# Question:cleaning fry tank



## ultasol (Mar 12, 2006)

I have a question about cleaning the fry tank. The situation is this:
I have two spawns in a ten gallon tank with Methylene blue, a sponge filter, and a heater. Both spawns seem to be doing well and are about the same size and are at the same stage (wigglers, but only a couple days from free-swimming). There are eggs that fell off of the surface they were laid on that are on the bottom of the tank- they are fungused. I want to remove these to prevent my fry becoming fungused, but sucking these off the bottom simply isn't an option since it is imposisble to avoid fry. How do you guys clean your fry tank when the spawns are wigglers?
Or am I worried for no reason?
I've done small water changes....


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## Sable (Nov 6, 2006)

I'm sorry... what species of fish are the fry?

Is there any way you could net up the fungused eggs? I have a very fine, "baby brine shrimp" net and it can hold anything. It cost $1.99 at Petco; it's about 2" by 1".

You could also use tweezers to remove the eggs, if your arms are long enough.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have siphoned fry tanks with airline tubing into a pitcher. You almost alway get fry, though. You can catch them with a medicine cup (like for cough syrup) and put them back. This risks injury to the fry (like gill covers scraped off). Its kind of a catch 22, fry are super sensitive to any changes in the water, but also to waste. This is where you wish the parents were there to move the fry away from the siphon. I think fungused eggs must go-if your lucky they stay stuck to the substrate while the fry come off, if your unlucky you can pull the fungus out with a tweezers (shaking the wigglers off). Otherwise change water from the top with a pitcher. You don't need to worry about food and poop until the fry are free-swimming. Fortunately, in a few weeks baby cichlids grow smart enough to avoid the siphon.


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

I use the same method Jenny, plus once they are free swimming, put the food in the corner, most fry will move too it, and you can use the airline to clean up while their eating.


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## ultasol (Mar 12, 2006)

See, that's where I made the boo-boo- I put more than one spawn in a tank. The bolivians are very close to free swimming but not quite. The angels are eating like pigs.
Everyone seems to be well thus far.


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