Gbr Spawning #3 - I Finally Have Wigglers

[FawnN]

My GBRs spawned for the 3rd time for me on Wednesday night and tonight I finally have wigglers.  I came home from work today and watched Dad for 30 minutes move the group from the piece of slate to the driftwood.  Only down side... he moved them to the nook of the driftwood and it's at a very weird angle for me to view.  I can't peep at them all night long now.  

 
What I've learned from the first 2 spawns. The little nook on the driftwood made the female pile the eggs on top of each other and the male only fertilizing the top row of eggs, which in turn killed off the bottom eggs.  I'm thinking that's why the female ended up eating them all.  
 
IMO, the piece of slate is definitely a must for a successful outcome.  She was able to spread out her eggs.  Super excited that I finally have some baby GBR, but kinda scared now since the female seems to want to spawn every 13-14 days.  

  Hopefully, she will slow down.  Spawning twice a month is a lot.  lol
 
Below is a picture from the morning before I left for work.  You can see the specks of black in the eggs.  
 

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

Congrats! Good luck with the new babies!

 

[nic1]

aw, update us along the way with pictures! baby fish are cute!

 

[bigcheed]

are your gbr in a community tank? mine have spawned twice but left thier eggs to be eaten by the snails in my tank.

 

[LyraGuppi]

Dawww, so cute!

 

[FawnN]

I caught mommy eating the little ones this morning so I had to move her out of the breeding tank with the wigglers.  Someone help me understand why she keeps on eating them???
 
Dad on the other hand is busy trying to keep all the wigglers on one tiny section of the driftwood, with very little success.  They are all attempting to swim around now.  It is so cute!  Dad is constantly chasing after them, sucking them up and spitting them back out on the driftwood.  When he does this it blows all the others up and then they try to swim away.  Daddy will need a nap soon!!  

are your gbr in a community tank? mine have spawned twice but left thier eggs to be eaten by the snails in my tank.

 
Hey Chris.. they are in a 10g breeding tank by themselves. 

 

[Goggy]

Fish parents are riots...

 

[FawnN]

Daddy is still not allowing the wigglers to explore.  I have more today wanting to swim, but Dad is still trying to keep them on the driftwood.  Back and forth he goes, all day long!!  

 

[FawnN]

Here is quick video of my wigglers... Dad finally gave up on keeping them on the driftwood.  Now they are all on the bottom of the tank. 
 
http/youtu.be/-AO5r8vPWvs

 

[fluttermoth]

I caught mommy eating the little ones this morning so I had to move her out of the breeding tank with the wigglers.  Someone help me understand why she keeps on eating them???

The most likely reason is that she was hatched and raised artificially. There's some evidence (I can't remember where I read it now though, sorry!) that fish need to be parented to know how to do it themselves. Sometimes the natural instincts eventually kick in and the fish mange to raise their own broods, but it doesn't happen wit all fish some just never seem to get it right.

It's the main reason why I'm always telling people to leave the eggs and fry with their parents (only those fish that do care for them, of course; not most egg scatterers, like tetras and danios, that don't do any parental care). Unless it's a very rare species, the more people take broods and artificially raise them, the more fish who can't do it get into the hobby. A lot of angels nowadays, for example, are very bad parents.

It would be such a shame to lose these behaviours, as watching a cichlid caring for their fry is one of the highlights of fishkeeping, IMHO.

Dad looks like he's doing a great job so far though, so that's brilliant

Good luck with the fry; have you got food for them for later? I'd get some brine shrimp on the go, if I were you

I love rams, they're my favourite fish, but I can't seem to get decent stock anywhere near me

Yours look superb.

 

[FawnN]

 

I caught mommy eating the little ones this morning so I had to move her out of the breeding tank with the wigglers.  Someone help me understand why she keeps on eating them???

The most likely reason is that she was hatched and raised artificially. There's some evidence (I can't remember where I read it now though, sorry!) that fish need to be parented to know how to do it themselves. Sometimes the natural instincts eventually kick in and the fish mange to raise their own broods, but it doesn't happen wit all fish some just never seem to get it right.

It's the main reason why I'm always telling people to leave the eggs and fry with their parents (only those fish that do care for them, of course; not most egg scatterers, like tetras and danios, that don't do any parental care). Unless it's a very rare species, the more people take broods and artificially raise them, the more fish who can't do it get into the hobby. A lot of angels nowadays, for example, are very bad parents.

It would be such a shame to lose these behaviours, as watching a cichlid caring for their fry is one of the highlights of fishkeeping, IMHO.

Dad looks like he's doing a great job so far though, so that's brilliant

Good luck with the fry; have you got food for them for later? I'd get some brine shrimp on the go, if I were you

I love rams, they're my favourite fish, but I can't seem to get decent stock anywhere near me

Yours look superb.
 

 
Thank you so much for the information.  That all makes sense!  I bought this pair from a local breeder that promotes all natural family owned, bred at home.  Dad is awesome and really great at keeping them close to him.  So disappointed with mom.  My Kribensis on the other hand, both are proving to be great parents even though they are young  Both are working together and protecting them.  Night and day!!  

 

[LyraGuppi]

Ciirrrrcle of Liiiiife!