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Catching Shelldweller fry


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How do you guys catch your shell dweller fry?

as soon as you put my hand in the N. multifasciatus tank, they dive straight for the shells.

I found a link that explains it pretty well:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/unsh...ng_shellies.php

But is there another way of doing it? without disturbing the shells? I dont want to disturb the shells, because territories have already been established and shells are already in the position the fish themselves have placed them to be - in line with the oncoming water current. So I rather not mess with their homes.

How do you guys do it?

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I've seen people suck them into a bucket with an airline syphon before and it worked pretty well. Other than that, dunno laugh.gif

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Not a problem. I took it you were looking to remove them at an early stage. I have heard of people leaving a net in the tank until they get used to it and then a quick scoop during feeding will get some out.

Why would you want to remove them they are step breeders and several generations happily coexist.

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Sometimes the easiest way is to dismantle the tank. Get a bucket of tankwater handy, and start removing shells from the tank and place them in the bucket.

Most of your shells should be taken up by adult fish, and the fry/juvies should be left behind.

Do this, then you can also move shells from one bucket to another. Each time you move the shells, some fry should be left behind.

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Would something like an 'Aspirator' work ?

Here's a link

With one of those, you could suck one out of the shell and into the jar, then put it into something else, then get the next one...

But I dunno how big the fry are dntknw.gif You might need to use too large a diameter hose for it to be feasible dntknw.gif

HTH

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Use the method in the cichlid-forum post. I use it all the time and I have no problems with the fish re-establishing territiory or continuing to breed. It works so well and is so easy to do. Usually over night will do and most of the fish will be on the bottom of the tank in the morning.

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I have found that some shellies are not always step breeders. I have blue occelatus who's fry would always disappear. I think that it was the non-parent in the trio. So I always remove fry asap.

The way that I remove them is quite simple. I have a livebearer enclosure (the plastic ones with the subfloor in them that attach to the side of the tank with suction caps. Available at AOA for bugger all.

When the fry are just starting to venture from the shell, I pick up the shell (at which time all fry and the mother will quickly dive in) and place it in the unclosure. As the fry eventually venture from the shell, they fall to the bottom of the enclosure, eventually leaving the mother and the shell in the top of the unclusure, and all the fry at the bottom, at which time you can return the mother and shell to the tank.

This has worked well for me for a long time, easy, no stress to me (and minimal to the fish) and no dismantling the tank.

Michael

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That's an awesome method Michael! I will definitely try that one. Thanks for that!

After the fry falls to the bottom of the enclosure, then you move the shell with the mum back to the main tank right? do you try to put it in the same position as before? or do you just randomly place them?

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No problems.

Thats right, straight back into the tank. I leave the fry in the enclosure for a few weeks until they are old and large enough to endure a move to a fry tank.

I found that it doesnt really matter where the shell is returned. You will find that if they dont like where it is, they will quiclky move it.

Michael

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