Golden Panchax

[spike123]

first off i have never seen mating behaviour in the tank that i have reconised anyway but my male has began to slightly annoy the two females on a regular basis (for the past two weeks) chasing them around the tank and bumping into them forcing them all over the place.
is this breeding behaviour??
either way yesterday i saw abit of a commotion in the tank and went to investigate.when i got there i saw two fry.was surprised and over the moon.well i went on a egg hunt and found about ten fertile eggs scattered about the substrate.
the help i need is advice on raising them.i cant afford to get a micro worm or any live food culture for that matter and at the mo are being fed on liquid fry no1 (for egg layers)
have separated the eggs and the fry now.
all help/advice very welcome.
regards spike

 

[Biulu]

You can give them some really fine egg yolk (boiled). The only disadvantage is that this really messes up your tank. Then I think the cheapest option for the moment is to provide infusoria through moss, marimo balls or salvinia natans as a floating plant.

After that -it is not ideal- but panchax do take it, you can raise them on finely crushed flake. If you have the possibility to buy some artemia cysts and hatch them yourself (not difficult, look in the forum here), then the fry would be really grateful to you, and I think it is around the same price as liquidfry.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

I have manged to raise one of the three known fry I had by starting them on Tetramin baby, in a breeder net covered by flaoting plant from "Voo," but now that it has grown to ~1.5cm I have been able to feed it ground Tetra Prima and a tiny amount of any defrosted live food I offer my other fish.

As much as I saw my male herding females, it was such a shock to find tiny fry amoungst the floating plants some two weeks or so after the parents had been evacuated from the Lionhead cichlid breeding ground. Guess the fry must have been hiding for some time and scavenging small bits of food I was offering the "vulture" Lionhead fry!

 

[BigC]

There will be no problems feeding young Aplochelius lineatus on liquid foods and then on to crushed flakes. Fry are large and robust and are very easy to care for, just keep the tank clean with small waterchanges and you'll be fine.
Regards
C

 

[spike123]

with the liquid food it makes the water very cloudy i found or does that mean too much?have done a water change and plan on one every day.i have never been able to raise fry of other sp. so am very worried.although i have only ever tried annual so might have slightly better luck this time.am also going to introduce java moss in a moment.also i have no spare filter for the little tub they are in is this a major problem at this point?if so im sure i can try and find something to cover the openings in the breeding trap which are too big.
a great help all thank you
regards spike

 

[Biulu]

Does the water stay cloudy a long time after applying it? I have never used liquidfry, but if your water stays cloudy, you should be doing water changes to clear it up. With the java moss in it, you can dose less.

 

[spike123]

thanks biulu
its not cloudy as such the daily water changes seem to be sorting that it just clouds up with bits of the liquid fry.one drop seems a hell of alot for 2fry but have no way i can think of that will lower the dose.
java moss is now in there and i can see alot of cyclops(i think im almost certain) they should also feed off of them shouldnt they?if so its good as i have been collecting them from another of my many tanks to try and breed.
i no they say if its the size of their eye then its ok but cant see the size of their eyes yet haha.
many thanks
spike

 

[spike123]

just dug out another 10 odd eggs and still around 30 in there spread all over the place.
male has the right horn on because he is still hurding her and trying it on havent seen the female deposit any more eggs yet and dont look asthough she wants to at the moment pmls (killi rape)
keep you updated.the fry are still alive at the min aswell so hopefully carries on that way.
regards
spike

stopping liquid fry as of your post below. the first ten not sure if they will hatch as they startin to look slightly mucusy on the out side but keeping an eye anyway

 

[Biulu]

If you still have only 2 fry (what is happening to the other eggs you found?) the java moss should be enough to cover their need for the moment. I wouldn't bother with the liquidfry then.

 

[spike123]

not sure about the other eggs i would love to swap some for some non anual kill eggs of a different sp. so if you have any or anyone who would want to swap im all for that.the non fertilised eggs and many fertilised are remaining in the tank untill tomoz when im going to go through it thorougly.hopefully the non fertilised will become fertilised.i just cant wait to see what happens with the fry hopefully i can raise them.
spike

 

[Biulu]

I am in Mexico, so it is a bit difficult. I suggest you contact Sam ([email protected]) or BigC for other annual species. Sam is based in Germany and a great breeder. He has the most beautiful A. australe gold I have ever seen!

 

[spike123]

might have to contact him.always wanted australe.lol thanks for the help.
2fry still alive.
spike