Setting up territories for breeding cacatuoides pair

[Martin]

Hi all,

I have a breeding pair of cacs in a long 25g (110L) tank with 5 pygmy cories and 3 otto's.

The pair has bred a few times and normally I remove the male when fry are free swimming, this time I would like to keep the male with the female and fry.

I believe that my female will be taking the fry out for a stroll from the cave today but she was really beating up the male this morning. I do not have a spare tank for the male at the moment as it is full of fry so I need to know what I can do to keep the peace.
Here is the picture of the tank at the moment:

The female always spawns on the right side of the tank, the male normally stays more to the left but this time he keeps sneaking to the right where the female and fry are.

The female is approx. 2 years old and the male is around 5-6 months. This picture was taken a month ago but the size difference is obvious:

At the moment I'm not sure if the male is after the fry for food or just to see his babies and I'm worried that the female is going to really get aggressive when she leads the fry out from the cave.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do if the worst happens?

My options are limited to adding more boundaries between the left and right side of the tank or to remove the male and put him in my other 50g tank with a breeding pair of Blue Rams.

Thank you

 

[Mike Wise]

In the worst case scenario, if the male just won't stay away from the brood territory, then a tank partition would be the best option.

 

[Martin]

Thanks Mike, I didn't even think of that.
Real case of overthinking on my side, missing the obvious solution LOL

 

[central tanks]

For my taste your tank is still really open, Not any sight breaks through the whole front and middle of the tank. I would add more sight breaks that is just my opinion and preference. I prefer using breeder tanks or long tanks for my apistos. For example a 20 long right now is being used for a trio, they hardly ever go above mid level so the longer tanks gives them more room. I also find instead of placing woodwork at the back of the tank if you use it more in the middle of the tank it acts more of a sight break.

If you don't want to do the tank split idea theres always buying a plastic storage bin to use as a QT/fry gro out. which would open up your second tank for the male. Just be sure to get a bin that is grade 5 plastic (food safe). I use a 20 gallon tub as a QT tank when I need it, just toss in a spare sponge filter and its basically instant cycled. I put pvc pipe in it for hiding places and toss in some floating plants. Keeping it barebottom makes it easy to clean up

 

[Martin]

Thanks for the tip,

The fry are now free swimming for about 2 weeks and doing well and there's even some golden strain fry in the brood...

I saw the male hunt one of the fry down about 12 days ago and moved him to the 4ft long GBR tank...I turned down the temp to about 24c to try and prevent the rams from spawning but that didn't work, there's a new batch of ram eggs now.

The male Cac is doing ok, keeping to the opposite side of the tank. The GBR female normally eats the fry as soon a they are wrigglers so my Cac male should be much happier in the next couple of days.

I'll have to get some smaller tanks, it will just make everyone's life easier.

 

[central tanks]

Just spotted eggs today myself. Got my trio of agazii one week ago there still in quarantine with six pencil fish. They wasted no time at all.

 

[Martin]

Nice! Wish we had some quality agassizii here in South Africa. Only other dwarfs is SA are Rams, Kribs and Tanganyikan shell dwellers.