When to release L183 fry back to main tank?

[timd]

My L183s unexpectedly spawned but kicked the eggs out of the cave, so I’ve raised them in a floating breeding ring.

They’re coming up 4 weeks old and about 1cm in length, eating spirulina and tabs once they’ve softened up.

How big will they need to be to fend for themselves in the main tank? (80x40x50, other inhabitants the 3 adult L183s and about 2 billion cherry shrimp)

[bekateen]

Hi timd,

Congratulations on you're spawn.

After four weeks, you say the babies are one cm? Does that include thre tail? If so, grow them larger before releasing. I now keep fry in a basket for about 2 months.

The only balancing act you have to watch is if they get too big. I kept 150 baby Ancistrus in a fry basket for 3 months. They were getting pretty big and started fighting, whipping their tails at each other. About 50 of them developed bent spines and needed to be euthanized. Now I keep them in the basket for about 2 months at most.

Gourd luck, Eric

[timd]

Thanks, will give them a bit longer before they get sent back to live with their parents

[stuby]

I like to put them back in the main tank as soon as I can..... after the egg sack in gone is normally when I let them go back. They seen to do better for me if they can forage in the tank instead of a fry saver.

Take care,
Chuck

[TwoTankAmin]

I am with Chuck.

I hate raising fry in traps and will only do it in unusual cases. I prefer to raise them in small grow tanks- 10 to 20L gal. max. depending on how many. I will do this when spawners are prolific and I need to spread out the kids. I pull the cave when the babies are close to being free swimming and I move the dad and kids. Once the babies are free swimming, I give the dad a week vacation with plenty to eat. Then I return him and the cave to the place from which I removed it.

I cannot prove it, but I believe most of the plecos (Hypancistrus) I have worked with need to consume some poop from more mature individuals to acquire some of the needed gut bacteria. Years back I noted that zebra pleco fry left in the breeder tank would grow faster than those pulled to a grow tank even though conditions and diet were similar. It took me over a decade to come to thinking this had to do with the availability of poop from mature zebras.

[stuby]

I totally agree Chris!! I've noticed that a lot of plecs do better with the parents. I had some L181's and L004's I put in separate tanks and I had some I left in with the parents and the ones I left with the parents did so much better. I used a 15 and 20 long for the fry only tanks and the parent tanks where both 29's. Other than that they where the same..... same water, temp, water changing schedule, same kink of filters, and food. The only difference I could see was the parents in the tank or not. So if at all posable I put the fry back with the parents as soon as they are able.... at least for the first month before I will separate them to another tank.

HTH
Chuck

[TwoTankAmin]

I should have mentioned. if I have to pull fry to a trap or grow tank, I will actually collect some poop from the breeder tank and put it into whatever is holding the fry.