Hello everyone, Graham here. I was wondering if any of you could help. My malawi cichlids have just had some babies (fry) and I think they have inter-bred. What will happen to the fry if this had happened?. Also, the fry seem to be surviving swimming among the adults, are they likley to live?.
hi there
the fry will be healthy and normal, just not the correct colouration genetic make up of either adult species, a mix of both.
Depending upon the species that have interbred, they may resemble something like one or not, who knows...
regarding what will happen to them, you say they are swimmimng with the adults?? what size are the fry (how old) and how big and what type are the adults??
if they are newborn, they are highly unlikely to survive, even adult veggie mbuna with snack on a juve so unless there is like masses of rockwork, including a section which oonly the fry can get too, i would imagine only a handful if that would reach a non-fry juve size..
as to what you do with htem, thats ultimately your choice.
Lots of fish keepers have different views on this, however it must be stressed that as a responsible fish keeper it would be your 'duty' to not sell or pass these hybrid fish on, keep them by all means, but it would be wrong to add to the 'hybrid' 'assorted malawis' pond that is already out there
Hope this helps
Dru.
