Cacatuoides spawning, what about the danio?

[R-S]

I am thrilled that my cacatuoides are spawning, but getting "new fish-parent" jitters. So here's my paranoia: my dithers are Black Neons and one obnoxious Zebra Danio (a feeder that survived to adulthood, so you know he's fast!). The Danio routinely herds the neons into the corners, zips in and snags food from everyone--acts like a danio in otherwords--and basically ignores the cacatuoides and vice versa. Will the cacatuoides be agressive and fast enough parents to protect the fry from the speeding demon danio, or do I need to get him out ASAP before the eggs hatch? I hate to create the stress that netting him out will cause the new parents, but would rather that than risk the whole clutch to his predation.

 

[Randall]

New Fish Parent Jitters

Dear R-S,

Congratulations on your cacatuoides clutch! Depending on the size of your tank, it would probably be a good idea to remove your Zebra danio, the sooner the better. Depending on temperature, cacatuoides eggs usually hatch between 48 and 72 hours after they are laid. The mother then tends to the developing larvae while the father defends the territory. After another three to five days or so, the fry then become free swimming. Prior to that time, you might consider removing the tetras as well. From my experience it's better to act sooner than later. After the fry become free swimming, they can easily be picked off one by one by fast swimming dithers.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[Neil]

R-S,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

I agree with Randall. Now all you have to do is figure out how to catch them. Tetras are tough, danios are unbelievable to catch.
Neil

 

[R-S]

I like to use the inverted-plastic-bottle-top-trap method usually. It is the easiest way to catch kuhli loaches in a planted tank. But it didn't work this time since the male cac. is a glutton--he kept going in, and letting him out spooked the danio and tetras so they went into deep hiding in the plants :roll:

But I did catch the danio early in the morning at the usual feeding time--left the light off and got lucky this time!

The neons, though, are another matter. Without the danio to be dither to THEM, they are hiding tight. :?

This is the first spawn from these two, so I may not see fry from them anyway. I'll be interested to see if any fry survive...I've resisted the temptation to tweak the pH and softness of my city water--7.8 pH and 2 gh/kh--because these two were raised in this water and I'm hoping not to have to play chemist to get successful spawns. IF any fry make it in this water, I'm expecting to see mostly males (based on other conversations I've seen about sex and pH). Would you agree?

 

[Randall]

Water Chemistry

Dear R-S,

Unlike some other Apisto species, cacatuoides do very well in tap water. In the wild they are endemic to only moderately soft water, which you have, with a slightly alkaline reaction, so don't worry.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn