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Hi there,

I have a 17g which has recently completed cycling. It has 6 zebra danios, and as of yesterday a female BN pleco. This morning I noticed on the side of the tank something very small - about 4mm long. It looks to have two small eys at one end with a long thing 'tail' which waggles occasionally.

Could it be a fish fry?

I can only see the one at the moment. My first suspisian is the zebra danions. They have certainly been 'frisky' since the day they were added! But I would have expected to see lots if eggs were hatching. I have also added some live plants about a week ago and I suppose an egg could have sneaked in with them.

Wayne

got any pics of it?

No, and I don't think my camera would be able to focus on something that small. I have seen at least 3 of them, but they have vanished for the moment.

Wayne

Wayne,

It for sure could be that some eggs have been carried in with plants.

But I would think that, if it is fry, then it would be from the zebras. They are some of the easier to breed fish in the tank. They scatter their eggs (and eat them as well) and, if at all, only a few (if any) will make it as the adults would also not shy away from eating their babies. Baby zebras look like glass slivers.

Now the question would be what will they eat. Do you have some brown algae in the tank? That is good fry food (diatoms). Places to hide would also be great, some moss or the like.

It would be cool if they make it,

Ingo

---

Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

They are not from the plants - I have found eggs scatered over a simlawood log - lots of them! I have also seen more of the fry.

Coool!!!

The tank has only been going for six weeks - it has only just finished cycling. There is algea for them to feed on (assuming the plec doesn't gobble it all), in fact I have seen them eating the algea from the side of the tank. Others are hiding in amongst the gravel and on the plants.

I did not set out to breed fish, but it would be nice if a few survived, although I think the danios are already nipping at them

Wayne

Good Luck with the fry you found & hope they'll be nice & healthy.



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Unfortunately, I think their parents have been picking them off. I saw one yesterday morning, but nothing since then. The danios have been scouring the bottom and eating stuff in the gravel. I think it is the fry.

Wayne

Know what you need?

JAVA MOSS!

Java Moss is the perfect plant to provide a hiding place for fry. It also develops its own little culture of small organisms for the fry to nibble on over time.

Attach some to your Simlawood log, and sit back and wait. It'll take time to grow, but once it does ... you'll have a spawning medium in there as well as a fry nursery.

I have Java Moss in my aquaria and wonder how on earth I managed in my teenage years without it ... the Panda Fun Palace has had Java Moss in it now for over 11 years, and I wouldn't consider an aquarium complete without it, because it makes a superb playground for Corys - my Pandas bury themselves in it and stick their snouts in it to ferret out tasty titbits, providing me with a wealth of entertainment into the bargain! When I had Lemon Tetras, they spawned in it.

Plus, if you ever set up a special breeding aquarium for your Danios, Java Moss in quantity will help save the eggs from the attentions of the parents. A nice natural egg trap that also harbours a good culture of things for your fry to nibble on in between Liquifry feeds.

Plus, if you do set up a breeding aquarium with Java Moss, pop in some Hornwort as well. A plant that helps your nitrogen cycle management by hoovering up ammonia and nitrates at a rate of knots, and also provides yet more tangles of vegetation for fry to hide in. I have Hornwort in the Panda Fun Palace floating to provide shade, and judging by the way my fishes are frolicking about at the moment, they're happy with my furnishing provision!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002