Laetacara Araguaiae Spawned!

[magpie]

I posted a few months back. I wanted to see if I could get Laetacara and an Apisto living together in a community tank. I was told by a dwarf/apisto authority to try and get a couple male Laetacara and a male Apisto or two to minimize the chance of aggression during breeding. Well, I tried to get two male Laetacara, but they are tough to sex at smaller sizes. Apparently I have a male and female.

I knew something was up - the larger of the two (male) used to chase the other at feeding time constantly. And at times when not feeding. There was no true aggression, but lots of chasing. Within the past week he became more tolerant of her near him. Then I did a water change yesterday, and then last night he started doing little fluttery dances at her, and they were swimming around a lot together. Tonight I came home to eggs on a sword leaf! They have been taking turns guarding them while the other goes out to look for food I'm guessing. (They are pigs.) They have chased the Apisto some, but again just chasing and not harassment or any true aggression at this point. They've chosen the back right corner, where the apisto's spot is a driftwood cave area in the front left corner, so that may be part of it. They also don't seem to be bothered by other fish near them right at the moment.

Obviously my goal was not to spawn these fish. But now that they have, is there any chance I'd be able to successfully raise some fry? Any resources or links for me? Do I pull the eggs, and when? Even if it doesn't work this time, maybe at least I can be prepared for the next time it might happen?

At the very least, it makes me extremely happy that they're that comfortable as they're wild-caught.

I'll come back with a couple photos later.

 

[Biulu]

That is great! I have no experience with these fish, but all the breeders at my club say that laetacara cichlids are great parents. So, I wouldn't do anything for the time being. After that you should be able to feed them with bbs like most fry.

 

[magpie]

Thanks for the info... good to know! I have frozen bbs, does that work? Do I need to remove them at a certain point or should I just leave them and let nature take it's course? I know that a community tank is not an ideal breeder tank.

Here are some photos.

The female

Food, please.

The male, showing off.

I wish I had videoed his little shimmy dance to her.

I dance for you, you dance for me.

Underexposed shot, but I like how their blue iridescence shows up.

Female guarding the eggs. Not a great shot - hard to get good ones through any depth of water. Not sure there is a way to make that any better, either. My best shots are usually those right near the glass where the water distortion is minimal.

 

[DevotedToDiscus]

I don't know, but what I do know, is those are some beautiful fish and lovely pictures! Wow!

 

[Biulu]

I don't know, but what I do know, is those are some beautiful fish and lovely pictures! Wow!

I agree! Beautiful pictures!

 

[thereverendturtle]

The only fish I would be concerned about would be your gobies. Otherwise leave them with the parents, it might take them a few times to get it right but they will make excellent parents. Once you get some fry up to a half inch let me know, I'd love to get some. Can't find a lot off the different dwarves where I live.

 

[magpie]

Ok thanks, I'll cross my fingers. Right now I have a less fully stocked rank due to a recent gill fluke/toxin issue, so now is a better chance for them to survive.

The gobies do love live brine shrimp... But aren't great swimmers.

And thanks for the photo compliments as well.

 

[finsandfeathers]

Amazing photos!!! Got a thing for any of the Lateacara sps (keep 3 of them currently.

You should get some fry that survive, the first time my curviceps spawned they were in with a group of young discus (1" size), they are wonderful
parents. Did a great job along with no dents or dings in the discus fins along the way.

 

[magpie]

The eggs hatched and the fry are so tiny I can barely see them! Both parents still very attentive and chasing everyone else away from their corner, so far no full-on aggression, just chasing. Continuing to cross my fingers that they won't kill anyone and that maybe a some fry will survive...

I will try to get some live BBS if I can... or at least first bites in case they live long enough. I'm hoping they have enough scrounging off the live plants etc. Right now I'm not sure how I could be sure that food could get to them unless I removed them from the tank.

 

[finsandfeathers]

Used First Bites with mine then started adding some soaked decapsulated brine shrimp (I pre-soak them so they go in the water column faster), then when they were big enough that I didn't need a magnifying glass to see started adding some finely ground flake food.

You can always try feeding the tank then using a turkey baster squirt some food down close to where the fry are

 

[Biulu]

I was going to say the same about the soaked decapsulated brineshrimp. Soak them for 24 hrs and give it as a first food. Infusoria are also always good. If you have mosses (java, balls, pellia) or add in water of a few days old from cut flowers that will give you loads of infusoria as well. So do snails....

 

[magpie]

They keep moving their fry - the first time it happened I saw the female in their spot, picking at the ground, with a kuhli loach snuffling around right there and no fry, and thought DARN YOU, (you cute little lovable) KUHLIS! But then later I saw that the male was still breeding-dark and still chasing the apisto, so I looked closer and saw that they dug a little pit and moved the fry to the other side of the tank. Then today, same thing - can't find one of them, searched through the plants, finally found the male guarding another different pit with the fry in it.

Is this typical for Laeatacara or are they doing this because they feel threatened by the others?

I'll go to my wonderful LFS and try to get some decapsulated brine shrimp and maybe figure out how to do live BBS. I have a bunch of moss and plants all over, and snails, though the Laetacara are amazing snail assassins.


P.S. I guess you can't say d.a.m.n. here. it sticks in a little code for you as a replacement, which looks like this: #40##

 

[thereverendturtle]

The moving of fry is very common amongst substrate spawning cichlids, nothing to worry about there. Glad the babies are doing well.

 

[Babillba]

Pretty cool stuff

 

[magpie]

They are just starting to swim around more. They are still moving them regularly. The male has been more of the fry guard than the female, though they will still switch back and forth, more often he is there with them.