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Protection for baby fish2007-11-24 23:39:50

I have about 20 live bearing fish in my fish tank and one of my fish (i have no clue which one) had babies. They got eaten and i only saved one. I already have a live bearing container but its very hard to catch the fish and put them in so i don't bother. I have a filter that is under the gravel that sucks the water down and out the tubes in the corners and i wanted to know what i could do to protect the newborns i find in my tank? anything else i should know tell me! Thanks.

Answers:

Give the fry places to hide.

Either fake or life plants work well, clumped together to provide little hiding spots. Bushy ones like Ambulia, Anacharis, Cabomba. and other shaped plants seem to work very well. If there's enough cover you'll start to see your fry getting larger. to the point where the other fish can no longer eat them.

Easier then those little fish breeders, though the survival rate may drop.

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If you can figure out when they're pregnant, segregate them. What ever you do, do not buy a small turtle and put it in with the fish. Our little tiny turtle started eating everything in site. It didn't matter how large the fish were, this thing was like a lawn mower. It chewed up everything in sight. I mean it ate fish five times it's size. This thing was so cute, but had one voracious appetite.

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My brother had a fish tank, and lots of his fish had babies, I remember the angel fish babies looked like little boomerangs in the water, and the mollies were so pretty. He used to fill a mason jar with water from the tank and scoop them in with a net. But the net might have been too damaging to the tiny fish -- maybe he used a tea cup. He tried a movable divider, kind of like a closet door--with adjustable sides--but the big fish sucked the babies right through the holes!! The mason jar worked best.

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I was told its best to get the babys out of the tank asap cause the big ones wii eat them , or they get sucked up the filter. Juz change the whole tank put the big ones aside and scoop out the little ones in the same water. they need "fry food" you can get from the pet store its not too expensive. GOOD LUCK

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The best way is to find out EXACTLY which one is pregnant, (notice the stomach area getting rounded) and separate her from the rest a few days before her expected drop date. You can either put her in a breeder's net or a different tank. This way all you have to worry about is the mother eating the frys. If you keep her full all the time (don't overfeed though) and notice the frys in time, then you'll be sure to save a lot more frys =)

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The only thing you really can do is use the live bearing tank. I had this problem with my mollies, and platy's. You can try turning off your filter for a little while, or just put bigger rocks in so they can hide. If you know which fish are prego get another tank going a "nursery" until she has them, then put her back into the community tank. good luck.