Fry eaten?

[DannyG]

I have a pair of cacatuoides that have bred a bunch of times. Since the tank they were in (heavily planted 20L) also has(had) some Emperor Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras, 2 SAE's, and 3 C.sterbai, the babies were eaten I assumed. So I put in a tank divider, giving the apisto pair half the tank. Finally after months (in the past it seemed they were spawning constantly) they spawned again last week. The fry were free swimming and we saw them for about 5 days (my seven year old is a great spotter, son not apisto). Then no more.:frown: Are the parents eating the fry? Seems like I should remove them (the fry, that is).

Also are slight (i.e., 10 -20%) water changes a no-no while the fry are in there? I was not feeding the fry other than frozen baby brine shrimp this time, though I'm sure there is a lot of infusoria in the tank. In the past I hatched bbs.

 

[Mike Wise]

Usually apistos don't eat their own fry after they become freeswimming for a few day. My guess is that your fry needed more food and slowly starved. I suggest that next time they successfully produce fry that you feed the entire tank on live BBS 2 or 3 times daily & do 2 (or more) 10 - 15% water changes each week. If you still lose your fry, then suspect the adults of eating the fry (usually the male). Actually, I would remove the male once the female has eggs.

 

[DannyG]

Thanks, Mike. I think indeed I must have been under feeding.

I suppose I can just move the male to the other side of the tank divider. Can't really see the eggs as the spawning cave is partly hidden, but the female usually tips off when things are moving, as it were.

 

[RHS788]

I use two small clay pot bases, drill a hole through one (soak it first so it won't crack). Then I make the cave in that manner. I make the hole close to the bottom of the base, thus when the female lays eggs on the ceiling of the cave, I can take a flashlight and get a glimpse of them. After a few days, the females seem to move the eggs to the floor of the cave. That is when I usually move them, cave and all to another tank. In your case that would be the time to move the male.

Good luck,

Randy