Finally it has happened

[Pellegrino]

My cockatoos finally laid eggs yesterday sometime do you guys recommend me getting the mail out of the tank

 

[MickeM]

As long as the female keep her focus more to the eggs/wrigglers/fry than chasing the male around, for his "approval"/support+ guarding their common territory, I would not bother... Males often stays away from the eggs/fry.. they kind of "shows their side/belly" to their female/s when these are in an excited+aggressive mood!!
Probably to show that he surrender to her demands to support her..in the job with their fry..!?!

But the tank-size/area/interiour may sometimes effect the outcome of any relationship disputes..
Keep an eye on the two, so they are working together.. (broken fins is a sign)...otherwise it might be better to separate them ..
I`ve had a few Apisto-couples beating eachother bad, but more often it works OK !!

My experience is this...If you change some water when a couple is guarding fry..you may start trouble/fights!!!
I guess the reason for this is chemical changes/"effects" ..(changing/reducing the Electric Conductivity-EC/kH/ nitrate or TDS..), which will make most males wanting to spawn again.. and females not.. (when already guarding fry!!)
I usually start to change larger amounts of water when/after the fry and parents are separated for good..

BTW .. if you have any dither-fishes in the tank(surface-living species?) .. the male will often focus on chasing them around (doing his natural job!!).. instead of inter-act "too much" with the female/s+ fry!!

 

[Pellegrino]

Now one of the other females in the tank is very bloated and the mail is constantly laying on his side and flashing at her they both keep going in and out of a flower pot so hopefully that will start to have eggs soon also it is very weird because this is the only tank that is having luck and the smallest

 

[Pellegrino]

How long does it usually take for the eggs to hatch and what is the average amount of eggs laid

 

[gerald]

Apisto eggs usually hatch 2 days after laying and fry become free-swimmimg and ready to feed about 4 or 5 days after hatching, so about 6 or 7 days after egg laying. At cooler temperature it may take a day or 2 longer. That is common for other females in a tank to go into breeding mode when they see and smell one of their tankmates breeding.

 

[Mike Wise]

A. cacatuoides can have 25 - 100+ eggs, depending on age, size, and nutrition of the parents.

 

[Pellegrino]

I can count at least 25 little baby fish swimming around all I can see is eyes and like a couple stripes on your body so I guess there is at least that pretty cool seeing how the parents chase away the Guppies if they come even close I've been feeding them baby brine shrimp and crushed flakes that seems to be working