# Cichlid fry



## poiuy704 (Nov 6, 2010)

Does anyone have an easy way to catch cichlid fry in a tankful of hungry adults. I've tried siphoning them out but the little buggers are fast and seem to know when you're after them. It's also very time consuming.

I managed to catch 6 out of about twenty today by removing the rocks they were hiding in one at a time and trying to scoup out any exposed fry before they got eaten. I feel bad about the ones that got eaten but I was getting fed up chasing them with a siphon. Anyone have any better ideas?


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

I cut a pop/water bottel about 1/3 of the way down and push the top part back into the bottom.
add a bit of gravel to make it sink.
Put some food into it and attach a string so you can pull it out when the fri go into it.

I find 20 to 30 min works.

Repeat the process<G>


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## mcrocker (May 29, 2010)

I've siphoned them out in the past and found it pretty effective, but it sounds like you might be a week or two past the point where they are easy to get that way. What I used was a hose with a few feet of rigid clear tube on the end, actually something I got from a homebrewing supply store: http://beermaking.ca/equipment.html.(syphon rod, $5)

The fry might find the clear tube less scary than your hand, if you are currently using your hand to hold the end of your tube where the fry are.


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## pistolpete (May 2, 2010)

plant a large net on one side and chase the buggers into it with a small net.


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## Cichlid2010 (Apr 21, 2010)

I use a super large net, almost as wide as my tank. But I do have to remove most of the decorations out.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

good luck with your project. short of emptying out all my decor and putting the adults in a bin while you scoop the fry like i did, you may have trouble. what kind of fry r they. I only went thru that bother for an extinct in the wild victorian species of fry


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## dino (Aug 29, 2011)

next time if possible when you see her start holding try to strip her before she releases the fry. I was told this was difficult to do but when i removed the female she spat all the fry outand boom i had all the fry in the other tank and i simply put her back in the same tank. Im sure you probley know this just though id try to help for next time.


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## KVD88 (Jul 21, 2010)

Yup, thats how I always used to do it.
Thick skin I bought off you is doing great btw poiuy704!


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## jdm_03 (Apr 22, 2010)

dino said:


> next time if possible when you see her start holding try to strip her before she releases the fry. I was told this was difficult to do but when i removed the female she spat all the fry outand boom i had all the fry in the other tank and i simply put her back in the same tank. Im sure you probley know this just though id try to help for next time.


Way easier. good luck with catching fry tho!


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