Need help with Cichlid Frys

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


bennyphan
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:38 am

Need help with Cichlid Frys

by bennyphan

As some of you already know, the female Rubescens Cichlid I bought spitted her frys out in my hospital tank right when I placed her in there. I don't see a the frys swiming around at all. I guess they are "hiding" in my gravel? Is this normal? If so when would they actually start swimming around? I have done some reading and all they tell me is take the mother out around a week after they are released from her mouth. They are still alive because I can see there mouths opening and shutting.

Tai


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I have raised tilapia fry. Tilapia are similar to cichlids in behavior and breeding.

I'd put a small pinch of flake food in your hand and crush it. Then put your hand into the tank and swish it into the water near the fry.

Only a little food as they won't be able to eat much at first.

I'd do this once or twice a day for now.

After a few days they will start perking up. The first day or few are the hardest for them.


josmoloco
 
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:21 pm

by josmoloco

Take the female out asap! If she has any more babies in her mouth, strip them, and then get the mother out.


mro2you2
 
Posts: 625
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:37 pm

by mro2you2

Yep, I stripped the mother and the babies would land in my 10 gallon breeder.


GiantDogg
 
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 11:24 pm

by GiantDogg

Strip the mother and remove her. If the fry are isolated, there is no need to keep her there. Mouth brooding is entirely a safety measure to keep fry from suffering from predation.


bennyphan
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:38 am

by bennyphan

yeah I think I will. What I have read was to leave her there for a week. So she can grab some good, regain her strength, and then put her back in the main tank. Thanks guys!


bennyphan
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:38 am

by bennyphan

So I get home, and I look in the hospital tank, I cant see the frys anymore... I even turned off the water filters so I can get a crystal clear picture of the bottom. Nothing, I hope she put them back in her mouth because her mouth is budged on the bottom again, and her mouth is shut the whole time... At least I hope that is the case. I will leave here there for more days and see if they turn up.


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I have a female tilapia (as I said: similar to cichlids) recently have a brood. I always remove the male, which I choose to be smaller than the female so he doesn't beat her up, when I think she's about to let them out.

This time I just let nature take it's course and I watched as she guarded her 100 therabouts fry for weeks before the gars eventually noticed and eventually ate them.

She had all the gars bullied to the end of the tank for a few weeks. She was a good mother.

Now it's going to happen again. These things breed like nothing I've ever seen before.


bennyphan
 
Posts: 75
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 2:38 am

by bennyphan

Fact or fiction, they frys should only come out of the mothers mouth when they lose their egg ball..... I have read that that little egg ball is the nutrients they live off of in the first stage of development, and when they are about to loose it all (absorb it), that is why they leave the mothers mouth....

Need help with Cichlid Frys

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