cacatuoides finally breed

[ryuk]

i my cac's finally bred, but the babies have disappeared. I saw the babies in the cave and then later in day they were all gone. Would the parents eat their first spawn? How long should it take before they will spawn again?

 

[Mike Wise]

It is possible that one of the parents ate the fry. It is not uncommon the first few times. It is also possible that other fish (if any) in the tank ate them. The parents will breed again within 2 week if properly fed and maintained.

 

[ryuk]

Thx mike. They are in the tank with 5 peppermint bns and a few shrimp. I've been away on holidays for 3 weeks so I've been doing lots of water changes every 2 days. Should I leave the babies inwith them next time or remove them?

 

[Mike Wise]

Excuse my ignorance. What is a 'peppermint bns'?

 

[wethumbs]

Mike you need to get out more...is the peppermint brittlenose pleco.

 

[Melanochromis]

Mike you need to get out more...is the peppermint brittlenose pleco.

Maybe this is why your caca babies disappeared.

 

[wethumbs]

Yup, my Dicrossus maculatus female would attack the brittlenoses when guarding fry but tolerate otocinclus cocama around them. I actually saw one of the brittlenoses sucked down 1 of the fry before the maculatus female went 'apeshit' at it.

 

[Mike Wise]

I have to agree with the others. If you want apisto fry, remove the pleco.

 

[Apistomaster]

I would not use any Bushy Nose more than 3/4 inch long but I often have some baby common normal or albino BN Plecos around and I frequently include a small one in a breeding tank but once they grow to more than about 3/4 inch they may eat eggs before they hatch but they are unlikely to eat the hatched larvae.
The Peppermint BN is common in Australia but less so in the USA. Several species are called Peppermint and most can ultimately grow to a little larger than a common Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus. Most in the USA are wild caught or F1's. We seem to use the common name "Star Light Bushy Nose for Ancistrus dolichopterus(L183) in the USA but also for L182 and L184.
All of these "Star Light Ancistrus species are black water plecos so they do best in very soft acid water and are more delicate and demanding than the common BN.