Black Convict babies -- are they stressed?

Question
Hello.  We have a pair of black convicts that have had about 20 babies.  Because we keep a 55 gallon, with some other larger fish, we waited til the babies were big enough and moved the babies to another tank (we've only moved about half of them so far).  Those babies that we moved look like they may be stressed, but we're not sure.  The babies that DID have black stripes have lost a lot of that black coloring, and almost look like they are the same color as the pink babies.  

Are they stressed?  What can we do about it to alleviate the stress?  The new tank has a cave-like structure, plants, and gravel...so they have plenty of things to hide in.  The filter is clean, and the heater is set to 76 degrees.  When we moved them, we made sure we used a few gallons of water from the larger tank.  They are active and eating flake food.

Thanks for any advice you have!

Annie

Answer
Hi Annie;

They probably are stressed and feeling very vulnerable. They are used to the protection of their parents and may indeed hide for quite a while. They will get used to it over time. Make a 25% water change every day so they will feel their best and grow fast. Baby food can make quite a mess too.

If the baby tank is pretty new, it's also going through a break-in period. Using water from the bigger tank will help the babies adjust to the new tank, but it doesn't do anything for the break-in period. The beneficial bacteria that needs to develop grows in the filter media, in the gravel, on tank surfaces and decorations. It isn't in the water itself. Here is more about break-in to help you through;

http://www.xanga.com/Expert_Fish_Help

Have fun with those babies!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins