How long do you leave your fry with there mum?

[gingerbeer01]

Just interested - how long do you leave the fry after free swimming with there mum.

I have been trying to remove both parents just before they start eating there babies - and gernerally found this not successful as I loose a lot of fry due to missing the mark. I have 4 aggie babies I am growing out - verty frustrating to put in that much effort for 4 babies.

Hence now I am removing male and leaving mum with babies - and was thinking of taking her out - or probably mvoe the fry actually - at around 2 weeks free swimming. Currently have borelie mum with about 30 babies about a week old and aggie mum with babies just swimming today.

Interested in your thoughts.

Steve

[fishgeek]

with apisto's for months
or until the parents rebreed and the larger fry predate the younger..

only had parent eating fry issue's because of external stress from me/small tank etc
or with rams

andrew

[Th0mas]

In my case, the general rule is a month. Most apisto parents are good care takers, and there's only small numbers will eat fry (in my case, only had male elizabethae and macmasteri).

However rams seems to be a reliable fry eater for my situation - both male and female. female tend to eat them as soon as they wander over to her, while male will slowly eat them up (letting them to fatten up first).

So there's no hard rule about this, just observe and react to your fish's behavior.

Thomas.

[gingerbeer01]

Thanks guys- I am aiming for a month with just the girlie now.

With Rams I always remove the female and have always removed the males after free swimming. I still lose a lot of fry however and now think that it is not the male eating but natural loss due to small size of babies and difficulty in feeding. I have infusoria and microworms going for them - should try green water.

Steve

[Th0mas]

Hmmm.... green water....

Now that gave me an idea.

But the male I got is definitely a fry eater, as I noticed the fry has started to take BBS but I still eventually lost them all.

There's no carcass left around in the bottom of the tank (bare bottom). In past experience with apisto, parent will not eat fry even after they're dead (carcass are left in the tank, and only advance juvenile will cannibalise the carcass).

Thomas.

[gingerbeer01]

Bloody fish. Male Aggie commited suicide and jumped - and borli got to about 3 weeks and all died overnight - nitrate spike as I missed a water change.

Well at elast that is my three - counting the bitaeniata bloat female - why do these things always happen in threes.

Oh well - if anyone has a male aggie (gold red) or female bitaeniata in Brisbane would be good. Could swap spare male bitaeniata.

Off to do more swearing.

Now put borelie to breed again and pair of Rams.