Need guidance

[colen]

Alright,

Hope someone can give me a little advice on what to do. I’ll start off by saying that this is my first cichlid tank, it is a 45 gallon tank that has had cichlids in it for about 4-5months now (the tank has been setup for 10 years).

Everything is going perfect. The tank is currently stocked with the following:

One Pseudotropheus estherae(red zebra)
Two Pseudotropheus socolofi (powder blue)
Four Unknown Yellow Cichlids (I posted in the ID section and was told by several that they were a yellow lab / red zebra cross)

Anyhow, my question is about one of the unknown cichlids. Today I came home from work and sat in front of my tank to watch the fish feed. I noticed one of the unknown cichlids did not eat, would just swim by the food, or go to it and just sort of bump into the pellets. After inspecting the fish I noticed its mouth is a little different then the other 2 of the same species. From the reading I have done it is more then likely holding eggs correct?

I would like these possible fry to survive, so what are my best options? If she is left in the tank with the other fish will the fry even have a chance to survive? Will moving her cause her to abort? Not sure what to do. And please anyone who does post I am aware that most are not a fan of hybrids – I will not ever distribute these fish.

Thanks for reading!

 

[freddyk]

Depending on how heavily the tank is decorated there is a chance some of the fry will survive. IMO there is something special in witnessing a couple of fry beat the odds and flourish in a community.

Since you have decided to persue this responsibly, you need to consider what you would do with a full brood of fish if you seperated them- it is not difficult to achieve a full survival rate when raising them in their own tank. Are you going to purchase a new tank for all the new fish? Do you have the stomach to cull them? My opinion is to leave her be and see how many survive. If they bred once, they will again soon, so you will get the opportunity to try other methods in the future, should you choose to.

Moving her usually doesn't cause them to abort, but you never really know.

 

[colen]

Thank you for the reply freddyk.

I do have a couple of spare tanks around along with some equipment so I could setup a fry tank.

There are a couple of reasons why I am excited. This is my first cichlid tank, and my first possible batch of fry. So I would love to try and raise the fry if I could. I have a feeling that the other fish will eat any fry that are born in the tank. This is my plan as of right now. From the reading I have done it takes nearly a month for the fry to hatch? I was thinking of setting up a 10 or 20 gallon and moving the fish into the tank after 2-3 weeks? Actually, would it be wise to move her asap or closer to the date I think the eggs will hatch?

 

[Fry Lady]

Could be about 2 weeks before she spits. As for raising fry along with adults, I have close to 20 cruising all around in my 55. I let nature take it's course and survival of the fittest. The oldest batch of out of 4 of them are over an inch in size the other 2 are smaller. The 2nd batch, they are all free swimming and batch 3 were spit about 2.5 weeks ago.

Even though mine are unfortunately 'hybrids' everyone is doing fine. I still need to remove my female so she wan't breed again. It was my first time with success with fry, years ago I've had Angels and Keyholes spawn with no luck the parent always ended up eating them.

FreddyK is right, they will breed over and over again unless you remove one or the other.

Goodluck! It's fun watching them grow and thrive.

P.S. Water changes also assist in growth, their cells reproduce faster.

 

[colen]

Hmm. Not to sure what to do then. Sounds like leaving them in there will be the best bet maybe, as even if only a few survive I'll likely have more and more fry. And since these fish are hybrids, and from what I have read/been told I will not be releasing them in anyway or form back into the hobby... so sounds like I'll maybe one day have to do the same and remove my female? or males I supose.

The fish I am talking about is the one in my sig. I think they are absolutely beatiful fish and would be thrilled to have a tank full of them. They are peaceful for the most part and have a wonderful personality.

 

[Fry Lady]

I hear ya on the beauty of them regardless of what they are. As you've probably read my other thread about my crossed Mylandia. If you have alot of hiding places or a heavily planted tank they are smart they will survive. They are funny at even under a 1/4 inch I watch mine go in and out of the rocks in the smallest places the big fish can't get to. As soon as they see someone coming they scoot back under. It's fun, my tank is now starting to look like a New York sidewalk during feedings.

It happens and that's nature. Some people view it as irresponsible well if that's the worst thing in the world I reproduce in this lifetime............eh so be it.

Makes me think of all the so called pure bred dogs being raised in puppy mills.

 

[colen]

I'll have to make some small hiding spots all over my tank this weekend so that when I do have fry they'll hopefully survive. I did read your last post about your cichlids. Do you still have them? How did you make out with that?

When I purchashed these fish they were sold to be as eletric yellows. They look very similar but lacking the black. After posting pictures on several forums I soon find out that they are hybrids and a lot of people HATE them. I hate even posting questions about it as you already know people tend to get very worked up about it. I like the look of these fish can't wait to have a tank stocked right full of them!.

Anyways... I am running a couple of Aqua Clear 110's (aka 500's). I am worried that the fry will get sucked up into the filters as they are quite powerful. I have never seen newly born cichlid fry so Im not sure even what to expect... any ideas?

 

[Fry Lady]

Thanks for asking about my babies, all are doing great eating and growing like weeds.........they are cute it's nice to see a bunch of them all sorta play with each other.

As for the filters, they aren't tiny like baby mollies or guppies. They are small, I should say mine were under a 1/4 inch but they find hiding spots really really fast and stay there. They are smarter than you think. To get sucked up in a filter wouldn't kill them, they would be something you'd fish out eventually LOL.

I like your fish, I have nothing against hybrids if they are attractive. I don't see hybrids ruining a thing...........the wild specimens don't have it as good as our pet fish do so hey that's life.

Like I said, it happened here, that's life can't change what's already done. And if this is the worst thing in life I can do with a living thing..........I just think to myself of all of the horrible poorly bred dogs in puppy mills and say to myself.....they are just fish and other people do alot worse things to other living species.