I GOT CAUGHT OUT!!!!!! :-)

[LuckyPaul]

Hi, I haven't introduced myself on the introduction thread, but I thought this was a little bit more important.

Dilemma :- 1 week ago I bought a pair of apistogramma agassizi double red (please look at my avatar and confirm it for me, picture does not show the red well). As per my normal regime I have placed them in a 24lt quarantine tank but have just noticed about 60 to 70 eggs hidden away.

There are 2 x dwarf rainbow's/2 x Otocinclus/5 x ramshorns in the same tank (2 weeks until quarantine is over) do they need to be removed?
Does the male need to be removed?
Should I remove the egg's and put them in a tumbler?
Should I move the bog wood to another (empty) tank?

I've never had apisto's before, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Especially what happens and when. I've got 4 tanks cycled and Infusoria/MicroWorm and whiteWorms ready!

Thanks in advance

 

[gerald]

As long as mom and dad are still getting along reasonably well you can leave them together. Snails and Oto's shouldn't be much threat, but leave a small nightlight on near the tank so mom can guard the eggs/fry better. Dwarf rainbows will be OK for now, but a threat once the fry start swimming in about a week. At that time, remove the rainbows or the Apisto fry to another tank. Good luck! Set up some brine shrimp eggs to hatch, starting about 2 days after the Apisto eggs hatch, so you'l have food when they start swimming & feeding. Fry survival will be much better with live food.

 

[LuckyPaul]

Cheers for the quick reply, I'll get some brine shrimp eggs tomorrow, and i'll get the Rainbows out in the morning.

Thanks!!!

 

[LuckyPaul]

All egg's are still there this morning I havent seen the female eat yet, is this normal for them????
My Malawi females don't but they have a mouth full of egg's!

 

[gerald]

No they dont stop eating, but she may not venture far from the eggs, so squirt some food down close to her nest site. Also keep watch to see if the Oto's have learned to stay away. Some Apisto moms (and especially Nannacara moms) will bite out the eyes of catfish that blunder too close.

 

[LuckyPaul]

She's picking at white worm about an inch from the nest site, but she's not swallowed anything. I'll hang about when I feed her next and watch for a bit. The oto's seem to have learned their lesson from going too close, they are hiding behind some willow moss at the far side of the tank

 

[LuckyPaul]

She's eaten half the eggs 32 left!!!

 

[LuckyPaul]

12 left now and she seems to have lost interest. Why?????

 

[LuckyPaul]

Panic over (No thanks to anyone here) She's moved the young about 5 inches away to a small hole in the bogwood. Cheers for letting me know they move the young!