When you buy fry (fish) from a pet store or have female fish ready to lay eggs, it is very important to make sure you have adequate equipment to care for the fry. You can choose to use a breeding tank or a breeder trap. Whatever the choice, fry should be given a safe and closed space to grow until they are large enough. After setting up a safe place to live, caring for the fish by feeding them and changing the water in the tank, and conditioning the fish before they are transferred to the aquarium when they are large enough, your pet fish will be sure to stay healthy and safe in the long run.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Setting Up the Breeding Tank
Step 1. Find a tank that is large enough
Look for tanks with between 5 and 20 gallons of water for breeding fry. If you plan to mix chicks with their parents, breed several fry in one tank, or have a large number of fry, purchase a tank with a larger capacity. In general, a batch of fry without brooders will need a tank with a capacity of 10 gallons of water.
If the chicks are born directly in the tank, make sure you have the breeding tank ready before the mother lays eggs
Step 2. Set up the filtration system
The filtration system is an essential part of any type of fish tank and it is vital for your young fish. Prepare a simple foam filter or other suitable filter according to the capacity of the tank. If you are not using a foam-lined filter or net, look for a special attachment or other suitable filter at your nearest aquarium store to keep the chicks safe in the tank.
- You can also make your own filter by attaching a piece of nylon strip in front of the filter and tying it with a rubber band.
- It is very important to make sure the tank filter is safe for the young fish. Otherwise, the tool can suck up small fish.
Step 3. Add plants to the tank
You can use fake houseplants or live plants, but make sure you have them installed before the chicks are born. Plants will provide shelter for the young fish after they are born, and function similarly to breeding traps.
- Use a mixture of broadleaf plants, such as Java ferns or various types of grasses.
- Arrange for some plants to float in the water so that the fry have an area to hide near the surface of the water after they are born.
Step 4. Warm the tank
Since balloon fish are tropical fish, they must be in tropical waters. Keep the water temperature in the 23 °C to 28 °C temperature range with an aquarium heater.
- Roughly speaking, you need about 5 watts of power from the heater for every gallon of water in the tank. Consult a specialist at the nearest aquarium store to find an aquarium heater that fits your tank capacity.
- Use an aquarium thermometer to monitor the temperature of the tank and make sure it remains consistent.
Step 5. Set up breeder traps
If you can't set up a dedicated breeding tank, a mesh breeder trap may be an alternative. You can purchase a mesh box to protect small fish at your nearest aquarium or pet store. Hang the tool on the side of your aquarium.
- Rinse the mesh in warm water before hanging it to make sure it is completely clean before using the chicks.
- Remember, fry grow very quickly and come out of the mesh, and you will still need a special tank to hold them before the fish are ready to be introduced into a large tank of adult fish.
Method 2 of 4: Helping the fry to Adapt
Step 1. Move the parent
If your fry came from a parent that was bred directly, remove the parent before laying eggs. You can tell a female balloon fish is about to lay eggs by noticing the swelling on her belly, as well as noticing the markings on the fin near her anus that turn darker in color as it approaches spawning.
Adult fish, especially male fish, can prey on the newly hatched chicks. So, it is best to transfer the mother to a special breeding tank before the pups are born
Step 2. Bring the chicks home
If you buy chicks at a store, fish breeder, or other place, be prepared to take them home as soon as possible after they hatch. Place the chicks in a plastic bag with warm water and make sure the bag is large enough for the fish to move freely in it.
Get the chicks home as quickly as possible. You must minimize the risk of stress to the fry. So take the quickest route to get home and don't stop anywhere else when you bring the chicks
Step 3. Help the fish adapt
If you get your fry from outside your home, allow them 15 minutes to help them adapt. Place the bag containing the fry in the breeding tank for at least 15 minutes so that the water temperature in the bag is the same as the water temperature in the tank.
Putting fry directly into the tank without giving them adaptation time can shock their bodies and cause some fry to die
Step 4. Remove the fry
After the adaptation time is over, put the chicks into the tank by gently opening the plastic bag and letting them swim out. Do not throw the water in the bag into the tank or squeeze it to force the young fish out.
