Do you feed the parents when there are eggs

[Sean]

I have a pair that always (more than 15 times) eat their wrigglers. I have tried many, many techniques of trying to get them to raise their young. I have also tried unsuccessfully to raise them artificially. This time I have a 'gutter-guard' cage around the pipe they have spawned on. I have tried this before but the parents usually try so hard to get the wrigglers that they turn the cage upside down. This time I have made a more rigid cage around the eggs and the parents are in a very quiet spot - I usually do not feed them while they have eggs as I can't clean up any left over food and they do not seem interested anyway - I wonder if by the wriggler stage they are so hungry they can't resist a dish of fry! What is the normal feeding regime for parents looking after eggs/wrigglers? Any ideas would be gratefully received.
Sean

[nicholas76]

reduce the amount of food, yet continue to feed them daily as per usual ,

dont disturb the tank environment with cleaning hoses etc

u may find that one fish will be the eater, or that one fish will eat the eggs out of fear or jealousy.

removing one of the parents may be an option


regards

[CMDiscus]

After spawn one hour later,guard it with wire mesh,if your water pH is high,lower it gradually.no feeding for parents till the sixth day of the babies are free swim.

[Proteus]

(Admin Edit)


lower it with acid gradually

PLEASE DO NOT USE ACID... (unless you are truly experienced and know what you are doing)

use methods that will not cause shock to your fish so as the water becomes more acidic (pH6.5 is ideal) and do this gradually.

[CMDiscus]

Thanks for that ommitted word "Acid"

According to my friend ,with his pH at 7.5,he normally add in 1.5 mls.of phosphoric acid gradually and no repeat till they hatched,it has proven that the result was satisfied.

Or you can using spagnum moss from florish or peat moss and black water of serra from pet shops.

[Proteus]

Peat Moss is the usual method used down here, although chemicals can be used if you know what you are doing...

:wink:

[Sean]

Thanks for the replies. The fry are now free swimming and taking a feed off the parents - I am keeping away from them as much as my curiosity can cope with. The sturdy 'cage' around the eggs seemed to work as this is the longest they have kept the fry going. The pH is 6.7 so I think I will leave it as is. I have a baby brine shrimp on the go now just in case the wrigglers are still around in a few days time. The parents have had every opportunity to eat them, but I wont count my chickens just yet. :)

[Sean]

Just to bring this thread to its natural (or unnatural) conclusion - The parents ate the fry! There did not seem to be any reason as they were moving them around and seemed at ease with them swimming around them and feeding off them. Bugger - it seemed so promising too. Think I might try moving the male behind a barrier next time and if this does not work I might replace him with another male and see how that goes or try some fostering method I suppose the idea would be not to give up, there are endless possible ways of addressing this problem. One thing that I thought was interesteing is that when the parents decided to eat their young they were all gone in the space on an hour or so - more than a 100 fry too. I didn't see them eat them so I was unable to determine whether mum or dad initiated the carnage. :?

[Proteus]

They are prob juveniles...

dont worry, as time passes they will get it right (hopefully)

:wink: