Thoughts on a fry tank

[Adrian]

I am contemplating something here, and can't seem to sort it out. I want to get another tank, no surprise there, however, it must be small, as I just want it for fry. At first, I thought of a 10 gallon. Easy to setup, economical, and since they are a dime a dozen, practical.

Then, I got to thinking, I would also like to use it for quarantine, or medicine, whichever the case, and knowing it is a heck of a lot cheaper to treat less water, than more, I saw a 2.5 gallon tank. I was like, hey, this is perfect. Throw a sponge filter in there with some shrimp, a few guppies, and let it run. Then I would have a hospice tank, that I can also use for fry if needed.

Please bear in mind, as I know most of you would tell me to go for the ten gallon, that space is not easy to come by in my home. Trying to find a place for a ten would take some doing. Perhaps cut a hole in the wall to fit it.

Any suggestions?

[sailor]

A 2.5 gal tank would be too small to use as a fry tank. With the small volume of water and the fact the water deteriorates quickly because of the need for multiple feedings in a day. You would have to change the water more often then you should have to on a fry tank. If you can't find homes for the fry they won't do well in a tank that size. I would get a minimum of 10 gals for this purpose. My fry tank is 20 gal and my qt tank is 15. I'm sure with enough moving stuff around you could find a spot to put a 10 gal tank. They are not that big.

[Adrian]

I will have to look around the house Sailor. I know that it is a lot easier to keep a 10 gallon cycled then anything smaller. Just trying find a place for it...hmm. MTS=larger house=more MTS=even bigger house....ahhhhhh it doesn't end!

[NickFish]

A 2.5 gallon would be way to hard to handle for that many fry

I'd go with a 6 gallon minimum, but if you have some livebearers go with at least 10 gallon. You have to do a TON of water changes when you have fry and in a 2.5 gallon they wouldn't last too long.

I put most, but not all of my fry into my fry tank, some I feed to my fish, some are too hard to net, but I sell all of my fry as soon as I can, and I still have a 15 gallon, that is super overstocked with fry. I have at least 250 in there now, and thats just with my livebearers, danios, and cories.