If you are using a breeder trap, you may need to hold the trap above the surface of the water and allow the water to drain out of the plastic bag to prevent the fish from escaping into the tank
Step 5. Watch the chicks
Pay attention to the fry that have been put in the breeding tank. Make sure all the fish move and hide. If any fry die, use a net to get them out of the tank as soon as possible.
Watch the mother fish to make sure she is not aggressive towards her newly hatched chicks if they are placed in the same tank. If the mother seems aggressive, transfer the fish to another tank
Method 3 of 4: Raising Fish Chicks
Step 1. Feed
After the fry are born or put into the tank, provide food. A nearby aquarium store may sell special fry feed. If not, you can use shrimp seeds or high-quality feed that is ground to a fine powder.
- Regular fish feed may be too large for fry. Use a coffee bean grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind the fish feed into a powder to make it easier for the fry to eat.
- Feed according to a regular schedule every day. Feed the fry only a small amount, about a pinch of feed several times a day. To make it easier for you, feed the fry after or before you eat.
- Clean the remaining feed that does not run out of the tank. Use a net or foam cleaning device to remove powdered feed from the surface of the water.
Step 2. Change the water
Even if you have a filter installed, you should still change the water regularly to make sure the chicks are healthy. Use some of the water from a regular aquarium when changing the water in the fry tank so they can adapt to their home in the future.
Change about 20% of the water from the tank containing the fry every day. In other words, if you are using a 10 gallon tank, you will need to remove 2 gallons of water each day and replace it with 2 gallons of water from the main tank
Step 3. Watch the growth of the chicks
The fry take about one to two months to grow large enough to be introduced into the main tank. The fry should be larger than the mouth of the adult balloon fish.
Don't move the balloon fry until you're sure they can survive in the main tank. Moving the fry too quickly can create tension between the fry and the other fish in the tank
Method 4 of 4: Moving the Fish Chicks
Step 1. Set up the breeder trap
Use breeder traps to help the fry adapt to the climate in the new tank. Buy a breeder trap if you don't have one, then install it on the side of the tank where you want to house the fry.
Clean or rinse the trap before placing it in the aquarium. This can keep the adult fish in the aquarium safe and healthy, as well as the balloon fry themselves
Step 2. Move the baby fish
Move several fry at once into the breeder trap. If the two tanks are close together, you may be able to do this process with a regular aquarium net. If the tank is far enough away, you will need to transfer the fry to a bowl or bucket of water from the breeding tank and bring them to the main tank.
Do not cover breeder traps. Make sure the fry have enough room to swim when they are moved. Move only a few fry at a time so that the tool is not too full
Step 3. Allow the fry to adapt
Allow the fry to adapt for about an hour in the breeder trap before releasing them into the tank. When ready to be released, submerge the trap below the surface of the aquarium water, then open it and let the fry swim out.
Watch the chicks for a few minutes after removing them from the trap. Make sure the fry are not disturbed or attacked by other fish
Step 4. Repeat this process
Continue this process until all fry have been successfully transferred to the main aquarium. Give each fry that you move to adapt before releasing them into the tank. Watch the fry closely for several days after transfer to ensure they remain healthy and safe.
If a fry is having a hard time surviving in a new tank, you may need to transfer them to a breeding tank or breeder trap for a few days before trying to repeat the adaptation process again
Tips
- If you intend to breed balloon fish, do not mate fish from the same parent. This will increase the risk of birth defects in fry.
- Do not raise fish in tanks that are not equipped with heaters and thermometers. It's important to keep the water temperature consistent and warm to keep your fish happy and healthy.
- Balloon fish are very susceptible to death if they live in dirty water. Change the water regularly to keep the young fish healthy.
- Giving live food to fry, such as shrimp fry and vinegar eel, can improve their health. Giving feed in the form of pellets and powdered feed alone will make the fish grow less healthy or the color less attractive.
