Found Fry..

[Brent Shaver]

Tonight while I was listening to American Idol with the wife and daydreaming while looking at my tank I thought I seen a small fish.  So of course I had to run to the tank and see and low and behold I seen 2 very small fry, my guess about 3/16", not sure if there is more.  Not having a great deal of experience with fry I am guessing they are bumble bees, but that is just a guess.

There is no way I would be able to catch these guys as I have way to much rock work and if I start removing it to catch them I am sure one of the larger fish would win hands down.  So I will let nature take its course and hope they survive, if so I will get to see what I actually have.

I only wish I could have spotted the eggs.  My rock is very coarse and my cichlids have caused more then a few snow storms over the rock so it would be like an advanced version of find waldo...lol

Well I was just so excited I had to share...lol

[ordi260]

Nice one!

Try to catch them!

[Stussi613]

I only wish I could have spotted the eggs.  My rock is very coarse and my cichlids have caused more then a few snow storms over the rock so it would be like an advanced version of find waldo...lol

I think you'd have a hard time spotting the eggs since most Africans are mouth brooders and suck up the eggs and hold them until they hatch and are a couple of days old.  I'd suggest keeping a look out for any females with fat mouths that aren't eating and getting them out into a smaller tank until she spits the babies out...you'll have much better luck.

I remember the first time I found tiny little Demasoni swimming around a rock pile in my old cichlid tank...such an awesome feeling.

[limmer]

That's how MTS starts.  You start another tank for fry.  They start getting bigger and you get more fry.  Before you know it you have tanks everywhere.

[Brent Shaver]

If I get the chance to catch them I will for sure.  And I agree it would have been nice to have caught momma before she released them but I never had intentions of breeding cichlids, this was purely a fluke and to be honest I cant even be sure yet they arent going to be hybrids. Considering I have approx 25 cichlids and cant be sure who or what breed.

That being said I am off to BAs this weekend to pick up a heater and that way the 40 I am picking up saturday can be for the fry.

Now once I get my planted tank I will be up to 4...  Wife is just estatic...lol  Good thing I dont pay for water...

What would happen if I catch them and put them in with my Silver Dollars and shrimp?  I have enough silk plants in there for them to hide and water temp is consistant.  Just a thought..

[RoxyDog]

What would happen if I catch them and put them in with my Silver Dollars and shrimp?  I have enough silk plants in there for them to hide and water temp is consistant.  Just a thought..

I'm gonna guess they will become food...

I remember seeing tiny babies in my african tank for the first time, they were adorable!  I did leave them in there and of course they never got a chance to grow up.

[Blackstitch]

I will find fry in my african tank all the time. If I feel like it, I'll take out the mother before she releases them, and put her in another tank until they come out. Last time I did that, I ended up with a batch of around 40 rusty fry. Now, I leave the females in the main tank seeing as to I want to keep the numbers low, and will be using my current baby tank soon as a temporary home for my two clowns while I re-do their tank.

[Aquafreak2]

Here is what I do to give my fry a helping hand to survive.  I too have elaborate rockwork in my tank,  What I did is under that rock work I made a base made up of BBQ lava rock and placed it very tight together so that only the fry can have access.  I would say that I have at least a 75% survival rate and they have grown to full size fairly quick, I am going to assume that this happens because they have more space.  Try it I think you will all see that this works very well,  also serves as a solid base and no opportunity to dig out the sand which could lead to a collaspe of my rock work.

Good Luck

[Brent Shaver]

The 4 fry I originally found are all still doing well and I would say have gotten half there size bigger since.

As for rock work, there is ample spots for them to hide.  I have seen a few diving and trying to get them but they cant, actually quite funny when you see them try.  You would think they would learn..grins.

Now I am pretty much sure they are Bumble Bees.

[Brent Shaver]

Ok, I have now confirmed I do have a min of 5 Bumble Bee fry.  They are doing well and have ample hiding spots which would be the reason they havent become bait at this point.

Now, I am sitting looking at my tank and I see yet another fry (very small) which seems like a new batch..  These are way too small to identify as of yet and are the size of a very small tadpole.

I would love to think that my blue acei's might be responsible for the new batch but think I am looking at more bumble bee's.  Talk about forced MTS...lol, the wife is estatic..grins

At least I know my tank conditions are good for breeding, if I get any more I am going to have to see about the BAP.

Time will tell.  I will say it is rather exciting see the new life in the tank though.

[dan2x38]

You have a lot of fish in there like I do. You don't know for sure they could be any thing... LOL God even the synos can get in on the action. They eat the new eggs laid by the cichlids and replace with their own. The momma comes along sucks them up and later releases a brode of synos. Their lazy parents... LOL Must be Simpsons... LMAO

Either way KEWL enjoy.