dogofwar
CCA Members
The fishroom at our new place (in the garage) has been set up for a few weeks now. It seems that they like the new place as there are a bunch of new spawns!
I've siphoned off some fry and am raising them in their own tanks for some and leaving the babies with the parents for others. Most of my tanks are 2'x2'x1' 30g with a pair (and maybe some grow out fry from a prior spawn), so raising in the tank (sometimes) works well. Having tanks on either side of them helps stimulate the parental instincts as the parents "guard" the fry from the hungry fish in the tank next door (or on the other side of the divider) vs. killing each other.
I have a 6' 150g Lake Nicaragua tank with a bunch of Cribroheros (formerly Astatheros) rostratus, a couple C. alfari, a trio of Amphilophus from Lago Xiloa (crater lake near Lake Nicaragua), a bunch of rainbow cichlidstrio Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, a trio of Archicentrus centrarchus and a couple of pairs of Hypsophrys nicaraguensis. One of the pairs staked out a large flowerpot (sitting on its base as if to be planted) in the middle of the tank and spawned in it. The 6" or so male keeps all of the other fish away from it - a full time job - while the female darts in and out of the pot guarding the fry and biting anyone who gets close. In nature, nics spawn in large caves and have evolved to have non-adhesive eggs. They are just brilliant orange and the female turns very dark with a big black blotch. They're one of the few fish which has a prettier / more colorful female than male. As the fry aren't going to make it in the community tank, I siphoned a bunch of free-swimmers out into a basin and gave them their own 15g.
I've got several "convicts" (Amatitlania) breeding as well:
A. siquia "Rio Animas, Costa Rica" - a pretty blue-ish one (females have a red belly)
A. siquia "Rio Grande de Mategalpa, Nicaragua" - they turn almost white with dark black stripes when breeding (females are normally orange-bellied)
A. siquia "Rio Monga, Honduras" - the other Honduran Red Point
A. sp. "Honduran Red Point" - the real HRP from Danli, Honduras
A. septemfasciatus "Rio San Juan, Costa Rica"
A pair of Rio Jutiapa, Honduras Cryptoheros cutteri spawned but the eggs fungased when I took them to a separate tank. Same with a pair of Australoheros scitulus "Rio Queguay". Should have left them with the parents longer.
I started another thread about the two Uruguayan Cichlasoma that bred: C. dimerus from Arroyo Chelsea and C. sp. "Zanja Honda"
Last but not least a mouthbrooder spawned: Stomatepia pindu from Lake Barombi-Mbo in Cameroon. Female's been holding since last Thurs. Will strip her this weekend (or maybe Mon) and see how many fry!
I'm feeding everything golden pearls and/or NLS fry food. To get food to the fry I mix some in a cup, swirl it around pour it in. I pull the water for the cup from my tetra tank (that's got plants, so of them rotting) so probably some good micro bugs for the fry as well.
Keep in mind that substrate-spawner fry literally take months to get to decent size, so it will be spring time before anything but the pindu will be ready...
Matt
I've siphoned off some fry and am raising them in their own tanks for some and leaving the babies with the parents for others. Most of my tanks are 2'x2'x1' 30g with a pair (and maybe some grow out fry from a prior spawn), so raising in the tank (sometimes) works well. Having tanks on either side of them helps stimulate the parental instincts as the parents "guard" the fry from the hungry fish in the tank next door (or on the other side of the divider) vs. killing each other.
I have a 6' 150g Lake Nicaragua tank with a bunch of Cribroheros (formerly Astatheros) rostratus, a couple C. alfari, a trio of Amphilophus from Lago Xiloa (crater lake near Lake Nicaragua), a bunch of rainbow cichlidstrio Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, a trio of Archicentrus centrarchus and a couple of pairs of Hypsophrys nicaraguensis. One of the pairs staked out a large flowerpot (sitting on its base as if to be planted) in the middle of the tank and spawned in it. The 6" or so male keeps all of the other fish away from it - a full time job - while the female darts in and out of the pot guarding the fry and biting anyone who gets close. In nature, nics spawn in large caves and have evolved to have non-adhesive eggs. They are just brilliant orange and the female turns very dark with a big black blotch. They're one of the few fish which has a prettier / more colorful female than male. As the fry aren't going to make it in the community tank, I siphoned a bunch of free-swimmers out into a basin and gave them their own 15g.
I've got several "convicts" (Amatitlania) breeding as well:
A. siquia "Rio Animas, Costa Rica" - a pretty blue-ish one (females have a red belly)
A. siquia "Rio Grande de Mategalpa, Nicaragua" - they turn almost white with dark black stripes when breeding (females are normally orange-bellied)
A. siquia "Rio Monga, Honduras" - the other Honduran Red Point
A. sp. "Honduran Red Point" - the real HRP from Danli, Honduras
A. septemfasciatus "Rio San Juan, Costa Rica"
A pair of Rio Jutiapa, Honduras Cryptoheros cutteri spawned but the eggs fungased when I took them to a separate tank. Same with a pair of Australoheros scitulus "Rio Queguay". Should have left them with the parents longer.
I started another thread about the two Uruguayan Cichlasoma that bred: C. dimerus from Arroyo Chelsea and C. sp. "Zanja Honda"
Last but not least a mouthbrooder spawned: Stomatepia pindu from Lake Barombi-Mbo in Cameroon. Female's been holding since last Thurs. Will strip her this weekend (or maybe Mon) and see how many fry!
I'm feeding everything golden pearls and/or NLS fry food. To get food to the fry I mix some in a cup, swirl it around pour it in. I pull the water for the cup from my tetra tank (that's got plants, so of them rotting) so probably some good micro bugs for the fry as well.
Keep in mind that substrate-spawner fry literally take months to get to decent size, so it will be spring time before anything but the pindu will be ready...
Matt
