# Confused!



## Guest (Mar 10, 2009)

hey all,

i hope this is the right place for this question.....

this is my problem, i have 2 female swordtails that are prego and there is NO way my mom is gonna let me keep a fourth tank. my holding bowl which i normally use as an isolation tank/prego tank has my platy's fry in them....the lil munchkins needed the space and i love em to bits! .....my options are:

1 - to either let the mother's drop their fry in the main tank and pray to god that my pleco doesnt find them hinding in the plants or 

2 - get a breeder net or one of those hang on breeders tanks that i can put into my main tank. if so, which one would you suggest which would least stress out the mothers.....

thanks!

Cheers!


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

If you have enough plants in your tank the fry may have a fighting chance... 
I used a breeder net on the side of the tank when I discovered fry (it was a comedy of errors as the fry were already in the tank swimming about freely, I ended up sucking them up with the gravel vac and transferring them to the net). It works well and doesnt take up a lot of space. My only complaint was that I didnt think there was a huge water transfer between the breeder net and the rest of the tank. After a few days I was noticing a weird residue on top of the water in the net and I ended up moving it under the filter outflow for a few seconds a few times per day to make sure they had fresh water. Probably just me being crazy, and I havent heard anyone say they've had this problem...just my own experience.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Like Laura said, loooooots of plants will increase the odds. Then (if you can) transfer the fry.
Swords are notorious for dropping fry too soon when they get stressed. And putting the mothers in the net is very stressful. I usually recommend if people want to move pregnant females, they do it at least 2 weeks in advance. And into a tank they feel safe in.


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## COM (Mar 15, 2008)

You could also get a tank divider.


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2009)

SueM said:


> I usually recommend if people want to move pregnant females, they do it at least 2 weeks in advance. And into a tank they feel safe in.


how i wish i could just do that!  think i've got to move my Danios to the 25 along with the Swords and Platys.....use the 15 as a breeder and change it to a planted.....but on the other hand if i move the Danios out (which are spawning like bunnys on heat) the tank will pretty much be filled up within a few days again with Danio fry!!! if i removed the current set up i lose the eggs.....I dont like being confused....i think am goin to set up a clear plastic tank for the prego fish....would that be something workable?


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## Felicia (Jul 17, 2008)

When space became an issue for me (downgraded a 150+ gallon FW breeding system to a 20 gallon tank), I let survival of the fittest take over. As long as you have lots of cover, you'll still have some fry survive and grow up, you just won't be overrun. 

I agree that the breeding nets and boxes just don't get enough flow. They're a good temporary situation, but it's difficult to leave the fry in there for very long.


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