parents eating fry

[2champers]

Can't seem to get my fry past the 1st day of free swimming - any suggestions - both parents eat them - really frustrating
help :roll:

[Merrilyn]

It is terribly frustrating, and some pairs do this all the time.

What we want is to try to break the habit, so first thing to do is separate the pair, and condition them well in separate tanks for at least a month. Give them lots of high protein foods with added vitamins and hopefully they will have grown up a bit more during that time.

When you put them back together, divide off the breeding tank, and put another male on the other side of the divider. Hopefully the pair will join in their efforts to protect the fry from an intruder, and be so busy guarding gtheir babies, they won't see them as food.

A male discus is the ideal fish to use, but if you don't have a spare, then an angel fish will do just as well.

If that doesn't work, then you may have to split the pair permanently, or move them back to a community tank, and let them spawn a few times in there, where they will have to protect their fry from a number of fish.

Once the guarding instinct kicks in, they usually make good parents.

[2champers]

thanks for that will give it a try - will have to get another male - but i will split them first - what do you think about removing her and putting him with another female - will give it a go and report later. thank you soooo
much for the imput. cheers

[Merrilyn]

It could go either way.

If the male is eating the fry too, he may either teach the new female to do the same thing, or there could be huge fights with her protecting the fry, and him wanting to eat them, in which case you'd have to remove him from the tank anyway.

They sound like young fish. Give them a month apart to mature, and then try them together again.

Good luck.

[heng]

takes some time. as said putting them back in the community tank does wonders. it will happen when they are ready. i'd just about given up on breeding untill my 1st recent sucess.