my convicts' fry have hatched... but now theres something wrong with the parents!

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BlueyKDX

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After my convict pair had their fist batch of fry bout a month ago, something went wrong and one morning, they were all gone. I assumed one of them ate them because for a few weeks after all they did was fight. Now they have a second batch of fry and everything is good.... with the fry at least. THe parent convicts have something wrong with their mouths and it is really worrying me. I dont know what is causing this. First, when the fry just hatched, just the female had what looks like a swollen mouth (scraped up). Then a few days later the male had the same problem. COuld this be caused by their mouths scraping against rocks when they fetch fry that have wandered too far off? Or do you think this is a fungal infection? Looking at pics of mouth rot infections it seems those look more like cotton growths while my fishs' mouths look more like they're wounded or scraped. I was thinking of treating with melafix, will this affect the fry at all? I really need advice, I was so happy when the fry hatched but now this problem is making me worry.
TIA
 
well after a curtin size when they become self depended in away after a month or so the parents may see them as food and almost all cichlids love live food
 
Could be just scrapes from the rocks. I know Im always seeing new marks on my con. Once during a water change the con and jd did the lip lock battle, afterwards the con had a fat lip it healed in a few days. I have some melafix but I always rely on water changes. Are they doing any better? Tim
 
My cons always move the gravel around making pits for the fry to overnight in. If the gravel is rough, or sharp edged, you will see injuries on their lips. I have a male con that moves gravel so much that his lips seem callused. I would not use the melafix with the fry in the tank. Just keep up on water changes and the parents should heal up fine. You might want to check your gravel to see if you might want to replace it. I have gone to sand in most of mine and the cons will still dig pits, so it doesn't seem to bother them.


Oscar_Wild
 
Hi,

My male con had that a while back, his mouth got puffed up. He couldn't eat and was barely able to breathe. It did not seem to be contagious, and he died about 2 weeks later. Have no clue what caused it nor what anyone could do about it. Thanks,

Ryan McAndrews
Editor of Tropical Fish Monthly
Great Aquariums Start With a Great Magazine
tropicalfish48@hotmail.com
 
The experience I have had with convicts is that if you do not remove the parents or the fry as soon as they hatch the parents will eat the fry. I usually remove the parents as soon as the eggs are laid and fertilized.
 
its been a few days already and the swelling of their mouths seems to be healing. I am now pretty sure that it is just injuries from digging in the gravel. The fry are still in the same tank with no problems but from what I am hearing from your replies I will separate them in a few more days.
 
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