/floaters


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

What I was going to do was cut a piece of 1/8" glass or plexiglass and slide it down the center of the tank just enough to let the glass in, but with no space on the sides, and secure it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You are better off to buy a tank divider with holes since they allow circulation. Unless you have a filter and heater on both sides of the divider. They are cheap and you can cut them to size.


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

I will try the tank divider.

Thanks


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

TheeMon said:


> I've also noticed the fry have stunted grow rates when traped in those breeding nets/floaters


Never noticed that with my broods. In fact I have found the fry that stay segregated in breeder nets longer tend to grow a bit faster since they don't have to spend so much energy staying hidden or from stress.


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## houstonhimself (Oct 20, 2006)

TheeMon said:


> I've also noticed the fry have stunted grow rates when traped in those breeding nets/floaters





MalawiLover said:


> In fact I have found the fry that stay segregated in breeder nets longer tend to grow a bit faster since they don't have to spend so much energy staying hidden or from stress.


I actually agree with both of these comments, I think new born fry grow faster in a breeder box but at the same time if you keep them too long in a box the growth is stunted. Usually with my peacocks I don't like keeping them boxed for more than one or two months (that usually depends on if I can talk the girl friend into another tank in the apt).

Goodluck timkat :thumb:


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## eoconnor (Nov 24, 2006)

I use bottle traps and they can work well except for the time i knocked one over. I have a ten gallon fry tank and put up to 3 one or two liter plastic bottles in it at a time. I cut a hole for air above the water level, and poke many tiny holes in the bottom and sides for filtration. The best part is its free, assuming you drink beverages from plastic bottles, and it will allow several generations to be kept in the same tank. I have floating traps but don't use them, the homemade system has more space and smaller holes for sucking a fry through.

Cheers,
Eric


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

eoconnor said:


> I use bottle traps and they can work well except for the time i knocked one over. I have a ten gallon fry tank and put up to 3 one or two liter plastic bottles in it at a time. I cut a hole for air above the water level, and poke many tiny holes in the bottom and sides for filtration. The best part is its free, assuming you drink beverages from plastic bottles, and it will allow several generations to be kept in the same tank. I have floating traps but don't use them, the homemade system has more space and smaller holes for sucking a fry through.
> 
> Cheers,
> Eric


Interesting idea, do you have an pics of the setup with a bottle in use?


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## yogurtpooh (Jul 28, 2005)

fry in breeder nets are more likely to grow faster if water quality is good. no reason for them to be stunted since its not the size of the tank that really matters, and besides the fry shouldnt be kept in the breeding nets for long anyways. the small area of the net will allow the fry to find food easier, which means they'll grow faster.


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## stuckinthemiddle (Feb 26, 2008)

Id like to see these bottle traps as well. Can you post pics?


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## gaqua (Apr 11, 2008)

DeViANtX said:


> i would get a net breeder because the fry might be sucked right through the net. Go with a plastic floating container for the fry


I wish I had read this before this week. I just lost 20+ demasoni fry this way. They were too big to fit through the netting, so I thought they'd be fine, but they were small and some still had egg sacs attached (stripped too early I guess) and the rest of the tank sucked parts of them through piece by piece. When I got back from work the next day there were no fry left at all. 

So now I have a 20G cube fry grow-out tank.


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