Huzzah!

[Spank]

My female apistogramma hongsloi has laid eggs!! she's quietly sitting in her cave waiting for them to hatch and the male's taking on anything that even attempts to get close!! I am worried about my yoyo loaches though, they've taken a very keen interest in that corner of the tank
when the lights are on the male's doing a sterling job of keeping them both at bay and they're about twice his size, I'm so proud of him but I'm worried about the night time when the loaches come out to play properly

I think I'll need to move them all eventiually so the fry will not be eaten but should I move them before or after they've hatched? obviously if I wait for the fry to hatch then I run the risk of the eggs being plundered. I think if they survive tonight then they'll be ok for another few days, at which point I can transfer them to a breeding tank.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a tank for raising apisto fry in, what kind of size do I need and will it have to be a proper tank with substrate and hiding places or will a bare tank, heater, light and filter do?


edit... arrrrfgfg caught the little F***ers re handed stealing from the honey pot. Had a look and they're only a few eggs left and the female now looks disinterested I hoping that she'll go back to looking after the remaining eggs when I go back to look in the morning.
and I've decided that my yoyo's are OUT, bollocks to revising for my exams tomorrow, I'm gonna get those pesky loaches out of my tank grrrrrr

 

[Waterbox]

Did they eat them in the night? If you are worried about fish eating eggs in the night you should leave a light on near the tank if you can, or you can even leave the tank light on all night.

 

[Spank]

Did they eat them in the night? If you are worried about fish eating eggs in the night you should leave a light on near the tank if you can, or you can even leave the tank light on all night.

that's what I did, left the lights turned on, on the side of the tank that the Apisto's had their eggs in. They were doing fine all day and then I went to check on them around midnight to find my yoyo loach gourging himself

 

[darkwolf29a]

Sorry to hear about it.

I'd be bouncing off the walls over that myself.

 

[angelmouse]

sorry about the eggs, hope some make it, my bristlenoses done the same with my eggs they would sneak round back and snack on them at night. defo remove the loaches for success
good luck Angel

 

[Spank]

I doubt any eggs have survived but I'll have another look tomorrow
It was the first time I've seen active breeding going on in my tank and I'd always suspected it was the loaches causing trouble but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt so never made a proper effort at removing them (plus my mum seems to like them) but now I KNOW that they're evil little buggers I'm gonna make every effort at removing them even if my mother doesn't approve!!

 

[Waterbox]

Stick it to the MAN buddy!! I mean your mom.......