Shellies Fry Question

phishphorphun

phishphorphun

Members
Hey you Lake Tanganyikan shell dweller breeders.

I just discovered this morning that I have L. Staperssi fry. Can I remove the shell holding the babies and move them to a holding tank that way? And if so, how soon can I do it. They are in a show tank with tropheus, cyps, and other fish.
 
Charlutz

Charlutz

Members
There's also a little trick I read about to get them out of the shell. Maybe some of our experienced shellie keepers can confirm how well it works? Put a couple of tallish rocks (6-8") in a bucket. Then put a piece of eggcrate on top of the rocks. Put the shell with the fish on the eggcrate, with the shell opening down. Wait an hour or so and the fish will have swum out and nestled under the rocks. This would make it easier to move them into a smaller tank where you could be sure they were getting fed, etc.
 
longstocking

longstocking

Members
lol no offense Charles but that sounds like a lot more work than is neccessary to me :lol:

They fry will leave the shell almost instantly once you place them in a 10.... or you can shake them out of the shell. They fall out with mom not there ;)

That trick is good for getting juvies/adults out.
 
Charlutz

Charlutz

Members
No offense taken. I usually try to indicate when I am posting from experience or just passing along something I've read. :smashfreakB:
 
Tim

Tim

Members
Just a note...

Whenever I move shells from one tank to another with either fry or adults, I like to use a container of some sort to keep the shell under water the whole time. If the shell were to tip and get air in it, it could get an air bubble stuck in it. This can often lead to fry trapped and dying. I started doing this after I had a female brevis die this way a few years back. It's not a common thing, but taking the extra precaution only takes a couple seconds. ;)

Charles, there's an article on Fishaholics under "Fish" -> "Articles" called "Unshelling Shellies" that Clay Neighbors wrote. It uses a similar technique for removing shellies from their shells. It's good for breaking down tanks when you want the shells put in storage, or getting fish out of shells to take to auctions.
Tim
 
phishphorphun

phishphorphun

Members
Okay, for the sake of the parent guarding the fry, I have to get them out of the big tank ASAP. She is getting the crap kicked out of her by all the other fish.

I put a container in the tank, but she went into the shell with the babies. Now how am I going to move the shell with the babies without her making the trip too?????
 
maddog10

maddog10

Members
Any reason not to let her go with the fry?

You could wait until the mom is out chasing some other fish and snatch the shell out of the tank.
 
phishphorphun

phishphorphun

Members
I made the move. Now I have to find something small enough to feed them. I'll have to take the NLS Grow and try to pound into the size of a cigarette ash. The sand grains are bigger than the fry.

What I did. I took the shell with mom and fry in it, and placed it into a submerged container. Poured the shell, water, sand, mom, and fry into the holding tank. She swam out of the shell and I netted her and put her back into the big tank. I dumped the sand out of the shell to the bottom of the holding tank. I've seen up to four babies so far. I think more are still in the shell.
 
phishphorphun

phishphorphun

Members
Update:

Well, I thought I had successfully transferred about eight fry into the holding tank. Well, as it turns out, after a week of baby brine shrimp, I have at least twenty fry free swimming in the tank now. :eek:

What I thought were darker sand granuals, were actualy smaller fry. :rolleyes:

I probably transferred them a tad early to protect the parents from all the intruders. However, so far so good. :D
 
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