Nannacara Anomala Spawning!

[Asp]

A few months ago the guys on here helped me identify a fish I had acquired as a 'last in tank' special from my LFS as a male goldeneye dwarf cichlid, Nannacara anomala.

After a few weeks searching I tracked down a shop that had some in stock and made the journey to pick him up a mate. Small problem - they had a big tank full of fish that could only be a few weeks old, far too small to accurately sex. I bought one that looked like it might be a female with a promise I could take it back and change it if it turned male on me and have been rearing it carefully ever since.

I was getting a bit worried that it was looking a bit too male (it seemed to be developing red fins and getting a bit shiny around the gills), but it had grown a lot so I thought I'd stick it in the breeding tank on the offchance about a week ago.

Long story short - this morning I found it in finest yellow and black chequerboard breeding colours guarding quite a sizeable clutch of eggs! Just goes to show how much I know about these things!

So...


What the hell do I do now?!?! I've never actually managed to breed fish before (other than guppies, which hardly count) and I'm a bit lost.


Excited, but lost.

Also, at what point will I be able to know whether or not they are fertile? I'm not too bothered either way - at least this confirms I have a female and hopefully will get fertilised eggs at some point!

Photos to follow once I've finished an essay about the French courtly bagpipes in the 17th century. I kid you not.

 

[Asp]

Here we go then - suffice to say they've both been being really shy and difficult to photograph


The female guarding her eggs;

The best one I could get of the female in her breeding colours;

one of the eggs themselves (she's layed them right in the corner of the tank, just where its a pain to photograph - but you get the idea! );

And a nice one of the male - he's been hiding on the oposite side of the tank for most of the day, but I enticed him out with some nice bloodworm.;

 

[Asp]

So maybe a third of the eggs have turned a sort of milky white colour, but the others seem fine.

most places I've found info recon that they should be beginning to hatch soon. Anyone got any first hand experience?

 

[necava01]

So maybe a third of the eggs have turned a sort of milky white colour, but the others seem fine.

most places I've found info recon that they should be beginning to hatch soon. Anyone got any first hand experience?

not yet, my breeding pair is just starting to act like one! lol