L129 spawn... catching the fry

[Andrewtfw]

Yesterday I spotted my heroina isonycterina chewing on a baby L129 pleco. I was unable to save it, but I did manage to temporarily save five other babies that were in the cave with their mother. I say temporarily, because over night, they escaped back into the tank from the breeder box (I used the smaller strainer). I saw three on the glass this evening, but they are difficult to catch with a net. I was able to catch one. I plan on pulling the caves in the morning in hopes the rest are alive and hiding.

What do you do to catch your baby plecos when they only recently became free swimming?

 

[chriscoli]

Depends.....I try to put them in those marina hang-on breeding boxes that I like so much, I've lost a lot from them escaping through some of the breeder basket models (the ones with the snap-together edges....baby plecos are really flat and can squeeze through cracks).

Catching them once they're out of the cave is nearly impossible for me.

I also try to throw in some used oak leaves or java moss from another tank so they can graze on the microflora a bout a day after their yolk sac is gone. As I mentioned in one of my other posts, I've had really bad luck with some Ancistrus in a breeder box, though. They do fine if I leave them in the parent's tank.

I'm watching my Angelicus very closely right now because they are in a community tank. But from what I've read, I've got some leeway between when they hatch (any day now...they have eyes) and when they leave the cave. I tried putting the whole cave in the breeder box a few times in the past, but that just seemed to stress out dad.

I have a few plecos that are horrible parents. I've lost five or six spawns of my triradiatus because as soon as they are wigglers for a day or so, he eats them. So this time, I dumped them all out into a breeder box as soon as I could and put dad back in the tank.

 

[Andrewtfw]

It is the large marina hang on breeder box that mine escaped from. I really hope they hide back with mom for the night. If they don't, they will surely be attacked by the heroina. Looks like I have some more rearranging to do.

Chris- what is your m/f ratio of angelicus? My L129s consist of 4m and only 1f.

 

[chriscoli]

Wow, really? They got out of that? I have some really fine mesh from a damaged breeder net that I use to wrap around the little "gate" at the overflow with for the really small babies.

My Angelicus are 1f to 2 m.

 

[jonclark96]

Awesome job on spawning the L129's. Hope you can find some of them in the morning.

 

[hollyfish2000]

I have a very small brine net that I use to pull baby BNs, but they are on the glass, so it's easier. not sure if that is the situation with yours.

Can you pull the "eater" rather than the babies?

 

[Andrewtfw]

@Chris- they suck onto the outflow divider and hop over it into the tank. Smart buggers!
I need to get a brine net. Will check out petsmart today since it's close. As for moving the predators... I'd have to dismantle the tank to catch them.

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[hollyfish2000]

You could also try sucking them out with a turkey baster. And if you have canister filters, check them for babies, too.

 

[Andrewtfw]

I was able to locate and catch two more babies. Now I have three. I hope there are more in the filter as Holly suggested there may be.

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[dogofwar]

Andrew - I've got large and small brine shrimp nets that you're more than welcome to use...

Matt

 

[Andrewtfw]

Thanks Matt. I picked up a small brine net tonight.

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[Tony]

Andrew - We talked about this on Saturday, but for posterity, the easiest way to catch baby plecos (or fry swarms for that matter) is to use a medium size siphon hose (maybe 1/2" ID) and syphon into a large net sitting on the rim of a 5 gallon bucket. The are sucked right out and into the net.