Gwenz

um... well, my 7.5gall is due a water change, badly, (basically haven't done one in a while) but, the way i've set up the net for the fry in means when i take water out of the tank, the water won't reach the net, + the net needs a good clean too. What can i do?

Should i take the fry out of the net and put them in a bowl/box of tank water, clean the net and do a water change then put them back, or is is that too stressfull for them?

Gwenz

Tazmiche

Well i have no idea but what about using one of the tubs i used for my guppy for your fry?

I'll post a pic tomo when i visit home ( still with mates zoo). One might be good for cleaning times or maybe good for fry longer term!

Will Def get a pic on as they are only £4/5, easy to get. Remember i said i put my hosp tank in a warm situ with a towel around for extra protection, getting cold here now. Can you set up an extention to an air pump? but do fry need that? I'm just guessing as you know i've never had fry, it might be a good bring on tank!?!? XX Miche

Isabella

Hmm, unless you can't somehow lower the net so that it stays underwater, I guess you'd have to move it with the fry to some bowl/container with your tank water. If you're changing only 15-30% of the water, this should not be a shock to the fry, after you've put them back into the tank with changed water. If you'll be putting them in some bowl/container during the water change, make sure the temperature in the bowl stays stable, at the level of your tank temperature. Anyway, what kind of fry are they?

Amnagrla

I had the same problem with my fry net. Here are the options:

• Manually hold the fry net steady so it stays in the water and vacuum with the other hand
• Put something INSIDE the net to make it sink some. (ex: I used my Prime bottle)
• Or take them out into a bowl like you said but make sure you're quick with the clean.

Hope this helps!! :-)

COBettaCouple

what if you fill a small container with tank water and use a small net to catch them one at a time and put them in that container?

then after cleaning the tank, the net and changing the water, you could acclimate them floating them in the container inside the net until they're ready to be released into the net.

Tom

That's what I used to do when I had platy fry way back when.
Tom

Gwenz

Thanks for the suggestions. I really need to clean it now. I'm going to move them to a container then move them back when i'm done. Tazmiche, could you still post that pic tho please. I might do what you suggested and have them in a tub like you said you used and put them n the utility room near the boiler to keep warm with a towel around it. How big was the tub you used? Did you have a filter in it?

I'm thinking of getting an air pump anyway for my 7.5gall so could put it in the tub/nursary instead i suppose!

Gwenz

suanlou

I had the same net thing for my fry, and I know what you mean about water changes! I changed them into a floating tank which doubles as a breeding tank, this is much better as it basically moves up and down with the water level and it was only 3 or 4 quid from pets at home.

Susan.x

Gwenz

ok. thanks susan. What do you mean by floating tank? is that what its called?

Gwenz

Tazmiche

Gwenz will post pic. Is only a small tub but my guppy spent 2 weeks in it happily! Had NO filter, just water changes and air stone from a spare adjustable pump. Putting it on the boiler cupboard really worked for me as no need for heater, just kept an eye on the temp, easy to do.

COBettaCouple

how has the cleaning gone?

MrWaxhead

I think this is what suanlou was talking about
http://www.aquariumguys.com/breedingtrap1.html

I have used them in the past and the handles trap pockets of air and float with the water level.

suanlou

Yes that was what I was talking about, a breeding trap, they are really good and dont get nearly as dirty as the net ones.

Susan

Gwenz

ok thanks.

Cleaning went fine thanks dave. Moved the fry, cleaned everything put the net back and moved the fry back. fine!

Tazmiche, 1 problem! I don't have a boiler cupboard. The boiler is just there on the wall! lol

Thanks for the link btw!

Here's a suprise for everyone, came home from school tdoay and found 6 more fry swimming together in the tank so got them in the net too, but with the others getting older the net was getting a bit small, so I set up a bucket half full of dechlorinated water and put some heated water in too to get it to the same temp at the tank water and moved all the fry in there, then i wrapped the bucket with a towel and put it next to my radiator to keep warm. I also put a plastic bag with holes in over the top because we get a lot of spiders around here at this time of year and they are everywhere, so don't want them getting in the bucket. It was then i realised that one of the older fry had died. He was the smaller of them all and never ate. I guess he/she just wasn't very healthy when it was born.
+ then i found another fry in the tank and moved him into the bucket too.
- My question is, will they be ok in there. It getts really cold at night these days and we don't have the heating on at night. The heaters in my tanks are always on at night now because its so cold. How can i make sure that the water in the bucket doesn't get to cold? Or should i buy a breeding trap and float it in tank to make sure they are warm enough?

Gwenz

Gwenz

bought a breeder box just after posting this and moved all the fry back in there, so hopefully now they'll be ok. Can't beleive how big the older ones are now compared to the smaller ones! I don't really notice them growing when i see them everyday!

