swordtail fry

Question
About 2 months ago one of my swortails gave birth to some fry. Unfortunately I was only able to save 3 but I have put them in a seperate tank and they are doing well. They are approx. 2 cms long now. I want to reintroduce them into my main tank but I am worried that my other fish may eat or harm them. Please advise. My main tank contains a black shark, 5 tiger barbs, 3 adult swortails, 3 zebra loaches and 3 plecs. thankyou in advace.

Answer
Hi Sarah;

Considering the type of fish you have, I would wait until the babies are pretty good size before adding them to the main tank. It also depends on how big your other fish are. If the babies appear to be far too large for the others to get halfway into their mouths, they are probably okay.

When you are ready to add them, float the babies in a bag of some of their own tank water as if you were bringing them home from the fish store. Let them stay that way for about 15 minutes, mixing a little of the new tank's water into the bag a couple of times. Right before releasing them into the tank, feed the other fish some food at the other end of the tank. It will keep them busy while the younger ones get their bearings.

You could also re-arrange the tank decorations a bit to disturb the territories of the older fish. Add more hiding places if needed. It helps the newcomers avoid being harassed as they swim or drift unintentionally into the territories of the established inhabitants. The older fish won't be as comfortable and will be busy trying to figure out where they belong too.

Good luck!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins