New to the underwater kingdom.

[fishbiz]

Hi all! I am new to the underwater and just learned of this forum yesterday. I have a 20g tank that I 'got for my 4yr-old' (that's my story...). I have had this for 1m and started with 6 neon tetra. After they lived for 2 wks, added 3 platys and a cory cat, then a week later (Fri. night) I added 2 black mollies thinking this would complete the neighborhood. I explained all of this to the LFS and got their okay. Imagine my surprise when I woke up Sat. to discover 3 black Mollies, then as I was trying to secure the small fry, 4 black mollies. I went back out and bought a breeder tank. I kept the "mom" in this for the day but no other babies appeared. This morning I have 3 babies (it's like magic). Now I am thinking of setting up a smaller tank for the new additions, but I've been reading that they like it densely planted. When I look at live plants, they all look green to me.

I have been getting advice from friends with tanks, but I think I need a higher power now. Any advice on both tanks, and on planned parenthood for fish would be appreciated. I have not been able to successfully download the ebook yet.

thx!

[*Sarah*]

Welcome to the forum :) I'm sure you'll get lots of answers here:1:

[cocoa_pleco]

for fry, you need fry food, and crumble flakes very fine for them.

Try to separate fry if you dont want em eaten.




welcome 2 ac

[Chrona]

For the fry tank, just leave it bare bottom, as substrate will make it harder to keep clean. For food, just crumble high quality flake food into powder and feed it to them. Most fry foods out there aren't even as nutritious as flakes (there are notable exceptions of course, I've heard great things about Hikari fry food)

For plants, you can try java fern/java moss tried to a rock. Both needs very little light and draws nutrients straight from the water, so it will mean cleaner water for the babies.

[Severus]

Fry love egg yolk paste from a hard boiled egg. Very nutritious!

Welcome to AC

[blue fin]

I would think you might be best with a divider to keep the fry in the same tank, balancing a new tank with fry could be bad for the fry, if they stay in your reg tank assuming it is cycled it might be a better place for them to grow up.

[Chrona]

The only bad thing about that is that the adults have been shown to give off a chemical that inhibits growth in fry (especially in smaller enclosures), so serious breeders always keep them separate to ensure max growth. I'm not sure exactly how much it affects them, but if you are just messing around, you can take whatever option floats your boat.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Welcome to the forum :)

[Lady Hobbs]

Welcome to AC. Hope you enjoy the site here.

[sushant]

welcome to ac .while using egg yolk keep in mind only to use minute quantity or else u 'll find ur tank full of some kind of fungus

[Incredulous_Ed]

Welcome to AC. Congrats on the molly fry.

[fishbiz]

Thanks for all the advice. 30 plus fry this morning and they keep appearing everytime I go back to the tank. Any thought to starting the new tank with some of the water from the old? Never meant to be a breeder, but since I have them, I thought to give a best effort at keeping as many as possible alive.

:4:

[jeffs99dime]

welcome to a.c.

[Chrona]

Thanks for all the advice. 30 plus fry this morning and they keep appearing everytime I go back to the tank. Any thought to starting the new tank with some of the water from the old? Never meant to be a breeder, but since I have them, I thought to give a best effort at keeping as many as possible alive.

:4:

The old water will help maintain the same water conditions. You should also take a ripe piece of filter media and put it in the new tank, along with some old gravel in a pantyhose.

[jweintraub]

Welcome to AC!

[Chaindriven]

Fishbiz,

Welcome to the Aquatic Community. That's how it happens. This hobby has a way of creeping in scope. Pick up a 'LEEs' 3-way breeder / isolation tank - $3.00 U.S. The fry will be safe in there until you can set up your 10 gallon nursery tank. Allow the tank to cycle. at least a couple of weeks. To speed things up, try adding 5 gallons or 50% water from your community tank when filling up the nursery tank with water. Chrona is correct, when you replace your filter from your community tank, place the old filter into the new ten gallon. This will add beneficial bacteria. Feed the small fry, hard boiled egg yolk. Just pinch off a small amount and squeeze between fingers under the surface of the water. You want a small cloud of yolk. The fry will love it. Please feel comfortable asking questions. Good luck and all the best from across the pond.

[I love Pufferfish]

Welcome to ac..

[fishbiz]

Well, lost 5 so far, but still have many. Started another thread about hospital tanks and thinking to use it for fry first, but this new 'hobby' is going beyond my budget already so I have not decided what to do. Even bought 4 books and a second 20g tank (the tank was a good deal and from a trusted source and I thought "just in case")

I guess I could fill the 20 gallon up only half way for now so that it will not be too hard to maintain?? - duh!

My husband thinks I'm nuts. This started out as a simple tank for my 4 year old to start learning about responsibility...

[Chrona]

My husband thinks I'm nuts. This started out as a simple tank for my 4 year old to start learning about responsibility...

Oh the irony huh? :)