Gwenz

COBettaCouple

yea, it was like that with the platies.. now they're all about the same size. good luck with your fry and i think you've done the best thing for them.. they'll be fine.

Gwenz

great thanks dave. They all seem happy in the vreeder box but the females can see them through it and keep trying to get to them but obviously can't, but it's funny cause each time they swim into the side of the box they push it slightly so it floats into the flow of the filter, so the box sortof travelles around the tank now! lol

COBettaCouple

lol.. yea, we saw at the store today some black molly fry in a breeder box and there were a few of the mollies nibbling along the sides.. the fry didn't seem too bothered though. they were so tiny, must have been within a week old.

Gwenz

aww. lol. Mine are growing quickly. but still so cute!

Gwenz

Tazmiche

oh dear re boiler! Will still post pic of box! just kick me up bot on msn to remind me!! I'm back home now so i could put on a sparkly dress do a price is right/game show type show on webcam.......haha. Ok i don't have a dress!! oh well will still show you

Gwenz

haha! Should i guess the price too? do i get a prize?! lol

you never seem to be on msn the same time as me, or am i just not on the same time as you? lol. About what time are you usually online?

Gwenz

Tazmiche

odd times i guess, teatime, and after 10pm.

Re the prize if we lived closer i get you a betta girl as i KNOW she'd have a great mum and home with you.

So granny Gwenz, how are the fry?

Gwenz

lol. ok. I usually go to bed at 10ish these days, so if i catch you it'll most likely be around teatime then.

Why not just get me a betta girl anyway? Come down here for the day, get me one, and then go home!

Fry are doing ok. I think one is dying tho. He/she was a weird shape when born was fine before. Now he/she's can't swim very well anymore so is just resting at the bottom of the breeder box.

Gwenz

timg

Hi Gwenz. tasmiche had the right idea in as much as you are going to need another grow-out tank for the fry soon, and now would be as good a time to do it as any.
The tubs she is on about sound very much like the ones I use for a lot of my fry, some 450 of them at the moment in three tubs. (You saw them the other night on the webcam)

They are 45L storage bins, and are very good for grow-outs and as tasmiche said, they only cost a few £'s. You can put a heater in there too so long as you put it horizontally away from the sides, (Sucker it to the bottom) and either an air filter of some kind or a small fluval if you have one lying around.

If you don't filter, it just needs 50% water changes twice a week while they are small. By the time they are large enough to need more frequent changes, you will probably have found new homes for them anyway!

The problem you will have by leaving them in the main tank is the overload on the bio-system. As they grow, they will put more and more demand on the main tank, as well as overcrowding the net. This can lead to stunted growth which won't help. If you release them into the main tank, you then have a problem trying to catch the little beggers later on!

I would advise a grow-out tank as soon as possible, to save the problems above, plus you may well need it anyway, if your fish follow the normal pattern! (You can expect another brood very soon!)

COBettaCouple

yea, tim is right on & that sounds like an excellent plan for your fry.. you could even get a pool chair, sit by the tub and get a nice tan. it's a shame about the one fry, i hope she makes it but even with the best conditions, some just don't. good luck with her though.

Gwenz

Ok thanks for that Tim. BTW!.. thanks for the tour of your tanks the other night!

where could i get a 45L storage bin? Would somewhere like Poundstrecher/In-Store do them? Do you have theses shops round you?

I have an air filter i could put in, but wouldn't that cause problems cause it wouldn't be cycled? + i have a 55W heater, which i could use.

thanks

Gwenz

P.S. - found another 3 had died when i got home from school today, + found another swimming in the main tank!

timg

The air filter would need to cycle, but with just a few fry in the tank and frequent water changes, it shouldn't pose a problem.

poundstretchers seel the bins, as do most of the high street shops like woolworth, b&q, homebase or Do It All, most cut price shops do as well.

The heater will work fine so long as it is suckered to the bottom of the tank, not the sides. (The sides will distort, the bottom will stay flat)

Good luck!

COBettaCouple

No fair!!! i want a tour!!!

Gwenz

aww, dave! your missing out!

Thanks Tim. have 9 fry in the breeder box still + just one swimming around the tank. Don't know how he got there. All 10 were in the breeder box yesterday! lol. Anyway the adults aren't taking much notice of him/her, so just going to leave him/her there for now. Might just put them in the 5gall Q-tank tomorrow. My one problem... the air-filter, obviously will have to run off the air-pump. All my tanks are in my room and i can't sleep with the air-pump on at night. Its on a timer with the light at the moment, but I know i won't be able to sleep if i have it on at night. Does this matter or will it not work?

Gwenz

COBettaCouple

i'm not sure if i'm following you - your filter runs on the air pump and it's the only filter that you have on the tank? it really is best to run the filter all the time.. perhaps you can cover the air-pump with a thick towel or something to muffle the noise?