Fish Birth Control.

I pulled Baby #1 out and put her in a holding cell off the main tank. Since I had all the aquarium decorations out, I pulled the male out and put him in the 5 gallon tank. He is not happy with the smaller size, especially since it's an octagon tank, there's not a long footprint for him to swim. I don't know what else to do, I adore him as a fish, he's so pretty, but if this keeps up it will be just him and one algae eater in a 36 gallon tank. Ridiculous.

Just so you have a picture in your mind of what this looks like... one 36 gallon tank in the corner of my living room with Baby #3 in a holding cell, three non-holding females loose in the tank and one algae eater. On the opposite side of the room, off my kitchen counter, we have three other tanks; a 12 gallon, a 6 gallon and a 5 gallon. In the 12 gallon tank I have just over 100 babies. In the 6 gallon tank I have three floating cells with holding females in them. In the 5 gallon tank, I have now placed the male fish.

My plan is, once the three females spit their fry, I'll put them back in the 36 gallon tank and move the male into the 6 gallon tank -- it has a longer footprint. Then I'll use the 5 gallon tank as a grow out tank for the bigger, more aggressive, fry that are in the 12 gallon tank.

I had a minor emotional breakdown watching my beautiful male adjust to the small 5 gallon tank. It was really hard on me. It was then that I realized that I really had bought the 36 gallon tank for him.

I hope he's gonna be okay.