Normal behavior a. cacatuoides?

[danbb]

The fry are 18 days old, and couple of days ago I noticed that they are spending the time in hiding places, because both parents are chasing them (especially the male). In the tank are left 12 fry, but when I try to count them I see only 1-2. The reason is that parents are preparing for a new spawning, if not already has. Is this normal behavior to chase all the fry constantly?

 

[regani]

Yes, when the female lays new eggs she will often chase the older fry away. Sometimes the female may care for two or more generations, but that may depend on the species and individual fish

 

[danbb]

Thanks regani. I guess they are just chased, without the danger of being eaten. A way to tell them "from now you are on your own"? Right?

 

[regani]

Yep. She may get a little more tolerant of the older fry again once the latest generation has grown up a bit. You may have to remove the older fry eventually (and the following generations) so it's worthwhile setting up a separate tank to raise the fry. Makes them a lot easier to catch as well if you want to move them on later, e.g. sell.

 

[danbb]

I got a tank with fry, but at this moment it's almost impossible to catch all of them. Only succeed to catch 4, the rest of 9 are still playing "hide and seek" with parents.
Thanks!

 

[Mike Wise]

Time to make a fish trap out of a used water bottle. There are several web sites that describe how to make one.

 

[danbb]

I have used fish traps in fishing, but the tank is full of wood and the fry are hidden. I can make a small trap but how to get frightened fry inside? With some BBS?
I can put a sticker on the trap: "BBS INSIDE"!

 

[Mike Wise]

That's what I do. Add BBS and make sure the entrance is too small for the adults to enter. Check a half hour after baiting and expect to use the trap several days in a row to get all of the fry.

 

[danbb]

I will try tomorrow, first to made a adequate trap.
Thanks Mike.