# How many fry can a 10 gallon



## marsbennett (Nov 11, 2008)

fry tank hold? I've got 1 Acei brood and 2 Yellow Lab broods. About 50 or 60 fry with one yellow lab still holding all born within 3 weeks of one another. At what point is it too many? How long can they stay in the fry tank before going into a grow out tank? And the capper question, How many juvies can stay in a 30 gallon grow out tank?

Sorry to pound so many questions in here, but I'm shocked at how quickly I'm outgrowing my operation of 6 tanks. With 100 new fry per month, I'm wondering how many tanks I'll have going before I can sell them at 2.5 inches. Man, once the main specie tanks get set up, balanced, healthy, and happy.......they just don't stop breeding.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd have 3 fry tanks for each species.
10G until 1 inch
20G until 1.5 inch
40G for 1.5 inch fish pending sale

I'd also have only one (Acei) or two (Lab) clutches per tank. Any more clutches I'd let the Mom's spit in the tank. After all, how many can you sell month in and month out?

Why do you have to wait until 2.5 inches to sell them? My LFS will take them at 1 inch.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

You want to take a look at how many of these fry you're actually going to be able to get rid of in your area before you wind up with wall to wall fish tanks for grow out.

I fully agree with DJR's post, but in reality, yellow labs and acei are two of the most common species in the market, and it won't take long at all before the LFS start refusing them, and you find you've got tanks full of fish that you can't even give away.

It takes alot of tanks to do this properly, as DJR has already pointed out.

Newly released fry should never go in with older fry, and because of the clutch sizes, it's always best NOT to put more than absolutely necessary in a small grow out tank.

Most LFS will take them at 1.5 inches. 2.5 inches is going to take a long time, so if you can't find anyone to take them before then, I wouldn't be growing them out period.


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## marsbennett (Nov 11, 2008)

cichlidaholic said:


> You want to take a look at how many of these fry you're actually going to be able to get rid of in your area before you wind up with wall to wall fish tanks for grow out.
> 
> I fully agree with DJR's post, but in reality, yellow labs and acei are two of the most common species in the market, and it won't take long at all before the LFS start refusing them, and you find you've got tanks full of fish that you can't even give away.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys. I don't have to go that long. I figured the extra time would be needed for the large volume being produced on so few fish. It's been so easy, once I got all six tanks up and running, to get 100 fry a month. I have lots more females just coming of age, too. After getting it down, I'd like work with some more expensive fish like tropheus.

Have you any experience with shipping fish?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I've never shipped a fish!


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