G Dicrozoster / S Lecosticta

[mrfish]

Hi all

Does any one know if there is a way to sex dicrozoster. I have a Pair at the moment but not sure if M or F. Bigger one is more aggressive and has more lateral head (thinking might be male?).

See Photo

Also has anyone got a hard and fast rule for separating Satanoperca Lecosticta bubs from parents. My F will take care of fry for 2 weeks for some batches however, fry have been eaten in last two batches in less than 2 weeks of brooding. Wondering if there is a high motality rate if I separate in first week.

Any ideas much appreciated

Cheers

[BJL82]

In my opinion just from experience with my geo's i would say the top fish in the pic is male. It's larger,more aggressive, has slighty longer streamers, more vibrant in colour and pearl....

If you have an egg tumble you can seperate as soon as she takes them into her mouth if you like....

[mrfish]

Hi BJL82

Thanks very much for the advise.

I was watching my dicrozosters tonight and the one who seems to be the male has been side slapping and flairing at the other female or subdominent male (first time I have seen this). The male has also dug a territory and is guarding it so i am hoping the the other is a female.

I separated my female from the fry 17 days after she laid them. She started to let them out on the 9th day (about 40 of them) on the 15th day 40 suddenly reduced to 12. After the fry count had suddenly reduced I decided I would take them out. It took two days for me to catch her with all babies out of mouth (fun & games). All in all 12 is better than zip so ill be happy if I call keep these 12 little fellars going.

Cheers

[BJL82]

Hi BJL82

Thanks very much for the advise.

I was watching my dicrozosters tonight and the one who seems to be the male has been side slapping and flairing at the other female or subdominent male (first time I have seen this). The male has also dug a territory and is guarding it so i am hoping the the other is a female.

I separated my female from the fry 17 days after she laid them. She started to let them out on the 9th day (about 40 of them) on the 15th day 40 suddenly reduced to 12. After the fry count had suddenly reduced I decided I would take them out. It took two days for me to catch her with all babies out of mouth (fun & games). All in all 12 is better than zip so ill be happy if I call keep these 12 little fellars going.

Cheers

If the other fish is female they will probably guard a selected area together. They'll still flare at each other and you may notice them "shiver" at each other. If he flares,nips and chases the other fish away quiet aggressively it could possibly be another male.

As for the leucosticta, a few hours after the eggs are taken into the mouth fill a bucket with tank water and using a fine net catch the female, gently hold her in your hand(make sure you have clean hands with no chemicals/soap) in the bucket and gently open her mouth while moving her back and forth under water, this should flush all the eggs out which can then be transfered to an egg tumbler.Once the fry exhaust their yolk sack and become free swimming you can release them into a growout tank and start feeding freshly hatched brine shrimp etc.

Hope this helps mate, not sure how experienced you are so i mentioned a bit of everything lol (not that i'm all that experienced either)

I'd love to see some pics if you have any!

If i haven't found a breeding colony and you get these fry to 5cm i might be interested! One of my fav eartheaters :)

Any other questions mate, feel free to ask!

[mrfish]

Hi BJL82

Thanks for more advise. I will give this a crack when they breed next. I dont have an egg tumbler. Is this something that I can buy or make?

As to my experience. I have kept fish for about 10 years and read a lot about them including (South American Eartheaters by Thomas Weidner). I dont have a large amount of pracical breeding experience however. I have bred Severums and Surinamensis a few years back but have now moved on to more challenging cichlids in the last year. I have sucessfully bred my Jurupari 3 times so far out of 5 attempts (ie 2 times mother ate babies). I currently have M & F Balzanii (3-6mths off breeding) and M & F red melon discus that have bred once but ate eggs. Besides these fish I have my Dicozosters (Im thinking by latest behavour probably M and Subdoninate M).

Anyway thanks for advise here is a pic of one of my M & F Jurupari. Ill have to get you some bub pics up soon as I have got 12 out of my last lot. I also have a few left from my first lots which are about 5cm. Ill put some pics on soon.

Cheers

[BJL82]

Hi BJL82

Thanks for more advise. I will give this a crack when they breed next. I dont have an egg tumbler. Is this something that I can buy or make?

As to my experience. I have kept fish for about 10 years and read a lot about them including (South American Eartheaters by Thomas Weidner). I dont have a large amount of pracical breeding experience however. I have bred Severums and Surinamensis a few years back but have now moved on to more challenging cichlids in the last year. I have sucessfully bred my Jurupari 3 times so far out of 5 attempts (ie 2 times mother ate babies). I currently have M & F Balzanii (3-6mths off breeding) and M & F red melon discus that have bred once but ate eggs. Besides these fish I have my Dicozosters (Im thinking by latest behavour probably M and Subdoninate M).

Anyway thanks for advise here is a pic of one of my M & F Jurupari. Ill have to get you some bub pics up soon as I have got 12 out of my last lot. I also have a few left from my first lots which are about 5cm. Ill put some pics on soon.

Cheers

Very nice mate!

You've got more experience than me thats for sure!

You can make your own egg tumbler, its super easy if you have aquarium/filter bits and peices lying around. Do an australian google search and you should find a few designs with step by step processes on how to make them. Tumble the eggs/wrigglers till their free swimming then move them into a fry saver or grow out tank.

Good luck
Brendan

[mrfish]

Thanks Brendan

I googled the tumbler and found it. I have mum with a few more bubs in her mouth at the moment. Not sure how many she has as I am expecting to see them Thursday or Friday. I have just made the tumbler out of a gravel filter uplift tube an air stone and some doubled over fly screen (should work a treat).

Here is a pic of one of my little fellas

Cheers

Mark

[BJL82]

haha i cut up some of my g/f's stockings for the mesh!

No more photo's mate, its tempting me to go spend to much money lol

The only mature Lecosticta i can find around me is a group of 4 and the guy wants close to $400 for them, if they were definate breeding pairs i'd snatch them up but i don't think they are...

Might go see the guy on the weekend and try to get him down a bit on price or swap some of my breeding colonies for them...

[discus lover01]

any idea what the price for dicrozosters are as pairs adults or babies ? any info would be appreciated