fry free swimming - ok to remove parents?

[mrlimpet]

as you may (or may not) know, i've got bolivian ram fry in a 12G tank with their parents.

the fry have been free swimming for 2 days now. they've been eating filter gunk, bbs, and crushed powdered flake food.

i'd like to move the parents to another tank to lower the bioload in the fry tank and also to prevent the parents from eating the fry, however remote that possibility is.

as far as i can tell, the parents don't feed the fry and there is no need to protect the fry as there are no predators in the tank. since the fry are free swimming now, is there any reason i shouldn't remove the parents?

fish fry don't need to bond with their parents like mammals do they? :redface:

 

[tjd]

Congratulations on the fry.

I have both left the parents with the fry for several weeks (if not more) and have also removed the parents. However, there are two reasons I often prefer to leave the parent(s) with the fry:

1) If the parents are still protecting and leading the fry it can make feedings much easier as the fry are in a tighter group to direct the food. Once the parents are removed the fry will typically scatter throughout the tank.

2) It is believed that some of the parenting skills with cichlids are learned and not instinctual. While Bolivian rams are not notorious like Blue Rams and Angels for their poor parenting skills, this may still be a consideration.

Tom

 

[farm41]

I like to leave them together for as long as possible, at least 3 weeks though.

 

[mrlimpet]

thx for your replys.

you make some good points i hadn't considered tom.

parents are still protecting and herding the fry.
i will leave them in at least another week.

thx again.

 

[cdawson]

I like to leave them together for as long as possible, at least 3 weeks though.

Three weeks would be too long wouldn't it? I find my pairs spawn at least once every week and a half to two weeks.

 

[farm41]

I have had Inca50 with two spawns in the same tank. Some fish are very good parents, if they are still protecting fry, i'd leave them together. When they begin chasing them away, time to move one or the other.