pelvicachromis taeniatus dehane questions

[briztoon]

G'day all,

I have a some questions about pelvicachromis taeniatus dehane. I have two pairs in seperate tanks, and both currently have four/five week old fry. I noticed yesterday that the female of the dominant pair had started excavatining out under the piece of driftwood she has previously spawned under.

Is it likely that the dominant pair may spawn again while they still have fry in the tank? Are the current fry likely to be percieved as a threat and be killed by the parents? or will the parents tolerate multiple spawns within the tank?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[ste12000]

Its entirely possible for them to spawn again while there are fry still in the tank, on occasions that its happened to me the female is very defensive of the new fry and views the older fry as a threat, it always best to get them out asap if a second spawn is spotted.

The four pairs of various Pelvicachromis that im currently breeding are excellent, i can leave the fry in for 6-8 weeks and they wont spawn, then when i remove the fry i change 90% of the water and they spawn a few days later, regular as clockwork!!

 

[tjudy]

The only P. taeniatus I have kept that wold consistently spawn in the presence of older fry is Moliwe. Tank size may play a role. If the tank is large enough for the older fry to disperse into pairs may spawn again sooner.

 

[briztoon]

It's not a very large tank, 2x1x1. I was hoping to leave the fry with the parents for 8 weeks before I removed the fry.

 

[tjudy]

2x1x1 feet? 15 gallons? Yeah... that is a bit small. What I would do, thinking scientifically, is take out as many fry as you want to keep and leave the rest. Or at least leave a few. I am curious to see if the pair will spawn in the tank with older fry, and if they do whether or not they will ignore the older fry or not.

 

[briztoon]

Yes, both pairs are in side by side 20 gallon tanks, but I only fill to the 12 inch mark, so in effect 15 gallons per tank.

I caught the female of the subdominant pair flirting with her male today. She coloured up to her courting colours and was doing her little dance. So tomorrow I'll remove both lots of fry to seperate fry tanks. I'd rather not test your scientific theory Ted, sorry mate, but these are the first successfull spawns from both pairs.

I have a pair of line bred agassizii in another 20 gallon tank, and the female will spawn with older fry and the male in the tank. She'll keep the new fry down one end of the tank close to her spawnig site, driftwood log covered in java moss, the sponge filter and heater. While the male and older fry have the larger, more open area of the tank that has more leaf litter and branchy driftwood. As long as the older fry do not swim into the females "territory" she ignores them. This pair spawns approximately every 5 weeks, and have had three spawns in the tank at one time before.

I also have an A. masken pair and they will spawn every 6 weeks, and as long as the older fry and male stay away from the female and new spawn, the female leaves the others alone. The only difference is that this female will slowly heard the young fry around different parts of the tank, and chase the male and older fry from the immediate area she is moving the fry through, then she returns the young fry to the spawning site each night.