Breeding question

[Gingercat]

I have a pair of A. hongsloi in planted 15 gal tank, with a couple of Amano shrimp, three juvie cardinal tetras, and three otos. The Apistos have bred for the first time, and about three weeks ago the female emerged from her flower pot with about a dozen fry. As my spare hospital/quarantine tank was in use, I just left them alone in the tank, fed them Liqui-Fresh fry food. The female kept all the other fish and the shrimps to about one-quarter of the tank, while she paraded farther and farther from the flower pot with the fry. But she finally abandoned them four days ago and moved back inside her flower pot, where she was joined by the male for several hours. I saw a few of the fry the following day, but now there is no sign of them at all. Has either one or both of the parents killed them off? (They would have been too big a mouthful for the tetras, I think.)

When they breed again, at what point should I move the fry or the mother and the fry to a separate tank? Is there any chance fry can survive if left in a tank this size with the parents?

 

[aspen]

you have a good set-up, even though it is a little small. there is enough pressure to make the parents protective, yet there aren't any fish there enough of a match to get any fry. but once the parents want to spawn again, the last batch are predators. you need to guage the timimg better. you'll know next time. when the fry reach their independant stage, pull them.

i set my new male and existing female hongsloi up in a 29 gal with 3 adult glowlight tetras.

rick

 

[Gingercat]

Thanks, Aspen. With luck, my 10 tank will be available next time they breed. Or maybe I'm going to have to set up yet another tank, just to grow out the fry. MTS. Sigh. See you on PNAquaria.

 

[Gingercat]

I just noticed a couple of fry! So, at least two have survived. I netted them and moved them into a ten gallon, bare bottom tank, where they look like flecks of dirt. There's a half-coconut shell in there and a plastic plant. I put a sponge around the intake and moved a couple of floating plants over from another tank. I have this Liqui-Fresh stuff to feed them.

I'm nervous newbie though! Is there anything else I need to attend to?

 

[aspen]

it's only 2 fish. their chances are pretty slim. but using bbs would help a great deal. that liqui-fry stuff is dirty stuff. the parents would really love bbs too. don't use much food at all for the first little bit. i can't see much without a magnifying glass with fish that small.


rick