breeding questions

[kris apistogramma]

 

[kris apistogramma]

this boy is defending an area with a female that is guarding eggs my question is will he protect her the whole time or will he just do his business and leave? as he is finding it hard to get rid of the male bn that has now decided to take a liking to the area they are in

 

[regani]

The pair will stay together to defend the eggs and fry.
If you want to successfully breed them, you may want to remove the bristlenose as that one will eat eggs or fry if it can get into the cave

 

[Mike Wise]

I don't think that's quite correct. Males of macmasteri-group species will defend a breeding territory from other cichlid males, but other than that really doesn't take an active role in defending the fry or eggs. This is left to the female. I will agree that if you want to be assured some fry it would be best to remove the pleco.

 

[regani]

Good to know, thanks for the clarification. I was just going by my experience with a single pair. The male occasionally seemed to take over some fry duty, but that could also just have been the fry following him around maybe confusing him with their mother.

 

[gerald]

I had some macmasteri males that helped with "active" fry care too (outside the cave) - especially younger males. As they got bigger & older they seem more interested in showing who's boss, rather than watching the kids.

Good to know, thanks for the clarification. I was just going by my experience with a single pair. The male occasionally seemed to take over some fry duty, but that could also just have been the fry following him around maybe confusing him with their mother.

 

[Mike Wise]

I think it really depends on what other fish are in the aquarium. If it's just a male and female(s) and the male has nothing else to do, he will try his hand at brooding fry (out of boredom?). An aquarium is an artificial environment and can lead to abnormal behavior at times.

 

[gerald]

Yup it was a just a pair in a 10 gal tank, with no other fish.
Maybe the mother told him: either you act like a good parent, or I will make your life miserable.

I think it really depends on what other fish are in the aquarium. If it's just a male and female(s) and the male has nothing else to do, he will try his hand at brooding fry (out of boredom?). An aquarium is an artificial environment and can lead to abnormal behavior at times.

 

[regani]

Same here, single pair in a 2ft tank. With no other fish present he probably ran out of excuses not to help with changing the nappies etc.

 

[kris apistogramma]

this tank has him and 2 females and a pair of keyholes 3 dorsigera (wild caught) a few cherry barbs (dither fish) and ember tetra also a breeding group of juli eye corys male and female bn + babies from them 4 chain loaches 10 rivershrimps (meant to be food but they haven't bothered to eat them lol) a pair of mettalic top minnows and 4 peppered corys its a 250ltr tank so ample room for all of them and apart from the bn none of the others go near the territory they have chosen! since posting this the male ate the fry once free swimming would this have been due to the other tank mate??

 

[Mike Wise]

Probably. There are just too many other fish in the tank for the pair to feel that any fry are safe. You have a community tank, not a breeding tank, so expect this to happen most times.

 

[kris apistogramma]

what would you suggest would be best i was thinking of getting rid of most and just having them my keyhols and bns

 

[Mike Wise]

You want to breed your apistos? Then remove all of the other fish to a community tank and add a couple of pencilfish as dithers. Let's face it, a community tank is not a breeding tank.