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Predator for Fry/Juviie Control

YSS

YSS

Members
So, as some may know, I'm having a N. Brichardi over population issue. I think I have close to 200 of them in my 265G and need to get rid of them. I actually want to get rid of everyone of them including the adults. If someone wants to come over and catch all of them and take them, that would be great. May be I will have to catch all of them and take them to a Petco. Calvus are not even touching the the small fish. Any fish I can consider that would help with the population control? Thought about an Oscar, but I want something I can keep in the tank permanently.
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
I had a couple of eupterus in my 180, and although I didn't have a lot of spawning in the tank, I've only ever had one fry survive to adulthood. I think one could be a nice addition.
 
FishEggs

FishEggs

Well-Known Member
YSS said:
I have 6 petricoloas, but they are probably too small. May be Eupterus?
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or a Multipunctatus.
I have a large Eupterus in my 220 and he can't get into the rock work where the fry hide. Don't know what your tank is like though.
 
Z

zendog

Active Member
Maybe someone will loan you a few Frontosa they'd like to fatten up? Or get a few juvies to grow out and resell if/when they get big enough that they threaten the fish you want to keep. They'll probably grow quickly on a Brichardi-rich diet.
 
Frank Cowherd

Frank Cowherd

Global Moderators
Staff member
If you have hiding places, the predators will have a hard time getting any of the brichardi. I had a 14 inch jaguar fish in a large tank, put in some rocks, just a few and some N brichardi. The brichardi just seemed to watch him. When he was at the other end they came out. When he was near they disappeared. The brichardi probably do the same in their native waters. Maybe it is small predators that get them.
 
YSS

YSS

Members
Frank Cowherd said:
If you have hiding places, the predators will have a hard time getting any of the brichardi. I had a 14 inch jaguar fish in a large tank, put in some rocks, just a few and some N brichardi. The brichardi just seemed to watch him. When he was at the other end they came out. When he was near they disappeared. The brichardi probably do the same in their native waters. Maybe it is small predators that get them.
Click to expand...

I have two large rock piles and they are both occupied by Brichardis. Looks like I will have to remove everything and catch them and take them somewhere. FishEggs is interested in catching some and taking them. :)
 
jonclark96

jonclark96

Past CCA President
Catch them next time you do a water change. Less volume is less room for them to run. You'll still have to take out rocks, but at least this cuts down on some of the frustration.
 
CichlidAddict

CichlidAddict

Members
My situation is like yours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU0_l4UEAn0

My daffodil fry are thriving in cohabitation of highly predatory lamprologus elongatus, Malawian trout, leulupi and other big fish.

The reasons Brichardi complex are so successful in protecting fry are that the parents defend the nest aggressively against bigger fish. Older siblings don't cannibalize on younger siblings. Newly hatched fry don't venture far out of the nest until they get bigger and smarter.

The nest is so well protected that no other fish can get close to the nest and even if they do, the fry will hide quickly off limit to predation. The only way you can thin out the fry is to remove the rock nest during WC to allow the predators to gorge on the fry which have no place to hide.
 
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YSS

YSS

Members
CichlidAddict said:
My situation is like yours.

The reasons Brichardi complex are so successful in protecting fry are that the parents defend the nest aggressively against bigger fish. Older siblings don't cannibalize on younger siblings. Newly hatched fry don't venture far out of the nest until they get bigger and smarter.

The nest is so well protected that no other fish can get close to the nest and even if they do, the fry will hide quickly off limit to predation.
Click to expand...

Yup! I see it very clearly!
 
Tangcollector

Tangcollector

Active Member
Staff member
One of these might help. I have three of these in a 75 and the wild caught Pulcher parents have only been able to save about 20 of them after about 6 months.

20160106_211358.jpg
 
CichlidAddict

CichlidAddict

Members
Tangcollector said:
One of these might help. I have three of these in a 75 and the wild caught Pulcher parents have only been able to save about 20 of them after about 6 months.
Click to expand...

No, it doesn't help. I have 2 of these guys, Lamprologus elongatus and 5 leulupi in the 75. These predators have no size constraint to enter the rock caves but the aggressive Daffodil parents won't allow them to get close. Some of the larger Daffodil siblings also help defend the nest.

I think only small nocturnal predators like loaches will work as they will prey on the fry when the defenders are sleeping.
 
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