Severums had babies

[mnccnm]

My Severums just hatched a bunch of fry. It is my understanding from the previous owner of the parents it is not their first batch. I have turned off the previously bacteria established FX4 filter as to not suck them up, and I have a sponge inlet I will put on the intake. Will the act of doing this stree the parents and maybe cause them to eat the fry? The only filter running in the tank right now is a sponge filter and it is a 150 gallon tank. The sponge filter is only a month old and I don't want to short the tank on bacteria. Also, the parents eat frozen blood worms, what do I need to feed the fry?

 

[itiwhetu]

What other fish are in the tank with them? If they have the eggs at one end of the tank work at the other end. Do these fish normally eat out or your hand?

 

[mnccnm]

They are the only fish in the tank, as I suspected this would happen. Never tried to hand feed them. Unfortunatly the intake for the filter is at the same end of the tank as where the eggs were, (now fry) and it isn't really practical to change that set up.

 

[itiwhetu]

I would grab an internal 1000/hr filter and put it at the other end of the tank. You can get a cheapy like a Hailea. Don't go playing around in front of their faces, it will just annoy them. You have such a light bio load on the tank in the meantime the sponge filter will do.

 

[itiwhetu]

Getting Cichlids to eat out of your hand is always a good idea, so when this sort of thing happens, they know that you are a friend.

 

[mnccnm]

I have several small established HOBs on other tanks, maybe put a sponge cover on the inlet of one of those and transfer it?

 

[itiwhetu]

I have several small established HOBs on other tanks, maybe put a sponge cover on the inlet of one of those and transfer it?

Perfect, great idea. Be careful not to add things like air curtains as the movement will distract the fish. Only work at the opposite end of the tank to where they are.

 

[mnccnm]

When should I start trying to feed them? What should I feed them? I would imagine I need to crush something up? It's a big tank, how do I get the food to them efficiently?

 

[itiwhetu]

Check out my thread below and ask questions if you don't get how to do it. Do not start feeding until the fry are completely free swimming. I feed nothing else than this and flake food later on.

First food

This most probably has been done before but here goes again. The best possible first food for egg layers especially gouramis and tetras etc is boiled egg yolk. First hard boil an egg, take only the yolk, put into a piece of cotton cloth like a handkerchief . Push it through into the tank. You...

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[mnccnm]

It is a 3 foot tall 150 gallon tank. For this to work I would need to move them to something else. Should I move them, if so, when?

 

[itiwhetu]

It is a 3 foot tall 150 gallon tank. For this to work I would need to move them to something else. Should I move them, if so, when?

The beauty of this method is that when the cloud disperses through the tank those particles of egg will go everywhere and the fry will pick them up. I would usually feed directly above where the fry are, you will see the cloud slowly sink then disperse. Remember you are only going to need to squeeze a tiny bit in at a time, an egg will usually last over a week, and infact I very really use it all up if I am just feeding one spawn. Think about small quantities often.

 

[mnccnm]

So, day 2. The parent don't seem to have any interest ineating any of the fry, in fact I have watched them go get some of them in their mouth when they wander to far, and bring them back to the group and spit them out. At what point do the fry just become smaller fish (i.e. food for bigger fish) and stop being their babies? Should I be planning on moving them? If so, when? I have a netted breeder insert container, but at this point the fry are still to small and would be able to swim through the netting. I have to think keeping them in the same water, same tank as long as possible is preferable to taking them out and putting them in another tank, is that correct?

 

[itiwhetu]

I don't like breeder boxes. So if you are going to move them you really need another tank. It all depends on if you want to raise them to sell your just get a few more so you have a family. If you want a family just leave them where they are and some will survive.

 

[mnccnm]

When should they be moved? Why don't you like the breeders?

 

[Colin_T]

You can move the babies out when the parents no longer show any brood care for them. Basically the babies will get bigger and start to swim off on their own. When the parents no longer call them back or go and get the babies, they are usually big enough to separate. They should be an inch or so long by that stage.