# fry tank setup 101?



## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

hi all, I have a M. Auratus that is holding eggs in her mouth, she is currently in my mbuna community tank and I am planning on transplanting her into a new tank in a few weeks, stripping her of the fry and put her back into the community tank while leaving the fry in the new tank.

besides watching the water parameters is there any other advice that you can give me to raise the fry?
how to set up the tank/filter?

how and what to feed the fry?

etc

(I should also add that I have read the breeding articles on this site, just looking for more specific, personal experiences)


----------



## khaki (Jan 12, 2008)

All my grow out tanks are bare bottom with sponge filters. I keep it bare bottom so it would be easier for me to clean and from what I have seen, the food that have drop down will be eaten by the fry cause they are able to notice it. I feed my fry fresh brine shrimp and frozen mysis. Or crushed up NLS. I do WC twice a week for faster growth. :fish:


----------



## shaguars7 (Apr 12, 2009)

alright do you have the said tank yet or a filter?

If so here is what i suggest.

Deceide either with a sponge filter or a hang on back filter with a sponge over the filter intake.

Then start running it in the tank where the holding female is presently be it a sponge or a hob.

Then the day you are to move the female and strip her...put the mentioned filter in the fry tank and fill it with primed/dechlorinated water. I like to do 50% new water and 50% holding mom tank water.

Then after you strip the mom put the fry in the tank you have now setup.

As for feeding them i just crush up the food i feed the adults and there you go ya got juvies in no time.


----------



## HDrydr (Mar 22, 2010)

I keep my fry in 5 gals I have several set up's they work... Once big enough they go into my 30 grow out.

I feed them First Bites you can put it in water then into the tank or what I do is I have a long hard skinny section of tubing and flexible tubing at the end I stuff it into the food bag and then put the end down where the fry are hanging out and gently blow it around them.... I do this until they are bigger and coming to the surface more then I crush up flake food.

I put bushy plants so they have a place to hide and feel safe.

Would love to see pictures!! I have 22 M. Auratus fry in my 30 grow out... They are about ready to be taken to my LFS.


----------



## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

thanks for the advice people. Sounds good. these are my M. Auratus before one inverted his colors... almost 2 months ago 

























And this is the supposed male, I took pictures on the 10th of last month as I got excited about him changing color. he is very dark now, indigo blue/black with a pale blue stripe and dorsal fin. sorry about the bad quality...


















Im pretty he's a real male and not just a female that changed colors as he is very aggressive now and has a very distinct spot on his anal fin.

I have a 10 gallon already running with black gravel and a HOB filter with slate rock caves and java moss. I guess I will remove the gravel and put a sponge on the filter intake. 
[/img]


----------



## m1ste2tea (Nov 12, 2009)

So, about a week ago i peered into the mommy's mouth and saw the fry inside and decided that I was going to strip her after 3 weeks of holding. She was a young mom so her litter was of only 8 fry.

It just happened that my fry setup ended up being a baby Red Ear Slider growout tank with a mor powerful filter and light, so my new fry tank is actually a fry bowl that has one of those black air pump operated sponge filters. I threw in three moss balls for the fry to hide in and hopefully to absorb whatever nitrogen there may be from the fry. I know it seems like its a downgrade for the fry, but for the 8 of them i think its adequate. Plus, I realized that aiming the nozzle of the filter to one side provides a constant swirling circulation in the water which should help the fry to stay active.

here is a small video of the fry on their first day out. 




and heres a picture as well... they're about half an inch long and have gone through their yolk sack...


----------

