My Chromides Had Babys

[kanzaris]

Hi there

Just went to feed my fish and there are about 70 babys in the tank. My chromides laid eggs about three weeks ago but the next day they where all gone so i didn't think much about it, so I had a bit of a suprise this evening. I know I be lucky if a few survive. The parents doing a great job. Has anybody got any tips or do I let nature do its thing ? I know this must be a stupid question but what do these little things eat ?

Any help is welcome.

Thanks

Sabby

 

[nmonks]

Orange chromide fry (like discus fry) feed on mucous produced by the parents. They will also eat infusorians and newly hatched brine shrimp. You could also try Liquifry and/or very finely powdered flake food. By cichlid standards, the fry are very small. Once feeding, they aren't especially difficult to raise though.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[kanzaris]

Orange chromide fry (like discus fry) feed on mucous produced by the parents. They will also eat infusorians and newly hatched brine shrimp. You could also try Liquifry and/or very finely powdered flake food. By cichlid standards, the fry are very small. Once feeding, they aren't especially difficult to raise though.

Cheers,

Neale

Thanks for that

Just al ittle question. I just turned the light of anf the little ones started swimming everywhere. So i turned on the lights agai and the parents scooped the babys up and put them back in the hole the dug. Should I now leave the tank light on all night ? And when can i put these in a different tank without or with parents ?
Dont wanna have them all end up as fish food.

Thanks

Sabby

 

[nmonks]

If at all possible, put the tank somewhere where it receives natural light (but not direct sunlight -- that can overheat a small tank). I find that natural light soothes young fish and edgy parents. The gradual fading in and out of sunlight will settle them into a natural rhythym better that artificial lights on a timer. If you can, remove the hood and use a transparent condensation tray (or any sheet of clear plastic or glass) as a cover. This will let light in, while making sure the fish don't jump out.

Switch the lights off at night... too much light will stress the fish, and stressed fish may eat their babies. (For good reasons -- the parents assume that the environment is too dangerous to raise a brood, so they "recycle" the fry for another batch in a few days time when things have settled down.)

Definitely add some floating plants. Hornwort in particular will do fine in sunlight for a few weeks, if not longer, and it gives the fish shade and a feeling of security. The trick with breeding cichlids is to ensure they feel secure; once that's done, the pair will normally take care of the fry very well.

Assuming the tank is unplanted, then you don't really need lights at all -- fish have (usually) very good night vision and operate perfectly well in conditions that seem rather gloomy to us. Moreover, they use sound and smell and especially "touch at a distance" (via the lateral line) to build up their view of the world around them.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[kanzaris]

If at all possible, put the tank somewhere where it receives natural light (but not direct sunlight -- that can overheat a small tank). I find that natural light soothes young fish and edgy parents. The gradual fading in and out of sunlight will settle them into a natural rhythym better that artificial lights on a timer. If you can, remove the hood and use a transparent condensation tray (or any sheet of clear plastic or glass) as a cover. This will let light in, while making sure the fish don't jump out.

Switch the lights off at night... too much light will stress the fish, and stressed fish may eat their babies. (For good reasons -- the parents assume that the environment is too dangerous to raise a brood, so they "recycle" the fry for another batch in a few days time when things have settled down.)

Definitely add some floating plants. Hornwort in particular will do fine in sunlight for a few weeks, if not longer, and it gives the fish shade and a feeling of security. The trick with breeding cichlids is to ensure they feel secure; once that's done, the pair will normally take care of the fry very well.

Assuming the tank is unplanted, then you don't really need lights at all -- fish have (usually) very good night vision and operate perfectly well in conditions that seem rather gloomy to us. Moreover, they use sound and smell and especially "touch at a distance" (via the lateral line) to build up their view of the world around them.



Thanks again

The babys and parents are in the main tank with the other fish. When can I take the babys out without the parents and put them into a smaller tank ? Or do I have to transfer the parents with the babys ?
Sorry for all the questions I only had brackish for about 6 month and my first fry.

Thanks

Sabby


Sabby
Cheers,

Neale