Helping to maximize survivng fry?

Question
Hi Nathan,

I have a whole bunch of Molly fry. In the past, I've experienced almost a 50% die off rate. I separate the fry into a 5 gallon aquarium on their own. What ways can I maximize the number of fry that survive? Thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi Alexandra,

There are many ways that you can help ensure that fry survive. Often, the hardest period of time is the first month, when the fry are frail and sensitive. Here's what you can do to help:

Excellent feeding:
Fry should be fed a high-quality diet. When they are very young, you can feed liquid fish fry food (available at your local fish store). Later on, they will progress to being able to eat small foods such as Hikari First Bites (a relatively expensive, but high-quality food) which is the one I use, and also Brine Shrimp. Newly hatched/baby brine shrimp is often the food of choice for serious hobbyists. It is nutritious, and will make the fry grow much faster than if you were feeding flakes, etc. It is available frozen and freeze-dried. you can even hatch your own at home! (You can search ' baby brine shrimp' on the internet) Varying the diet is very helpful for fry, and will help promote a healthy fish.

Water changes:
Water changes should be carried out quite frequently in the fry tank. Fry are much more sensitive to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate than their larger counterparts. I suggest that you change about 20% of the water every 2-3 days. Don't let any food get wasted; this will quickly deteriorate water quality.

Minimize stress:
Don't tap on the glass or constantly walk in front of the fry tank. Such movements or actions can stress the fry, which as we all know, can result in injury or death. Minimal stress is paramount in raising fry. If your tank is located in a high-traffic area, you can put a small towel over the tank to calm the fry if necessary.

Patience and good care:
Be Patient! Fry take months to mature, and you'll be rewarded with an excellent display of nature's life cycle. Always take care of the fry as if they were your family, and I guarantee that you'll proudly look back at the tank a year later and proudly say to your friends, "I raised this little fish from when he was a baby!"

I hope this helps. Good Luck, and Happy Fishkeeping!