Barracuda
Mon Jul 13, 2009, 02:46 AM
Hi
My angels have been spawning consistently every two weeks since they first did it about 1-2 months ago. It is now their 4th or so spawn, and they are becoming really good parents - looking after the babies. The babies are almost free swimming now - about 5-6 days now since the eggs were laid, and the parents keep chasing away other fish (its in a community tank) as well as constantly "cleaning" the babies - they put them in their mouth and spit them back out again. They have even transferred them from the breeding cone to the amazon sword, to other leaves three times.
I really dont want to seperate the parents as I feel they are doing a great job at looking after them and there is no threat of them getting eaten. I think if i do take them away, it might prompt them to eat their future spawns (happened to my kribs). So my plan is to put the parents and their babies into another tank by themselves before the babies get free swimming and the parents lose track of them (when one would fall off they would pick it up and put it back on the leaf). The only problem is that i'm not sure how I will go about transferring the babies - atm they are on a leaf of an amazon sword. Should I cut off the leaf? Should I take the whole plant? Or should I siphon the babies with a hose? (will this have a detrimental effect on the babies??) What method would you recommend?
The tank I am planning to put them in is a 2ft - is this ok? I also plan to put a large sponge filter. Anything else?
Also the food I am planning to feed them is Sera Micron - is this good? I know its not as good as BBS but its all I have atm. With the parents in the tank with them, will they need to be fed straight away once they become free swimming (do they eat the slime coat?) Will I feed the parents as usual?
Thanks
My angels have been spawning consistently every two weeks since they first did it about 1-2 months ago. It is now their 4th or so spawn, and they are becoming really good parents - looking after the babies. The babies are almost free swimming now - about 5-6 days now since the eggs were laid, and the parents keep chasing away other fish (its in a community tank) as well as constantly "cleaning" the babies - they put them in their mouth and spit them back out again. They have even transferred them from the breeding cone to the amazon sword, to other leaves three times.
I really dont want to seperate the parents as I feel they are doing a great job at looking after them and there is no threat of them getting eaten. I think if i do take them away, it might prompt them to eat their future spawns (happened to my kribs). So my plan is to put the parents and their babies into another tank by themselves before the babies get free swimming and the parents lose track of them (when one would fall off they would pick it up and put it back on the leaf). The only problem is that i'm not sure how I will go about transferring the babies - atm they are on a leaf of an amazon sword. Should I cut off the leaf? Should I take the whole plant? Or should I siphon the babies with a hose? (will this have a detrimental effect on the babies??) What method would you recommend?
The tank I am planning to put them in is a 2ft - is this ok? I also plan to put a large sponge filter. Anything else?
Also the food I am planning to feed them is Sera Micron - is this good? I know its not as good as BBS but its all I have atm. With the parents in the tank with them, will they need to be fed straight away once they become free swimming (do they eat the slime coat?) Will I feed the parents as usual?
Thanks