Help Needed Please!

[fishntrips]

HELLO, we have just tranfered our silver dollar fry to their own tank. we have never bred before as this wasnt expected. we used the water from their original home, as we though that wouldnt shock them as much as fresh. we started off with approx 50 fry and have now been in new tank for 3 days and are still dying. we have lost 17 fry in this time. IS THIS USUAL? what are we doing wrong. temp etc is all fine. feeding them crushed flakes and baby brine shrimp. ANY INFO VERY WELCOME.

[crackatinny]

Did you cycle the new tank, this is important, if not, as an emergency measure, take some filter media from the other established tank, as well as some gravel, and hang it in a stocking in the new tank.

[fishntrips]

thank you for your info. we did use the water from their previous home tank and then topped up the old tank only with the adult fish in it. they are all eating well are quite fun to watch. you can see their little full tummies after feeding. I was told by fish shop man that the critcal time is until they are 30 days old which I have marked on the calender is this true? they are still very small, about 2cms long. When do they start looking like mum and dad. thats if I have any left by then. have done your idea and now just playing the waiting game so keep your fingers crossed for me. once again thanks and will let you know how we go. Ta!

[crackatinny]

Not real sure about the actual critical time for the babies.
But putting the old water alone in the tank will do nothing for cycling, as the beneficial bacterior needed is actualy in the gravel and filter media, an uncycled tank can lead to you losing the parents and the babies to amonia poisoning, go to the ebook section and download the ebook, this will better help you understand cycling.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I have my dwarf gourami fry in an uncycled 10g, but there is a sponge filter that was seeded in an established tank. There is no gravel in the fry tank, which hinders bacteria, but also makes clean up easier. When they were small, I cleaned about 50% of the water every day (I was feeding egg yolk so it got messy in there). Now that there older and I have raised the water level to about 7g, I change 50% every 2-3 days. They are also on live food and flake now, so there is less mess. If you want your fry to be healthy and grow quickly, water changes are the best way to go. Although, that is easier said then done. It's really hard to get water out of a fry tank when the fry are less then 1-2mm :wink2:

[Lady Hobbs]

If you raise them anything like you do angels, you put them in a bare bottom tank, set temps to 82 (I would think 80 for Dollars) run a seasoned sponge filter and clean dechlorinatored water. When the fry are swimming, you change about 20% of the water everyday. No matter what you do, not all the fry live.

I would love to have my silver dollars spawn!! It's the one fish I would like more of but I wonder how many times fish have laid eggs and the featherfin or loaches haven't eaten the eggs as I never seen to have a spawn with anything but angels. I do have two Dollars who are very interested in my large female angelfish!!! Angel Dollars? haha

But, if only 1/4 live do not worry as they will spawn again and Dollars lay up to 1000 eggs.

[fishntrips]

thanks for the incouragement guys. have tried what crackatinny said with the rocks and filter media to no avail have just got home to more deaths. will try your idea of changing some water. You will definately know when your silver dollars spawn, we are only new to this breeding thing and we noticed a change in our male dollar straight away. He went beautiful colours. his silver with red fin and tail went black and had black spot on side just near gil. the silvers also killed everything in tank a week before they started getting sexy. our male has now got the nickname of 'rudy' because he's always at 'it'. thanks for all your help. its nice to know there is always someone there to help thanks everyone.