# Help with zebra danio fry!



## Eljazo (Jun 1, 2009)

My Zebra Danio is swelling up a bit. i know she's gonna have some baby's soon, but i never planned for this, so i don't know what to do...
i only have a small tank, and its crowded with three with in it.
What should i feed the fry when they hatch?
Does the mother need to be moved, before/after she lays them?
All in all, what do i need to do? i want some to survive, but i cant even get out of the house. (stupid swine flu...)
please help, its stressing me out. I just want them all to be well and healthy...
:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

Hey! I have a danio that spawns almost monthly! I have never actively tried to separate them though. Usually I end up timing my water changes at the same time that the eggs mature to fry and I save them after I vac them into the bucket. Bad way to come into the world but it works!
Your have a few options 1) put the mom in a separate tank (toss a bunch of marbles on the bottom for the eggs to fall into) and then take her out and put her back into the other tank once she is no longer (as) gravid (mine looked gravid ALL the time).
2) buy one of these cheap-o fish "nurseries", it hangs on the side of the tank and is made from netting. Put the mom in there until she lays the eggs and then transfer her back into the general population. This is not the best option as the nurseries are small and tend to stress mom out more than anything.
I personally just leave her in the tank and make sure there are plenty of places for the fry to hide. You wont get a ton of fry that mature this way as many will get eaten by other tankmates but you will be left with a few (and unless you are planning to sell them you may not want a bunch, 1 was left with 10+ with my 1st batch and couldnt unload them on anyone so now I still have them all).
When the fry do hatch, mine loved Hikari 1st bites, purchased at Petco.
Good luck with whatever you decide!


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## Eljazo (Jun 1, 2009)

Wow, thanks! I'll try my best, ill have to write a list down... so, marbles, (ah, there they are!) another tank, Hikari 1st bites... hmm, don't think i can get those... I'll get some breeders grass to put in the corner, i heard it 's good.
Well, I'll get it all sorted as quickly as i can... The mum looks like shes gonna burst any minute now. 
so they lay eggs every month? gawd, mamma fish is gonna get stressed with all those kids... 
i heard its not safe to move a gravid fish, so should i? and should i put Yang ("Daddy" fish) in the other tank too?

Thanks again ^_^

:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## <3~Pleco~<3 (Jan 31, 2009)

I think that you should put the dad in with her, usually when breeding danios you add around 3 males per female when breeding. The dad(s) need to be there to fertilize the eggs when she drops them, but then they need to be removed, otherwise they will eat the babies.


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## 207lauras (Jan 28, 2009)

I have read and witnessed in my own tank that danios generally mate for life so there is only 1 male in the tank who will fertilize the eggs. In my own tank it was pretty obvious who the male was as every time of the month they would chase one another around (the 1st time I thought they were trying to kill each other) and then she would turn on him and I could usually tell with a 12 hour period when it was time because the male would go nuts and literally do backflips off of the glass (again the 1st time I thought he was literally going to explode and die!). If you can get them into a separate tank together for a few days until she drops you should be good to go. 
Then again I have heard a lot of stories about eggs going rancid and mildewing so once you actually get fertilized eggs you are talking a whole different ball game... one that I dont have much knowledge about because again I usually just wait and catch them when they become fry!
Good luck with everything and keep us all posted on your progress!!


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## Eljazo (Jun 1, 2009)

Well, today i noticed Yang (male) chasing Ying and nudging her. I think its a good sign...
Also, all of my fish seem to go up to the top of the water constantly, looking like they find it hard the breathe. I thought they might be hungry, so i dropped a bit of food in, but they didn't go for it...
even my fantail does it. Should i change the water? I don't want to in case i stress out Ying even more by moving her to clean the tank... 

:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## Fishy Freak (Jun 1, 2011)

If you have to move a gravid fish, catch in a net then scoop out with water in a cup or container as to not put pressure on the fish, although I would not recommend the move as catching the fish stresses them so much.


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## humdedum (Feb 18, 2009)

Actually you might do okay by waiting until she turns thin. Then give the whole tank a really good vacuum. You'll probably find the eggs (or fry, if you wait a few days) in the bucket of water you just removed from the gravel.


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