When should I put baby in with adults?

[Mikeymikerson]

Hi folks, need a bit of advice.

I have successfully nurtured a wcmm fry to grow to around 1cm in length and looks awesome. I just dont know when I should release it into the main tank with the adults. I dont want it getting eaten!

 

[FishDin]

They don't eat their fry. I always keep mine in with the adults from day 1. The only concern I would have is to make sure the fry get enough to eat so they grow to their full potential size. You want to feed them several times a day, which is hard to do in the main tank with out causing other issues. Keeping them in the breeder box allows you to feed them as needed without over feeding the adults or fouling the water.

 

[Mikeymikerson]

They don't eat their fry. I always keep mine in with the adults from day 1. The only concern I would have is to make sure the fry get enough to eat so they grow to their full potential size. You want to feed them several times a day, which is hard to do in the main tank with out causing other issues. Keeping them in the breeder box allows you to feed them as needed without over feeding the adults or fouling the water.

Mines do eat the fry! I have watched them and sometimes they leave the stray fry but other times it seems like instinct that they just gulp them down. This one is a bit big now but dont know if they will hassle the poor thing and then it wont survive. Maybe I will wait until it is about 1/2 inch and release the kracken!

 

[FishDin]

That's interesting. I've watched mine swim at the fry like they are going to eat them, but when they get to them they put the brakes on and swim away. It looks like they recognise them and simply move on, looking for something else to eat. They do this with even the tiniest fry.
When my fry get to the size of yours, they swim with the adults. As a result of keeping the fry with the adults (and not growing them out first) Ihave many stunted little WCMM that will never grow to full size.

Either way, I would keep it on it's own so you can grow it out.

 

[Mikeymikerson]

I think its a case of "if it aint broke don't fix it" it seems to be thriving at the moment and until that changes I will keep it as is.