Cichlid Babies!

[The-Raven]

During a routine cleaning/rearranging of my 55g tank, I saw what I thought was just fish poop underneath a rock when I picked it up. I jokingly said to myself 'I wonder if those were babies, oh well, lol'... So I was just moving the rocks around in the tank, when I swear one of the poops swam away from me very quickly... I probably made the most 'wtf' face possible, got back down and looked at it... and yes... there were about 5 babies.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to grab my net in time (I wasn't planning on having to do any rescuing so it wasn't at hand) and I was able to save 3 of them, and witnessed one get eaten. The others may still be in the tank, but I can't see them...

I put them in a spare fishbowl I had from my old old tropical days that I used for when I cleaned the tank and needed to remove the fish...

These are mbunas - but because of the diversity of my tank, I couldn't tell you which species... I hadn't planned on ever being a breeder, but I couldn't stand by and watch them get eaten. I'm amazed they've lasted this long.


I've never done this before, I know I can't keep them in the bowl because I don't have proper filtration, heating, aeration, etc.... but I can't put them back with the adults... I was thinking of getting one of those breeding nets that keeps them in the same tank but seperated, and I can do that 15 minutes from the moment someone tells me to...

What else do I need to do???

 

[trace1]

wow they are so cute if you want 3 save them then yeah get a breeding net. i know i wud have

 

[The-Raven]

Well, from 3 we're down to 1...

While I was saving them from the onslaught of the surrounding fish population in the 55g, one of them jumped out of my net while putting it in the bowl. He survived and looked fine... but it appears that the stress finally got to him and he bit the dust.

The second one died while in the breeding net. You're probably wondering 'what?! he JUST got the net!' Yes, that's true.... But he lodged himself between the plastic pole and the net itself but was alive... while I was trying to free him, he simply stopped breathing. Died from shock no doubt. But then again, that was the one who wasn't the smartest while in the net....

The one survivor is by far the smartest, he's hiding in one of the plastic plants and has been since I put him in there - the one that just died was the one that was swimming around while all the adults kept biting at the net trying to get it....

Darwin at work I suppose. Just hope this last one makes it... Kinda curious as to which adults have been getting jiggy with it...

I have my guesses, since there's been one fish that's been acting rather anti-social the last month or so... But I guess only time will tell.