Caught in the act - Bolivian rams spawned
- Thread starter Richard McC
- Start date
Little to report in the daily update.
Mother still stands guard over her little pit of wrigglers (very shallow, by the way; no more than pea-size); father not permitted anywhere near, and looks very disconsolate.
I do hope that one day they will make up.
Mother still stands guard over her little pit of wrigglers (very shallow, by the way; no more than pea-size); father not permitted anywhere near, and looks very disconsolate.
I do hope that one day they will make up.
divingne1 asked if they have their own tank.
No, they're in a 6 foot community, surrounded by voracious tetras and fearsome corydoras. Obviously this spawn won't survive, but
1) at least I know that I have a compatible pair
2) they will improve their parenting skills this way
3) I am learning a lot through watching.
Re (2), perhaps mother will learn that chasing father to the far end of the tank may not be the ideal model for shared parenting. Equally, father may learn that eggs are a precious gift, not (if my suspicions are correct) snack food .
Anyway, for today's update, the little wrigglers are still being guarded in their little hole. Occasionally one makes a break for freedom, and may get as far as a half-inch away from the nest before mother picks it up and spits it back onto the little writhing pile.
If/when they become free-swimming, she will be tearing her hair out.
No, they're in a 6 foot community, surrounded by voracious tetras and fearsome corydoras. Obviously this spawn won't survive, but
1) at least I know that I have a compatible pair
2) they will improve their parenting skills this way
3) I am learning a lot through watching.
Re (2), perhaps mother will learn that chasing father to the far end of the tank may not be the ideal model for shared parenting. Equally, father may learn that eggs are a precious gift, not (if my suspicions are correct) snack food .
Anyway, for today's update, the little wrigglers are still being guarded in their little hole. Occasionally one makes a break for freedom, and may get as far as a half-inch away from the nest before mother picks it up and spits it back onto the little writhing pile.
If/when they become free-swimming, she will be tearing her hair out.
Richard...I have 2 pair of GBR and one pair plain ole suck at parenting (they both ate both clutches of eggs so far) and my awesome parents are a female GBR and a male long-finned ram (i have been told it is a GBR as well but he doesn't have to same coloring but he is stunning just the same). The male (long-finned) is an incredible dad while the mother is "Rocky". She tore into anyone that even thought of coming close to her babies. The father ran a few off but he also let my discus's get closer than the female did (I have them in a community tank as well). When the fry start swimming, I found they stay close to the father and then he may trade off with the mother. But it is really cool to watch and I hope you get the opportunity because the father "trembles" and the fish come swimming up to him if they get too far away. He was more gentle with scooping the babies up and cleaning them than the female was but she did her fair share of the work.
The sad part is, the father started leaving the babies alone for a short period of time to go eat (he got bored I guess) and the neons made quick work of most of the babies (made the neons become my least favorite fast). I also found that each morning when I awoke, the # of babies dwindled until their were none left. The next go-round, I am going to do a tank divider until my 10g fry tank is ready.
The sad part is, the father started leaving the babies alone for a short period of time to go eat (he got bored I guess) and the neons made quick work of most of the babies (made the neons become my least favorite fast). I also found that each morning when I awoke, the # of babies dwindled until their were none left. The next go-round, I am going to do a tank divider until my 10g fry tank is ready.
Also, I started feeding the babies "First Bites" when they were no longer wigglers but swimming. They really liked it and became very active when I would squirt that in the tank..the father, however, tried his best to kill the turkey baister. It is just all so cool to watch even though I knew the babies most likely wouldn't survive in that environment.
