Q: Cacatuoides breeding

[Corine]

Uhm guys? How soon after a spawning will a female be ready to spawn again?

Mildred's fry are getting more and more independent, it has now been 10 days since I first saw Mildred venture out of the pot with the fry and today she was displaying for George.

Is that normal? Am I going to have another spawning soon or is she just making up with George for being nasty to him over the last 10 days?

 

[Mike Wise]

Mildred is ready to breed again, since George is in the tank with her. If she does, the fry will be driven away from the brood territory. If they can't get away, they are often killed and eaten. Since the fry are becomming more independent and Mildred is ready to breed again, it might be a good time to remove the fry to a grow-out tank.

 

[Corine]

Mildred is ready to breed again, since George is in the tank with her. If she does, the fry will be driven away from the brood territory. If they can't get away, they are often killed and eaten. Since the fry are becomming more independent and Mildred is ready to breed again, it might be a good time to remove the fry to a grow-out tank.

Ohhhhh. And if I move George temporarily, will that make any difference? I have an Aqua40 that he could move into.

The fry do have plenty of places to hide, I still have 20-25 left at the last count and this is a community tank. Will they know enough to hide from their mother? Will she stop wanting to spawn again if I remove George to the other tank?

 

[Mike Wise]

You could remove George, but it may be too late for that. Without knowing how large your tank is and how it is decorated, I cannot say what Mildred will do to her other fry. Sometimes the fry are attracted to their mother even as she chases them away. If the tank is small (under 75 cm), can you partition the tank? Provide about 35x35 cm for George & Mildred and leave the rest for the fry. Once Martha has spawned, remove George to the other tank.

 

[Corine]

You could remove George, but it may be too late for that. Without knowing how large your tank is and how it is decorated, I cannot say what Mildred will do to her other fry. Sometimes the fry are attracted to their mother even as she chases them away. If the tank is small (under 75 cm), can you partition the tank? Provide about 35x35 cm for George & Mildred and leave the rest for the fry. Once Martha has spawned, remove George to the other tank.

The tank is 80cm long and heavily planted, there is a good picture here:

http://corine.judkins.org/the80literaquari/page1.html

There are two logs, two large clumps of java moss, lots and lots of hiding places for them.

I think I'll try and catch the fry out tomorrow, they can go into the Aqua40 then.

If I remove George straightaway next time, will she continue to care for her spawn? I feel bad depriving them of their mother, from what I've read online they should stay with their mother for a month.

All I wanted was some nice looking fish, sigh. Then they turn into the most fascinating creatures ever and I'm hooked!

 

[Mike Wise]

The tank is 80cm long and heavily planted

You will probably not lose too many fry in this tank, depending on the other fish in the tank. Do you have any characins or other schooling fish in this tank? The gouramis should not be a problem.

I think I'll try and catch the fry out tomorrow, they can go into the Aqua40 then.

It will be difficult to catch the fry in such a heavily planted tank. You might be more successful with a homemade aquarium fish trap (check web sources).

If I remove George straightaway next time, will she continue to care for her spawn?

Yes. Without a male she will care for her fry for a much longer time.

I feel bad depriving them of their mother, from what I've read online they should stay with their mother for a month.

If the fry are not close to their mother, then they are ready to be on their own. Fry in the wild probably do not stay with their mothers very long at all.

All I wanted was some nice looking fish, sigh. Then they turn into the most fascinating creatures ever and I'm hooked!

Yes, the same happened to me 30 years ago ... and I am as fascinated as ever! Now that you are infected, there is no cure.:wink:

 

[Corine]

You will probably not lose too many fry in this tank, depending on the other fish in the tank. Do you have any characins or other schooling fish in this tank? The gouramis should not be a problem.

I have three Corydoras aeneus and 9 Corydoras pygmaeus. I read that the aeneus would be the biggest threat to the eggs, but they stay far, far away from Mildred. The pygmaeus are too small to eat the fry.

It will be difficult to catch the fry in such a heavily planted tank. You might be more successful with a homemade aquarium fish trap (check web sources).

Yeah, even catching the big ones can be very challenging in this tank. I'll give that a go tomorrow, I have plenty of bottles!

Yes. Without a male she will care for her fry for a much longer time.

If the fry are not close to their mother, then they are ready to be on their own. Fry in the wild probably do not stay with their mothers very long at all.

They're not at all following her around anymore. In the first few days she was followed everywhere she went by this little cloud of fry, but since they've started looking like real fish they just go wherever they want and Mildred isn't as attentive anymore either. Ok, maybe I'm not such a meanie poopoo head then :biggrin:

Yes, the same happened to me 30 years ago ... and I am as fascinated as ever! Now that you are infected, there is no cure.:wink:

Hehehehe. Oh dear. Not only MTS, now MAS? That's why I'm eyeing the walls to see where I could put another little tank, and looking up all the beautiful cichlid forms eh. Oh dear... oh dear... :biggrin:

Thanks ever so much for all your answers!

 

[Corine]

So I managed to catch 10 fry and put them in the Aqua40. Now I don't see them anywhere anymore! There are plenty of places to hide for them there, and I'm continuing to add food to the tank, but I'm not sure they survived the transplant.

However, at last count Mildred still had 25 fry left! I must be missing a lot of the fry when counting.

I had a quick gander at my water parameters as well:

pH: between 7.6 and 8
GH: between 6 and 10
temp: 24C
NO2 and NO3: 0

Everything else on 0 as well.

The fry that are left with Mildred are doing really well. I had a good look at them today with a flash light and a magnifying glass and some of them have really really long fins, it looks so cute!

Man these are gorgeous little fish!