Trap for Zebra Fry...

[pleco_farmer]

...courtesy of Ian Fuller.

Visited the UK on business last week, and took Ian up on an invitation made during the US convention last Fall. Spent a marvelous afternoon in Kidderminster, checking out Ian's fish house and other local highlights.

While I was there, we dicussed a husbandry problem with zebra plecs, which really applies to many hypancistrus. I have groups where the male is kept in the cave almost constantly by a trio of females spawning in a serial fashion. In fact, I have pulled caves to net out swimming fry, only to find another clutch inside, seriously disrupting spawning activity. So, I have been letting the spawns go naturally, and spending way too much time hunting down elusive fry. Furthermore, fry living in the main tank can not be fed directly, so I usually overfeed to compensate.

Ian passed along an idea he had heard from a German aquarist. By placing a tank divider at the intake end of a river tank, you can create a compartment four to six inches wide. Next, by cutting several horizontal slots, 1/8" thick, several inches long, you can allow passage of fry while keeping out adults.

I added a divider, with several thin slots just above the gravel line, and voila, was rewarded the next morning by finding two fry in the compartment, hitherto undiscovered. Much easier to chase them down, and food tends to concentrate there due to the intake, so they find plenty to eat. Simple idea, but the best usually are.

Cheers Ian, thanks for the visit, and thanks for the advice.

[Maarten]

Nice idea

[retro_gk]

I was thinking of something similar, but for cyprinid fry...