infertile eggs

[scott]

i'm new to this forum. i just registered last night. i have 2 trios of cacs in separate 15 gal tanks all are double red. the females have laid eggs at least 3 times each but they always fungus up within a day or so and get eaten. i am not sure if the males are even fertilizing them or if they are trying but "shooting blanks". i am using ro/di water so it is very soft, 1dgh and 0-1dkh, with a ph of 6.4 - 6.5 and a temp. of 78 degrees F. any ideas about what the problem is would be appreciated

 

[Mike Wise]

Your water conditions are more than adequate, so it appears that your males are not fertilizing the eggs. This is a problem with highly inbred strains &, although not common, it is a problem that has been encountered many times with color strains of A. cacatuoides. You might wait until the males are fully mature. By then they might be more fertile. Otherwise, you need to find a fertile male.

 

[Neil]

scott,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Sometimes they suffer from behavioral lapses and don't properly care for the eggs. They may be fertilized, but if mom doesn't keep the eggs fanned properly, they will fungus. This behavior is usually figured out eventually and, as Mike said, may come when they are more mature.

Neil

 

[scott]

thanks for the info. i figured they would probably spawn succesfully eventually, i just wanted to make sure i wasn't do anything wrong. i am rather new to apistos. i have mostly larger tanks and have had more experience with the larger cichlids such as jack dempseys, green terrors, red devils and the like. i have become more interested in the dwarf cichlids recently. also, i live on the third floor and my r/o is in the basement so smaller tanks means less water to carry up the stairs for water changes