06/25/04

The New Fry.

Fry are normally hungry right after birth. However, they are too new to the world to know just how to find food. This is where a small tank becomes a very important tool in raising fry. They can find food more easily with a minimum of searching, which would simply waste their valuable energy. The food given must be tiny enough to fit into their mouths or it will be wasted and pollute the tank. Baby Brine Shrimp, newly hatched, is a popular food for new fry, however, it swims, and the fry must chase it down. It can also be bought frozen, which has the same nutritional content as live; the fry need to become accustomed to it slowly. Cooked egg yolk can provide a cloud of protein that the fry will greedily consume. Microworms or Vinegar Eel are excellent for fry: they sink to the bottom, remain alive for days and give even more of a growth spurt than BBS. It is mainly the youngest worms that the fry will consume at this point in time; remove the larger worms from the tank which are left on the bottom.

Fry should be moved to a larger tank if they outgrow the one they are in. While a box filter and water changes help, crowding your fish will invite disease break-outs.

Separating the Sexes.

Fry can be sexed at one week of age, however, this is hardly necessary. When the males' anal fin becomes pointed, it is definitely time to remove the females (this may occur at 3 to 6 weeks of age). Use a small glass and either catch the fry in it or coax them into it with a net. Examine each closely for either a gravid spot or a developing gonopodium.

Harem-Breeding.

It is not absolutely necessary to separate the sexes if your fish breed true. Saving virgin females is important if you need to be sure of the father of your drops, however, it does take more tanks in order to do this. You may feel that in your breeding program you want more control over choosing parents; it is a choice you must make.