When are they ready?

keprydak

Large Fish
Oct 22, 2002
165
0
0
38
TX
www.xanga.com
#1
I have a small tank (5 gallons) thats houses about 33 platy fry. They're almost two months old now, and about 3 times the size they used to be. Their about 1/2 an inch in length already, and developing their red color and spots.
I want to move some of them into my 10 gallon tank (which houses 4 tetras and 2 gouramis) but I'm afraid they're still small enough to get eaten. I imagine they could swim away well enough, but I'm not sure. I know it takes 3 months before you can sell them, so I want to help increase the growth before I have to let them go. Would they get eaten in my 10 gallon?
My last question is, I have two friends who are starting out in the aquarium hobby very soon, and I'm helping them cycle, and giving them some babies to start off with. In about 4 weeks or so I imagine the tanks will be ready (they are relativly small) and I don't know if the babies will be full-grown. Would it be alright to move them into new houses? or would they get lost in new tanks by themselves and perish?

thanks,
kep
 

tabby360

Large Fish
Oct 22, 2002
368
0
0
36
NW Arkansas
#2
My swordtail just had babys last week and the one that survived and is ok and hides in a cave. In there is two guppies, its mother, a neon tetra, a otocilus, and a sucking loach.
 

Matt Nace

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
1,470
1
38
Pennsylvania
#3
If you have doubt about their survival don't move them.

Cycling with baby fish won't give you much biological bactieria. I don't even know if they will cycle the tank..they don't give off much waste..so it would take a long time to cycle with 4 little fry.

If it would cycle..it would likely recycle because you are only building a biological capacity of a few fry. Anything over this in the amount of waste, will cause an ammonia spike.

Cycle fishless or with bigger fish..like a few danios or something.
 

R

ronrca

Guest
#6
I still think that fishless cycling is more effective. Much bigger bacteria and therefore more fish right away.