CWO4GUNNER

My new 120 tank which I consider jump cycled has had an unexpected population explosion of about 30 small fish about the size of apple seeds. At first I though there were only a few but they are all hiding in the ornamental plants and caves. Against better judment I poured in enough flakes to make it around the aquarium without the 4 adult (2 black females and two platinum males) sucking it all up to early, but the fry don't seem to be eating it only looking at it. So what in tarnation do Molly fry eat as I want to at least make an effort to give them what they need?

Both females were always big for months and this was supposed to be a temporary situation to provide fish poop for transplanted bacteria from my 60 tank. Any sign of toxins and the adult molly's were being cupped out back to the 60 tank for a fishless cycle. Now I have fry darting all over the place and this tank being so tall its almost impossible to net shy fish especially tiny shy fish.

I guess they will have to ride this one out if we encounter Darth ammonia. You think with the right fry food a fish trap would work?

Nick G

Either feed them live Baby brine shrimp, or just crush some flake food to powder in your fingers.

Jonah

Molly Fry will also graze on the plants and other surfaces in the tank, they will eat the algae and the also infusoria that will be there if you have live plants in the tank.

Molly fry are prety hardy and darned good at finding food for themselves, if you do get them into a breeder trap or fry tank another good food for them in the early days is eggyolk, hard boil an egg and take a small portion of the yolk, grind it up with some tank water and dripp it to them using a cocktail stick as a dropper to stop you from over feeding.

CWO4GUNNER

Well OK then. Looks like enough flake got around the tank that they should have enough. Think I should raise the temperature to say 80? Currently 75. Good thing the mom & pop LFS were out of the small pair of blood parrots I am really tempted to get.

navyscuba

Gunner You know the change of environment trigger the birth of the fry right? If you change a fish that is holding into a different tank they will have there fry in no time. Well i buy a fry food call first bites and after 2 weeks I start giving them crushed flake food. they love it. But I have a fry tank for he little ones as soon as they are moving around in the breeding tank i move them into the 10 gal so they can explore more and get use to the plants and stuff around. Well congrats.

CWO4GUNNER

I diden't know that. But I did make sure the temps and pH were matched. Even the water chemistry was similar. Must have been all that room.

I bought 4 Otto's last night and put them in my 60 and took the Pleco out and moved him to the 120. In the process I accidentally left one of those two glass lids, the one with the little handle standing up on its side and when I bumped it, it slammed shut and you guessed it cracked in the middle. Nothing a glass shop cant take care of just a 48" X 4" pain of 1/8" glass. But I did have bad vision of one side falling in pointy end first taking a fast right turn in the water and stabbing the inside of the glass wall cracking gushing out water and knocking me into the next room...maybe Ill just cut a piece of plexiglas instead lol.

navyscuba

Plexi is good but it may discolor with time. You can get Policarbonate instead is same as plexi. You can find it usually next to the plexi on Lowes or Home Depot. The commomn brand is Lexan and on the label should say Polycarbonate. That's what I'm planning to use on my Greenhouse. Haven't finished yet start it last Fall but issues and surgeries coudn't finish. Well talk to ya later.

CWO4GUNNER

Nick thanks for the crushed flake recommendation. I crushed some to powder in my palm and submerged it so it would disperse (filters off) and they went for it while dodging their parents trying to eat them. Just in time too cause the other molly just put out anther bunch of them and my Redwag platy is not far behind. Ill never have female live birth fish again once I find a place to put all these. I need to make room for the purchase of my large fish Angels and Blood Parrots as I don't think the fry will make compatible tank mates. Any suggestions?

CWO4GUNNER

Navyscuba, that is a great idea as I diden't realize Lexan was the better stuff. I much rather have something I can bang around without having to worry about setting it down too hard especially on an aquarium that takes a stool ladder to look inside and open. I think I'm going to need it also to keep the dehydration down.