Electric blue Acaras. Male protecting the fry?

[Floridapierce78]

Can someone please help.
For about a week everything was fine and the mom and dad shared taking care of the fry...now the name is constantly changing the female away from the fry. What is going on? What do I need to do?

 

[Guyb93]

Can someone please help.
For about a week everything was fine and the mom and dad shared taking care of the fry...now the name is constantly changing the female away from the fry. What is going on? What do I need to do?

It’s normal .. ish , males are very good parents with eba
I’d let the behaviour continue for now once there free swimming is tome to watch if she dose t take up her parental duties at that time there is going to be a fight or a lot of eaten fry
If this is there first batch of eggs I wouldn’t look to far into it as there still figuring things out themselves and it’s very rare you will get a successful brood until a few months

 

[emeraldking]

The male could have become over protective...

 

[connorlindeman]

The male could have become over protective...

Are there negative effects to this?

 

[emeraldking]

Are there negative effects to this?

It could be a temporary thing. But no 100% quarantee...

 

[Floridapierce78]

It’s normal .. ish , males are very good parents with eba
I’d let the behaviour continue for now once there free swimming is tome to watch if she dose t take up her parental duties at that time there is going to be a fight or a lot of eaten fry
If this is there first batch of eggs I wouldn’t look to far into it as there still figuring things out themselves and it’s very rare you will get a successful brood until a few months

This is the 3rd set of eggs. They have free swimming for 4 days and mom and dad were both taking care of them. Then boom. Dad want let mom near them. This is the first free swimming fry I have ever had.. the acaras too.

 

[SomethingsFishy24]

Could be Male being over protective, or, sometimes when conditions are right and they are in breeding fitness Males can be ready to spawn again before females are and if that is the case they can get pretty aggressive with the female. If she is not carrying eggs when he is ready they can chase them off or beat them up pretty good. It seems a touch soon for them to be laying again but a male with good vigor isn't necessarily going to follow the "rule book". If he is getting to the point he is doing physical damage to her or preventing her from eating, I would remove her otherwise he might just stress her to the point of death or beat the daylights out of her.

 

[jaylach]

While I never bred I have had both yellow and blue acara. I remember a blue starting to move substrate around to make depressions. I reached in and the danged thing bit me drawing a drop of blood. Mayhaps it was in breeding mode and trying to make a nest, I don't know. However I DO know that they can be VERY protective of any area they deem as their own. This could also easily relate to spawn.

 

[jams]

EBA my 2nd favorite fish. Kept and assisted them for a few years, raised hundreds. Had two pairs at one point but as mentioned this can happen. Actually had the same scenario, everything fine then the male banished the female to the other side of the tank. He eventually started getting very vicious with her, had to move her to another tank. After approx. 8 weeks I would move the juveniles to other grow out tanks then put the female back in and everything was fine. Within usually a week have a spawn, and repeat. Also, have had the female banish the male so I would rotate removing the male of female once the wigglers were free swimming.

Pics of the pair and a tank full of juveniles.








Good Luck!

 

[Floridapierce78]

The male could have become over protective...

Well, we ended up catching all the fry and putting in a fry basket...quite tasty little morsels...just kidding. The make seemed to have calmed down. The fry are dying off. We are down to about 25 out of 100. But at least the make didn't kill mama

 

[Floridapierce78]

Well I believe it is the breeding thing. Just a few hours after removing the fry. The male was all vibrating in front of female again. Crazy thing is she first layed eggs at only 1 1/2 long. .. I included pic of their tank. In process of getting more plants and I also have some dragon stone to put in.
The filtration is a Marinland 220 canister
A 75 gal sponge filter and a hang on the back rated for a 75 gal and I have activated charcoal and biomedia in it. Any suggestions???

 

[emeraldking]

Sorry to hear that ¾ of the fry have died. Hope the rest will survive...

 

[jaylach]

Acara can be VERY protective even without fry. I remember years ago when I had a blue acara it kept digging depressions in the substrate. I assume that it was attempting to make a nest but don't really know. I reached in to fill a depression and the beast attacked my hand drawing a little blood. It was 4-5 inches in size and a confirmed male. Don't know why it seemed to want to nest as it was the only blue in the tank but then there was also a yellow acara that MAY have been female. Don't really know if they can but see no real reason why not. The blue and yellow MAY have been dating.

 

[Colin_T]

Well I believe it is the breeding thing. Just a few hours after removing the fry. The male was all vibrating in front of female again. Crazy thing is she first layed eggs at only 1 1/2 long. .. I included pic of their tank. In process of getting more plants and I also have some dragon stone to put in.
The filtration is a Marinland 220 canister
A 75 gal sponge filter and a hang on the back rated for a 75 gal and I have activated charcoal and biomedia in it. Any suggestions???

suggestions about what?

 

[Floridapierce78]

suggestions about what?

Do you think I am set up correctly, or is there something I am doing wrong it missing?