Breeding tank WC method?

[KazAngel]

Ok I know I should do a 10% water change in my breeding tank every day, which I find pretty easy while they are eggs or just wrigglers but once they are free swimming I find it so hard and I am so scared of sucking the little babbies up. What is the best method for doing a water change with free swimming angel fry?

[sailor]

You can tie a piece of ladies nylon over the intake.

[mitcore]

use a very fine air hose line and syhpone it out slowly,
when you have finshed check the bucket for fry before empting it and suck back up the pipe and spit back into the water away from the parents, they will kill it if you spit it near them,

[KazAngel]

Ok I will try the nylon thing. The last Hatch I had really pissed me off cause they would allways swim to the end of the hose as soon as I put it in the tank I hope this lot doesn't.

[mitcore]

the nylon wont pass the gunk through it, just water,
so i am wondering how it will clean the tank?

[sailor]

If you stretch the nylon tight enough it will open up the weave. I should have mentioned that this works on bare bottom tanks, not so much in a tank with any substrate.

[Billythefish]

I agree with sailor on that tryed and tested!

[gem]

I always jusst used the gravel vac and watched very carefully. I can't remember ever sucking up even 1 convict fry out of 300+.

[mitcore]

fair enough i have used the fine pipe method and not yet lost a fry

just a quick note on the streched nylon, if the gunk(food etc) can get through then so can a very small angel fry,

just a thought

[KazAngel]

The tank is bare bottom.

I tryed with the nylon last night, and yeah it wasn't so good at getting some of the gunk out, but this batch of fry wasn't as interested in the end of the pipe as the last lot so I might give it a try without the nylon tonight if I get brave.

Also a quick question is it normal for the parents to move the eggs and wrigglers around the tank. When this batch were wrigglers the female kept taking them off whatever they were on and sticking them on something else. I have never seen this happen before.

[Tolley]

for my cherry barbs they swam away from me in the tank so i just stayed in the top corner while i couldnt really see them. After you can clearly see them its easier jus siphon around them.

[mitcore]

yes the parents will keep moving them, they move them so the fry have food, as for moving the eggs, they mustnt feel safe with them where they are, or they wouldnt be moving them

[Incredulous_Ed]

Keep one finger at the end of siphon, ready to stop it if a fry comes near. Worked for me.

[KazAngel]

Thats a good idea Incredulous_Ed I didn't have the balls to do the siphon without the nylon last night I will do it tonight and try your idea.

Thanks for that info on the parents moving the eggs Mitcore. My other pair just ate them if they felt they wern't safe.