Apistogramma Cacatoides spawned, need advice

[jmhart]

So, I picked up a pair of Apistogramma Cacautoides last week. They are a proven pair....

Anyway, they have already spawned. What are my next steps? They are in a 10g bare bottom tank by themselves. There is a terra cotta pot in there for a breeding cave, and the eggs are on the inside top of the pot. The whole thing is filtered by a Lustar Hydro Sponge 2 and a small HOB supplemental. The HOB's intake screen is too big to prevent fry from getting sucked in, so I can either remove the HOB or rig up a screen. Temperature is about 74.

Should I remove the adults at some point and if so, when? I don't have any infusioria or daphnia for fry food. I do have some decapsulated brine shrimp eggs, some golden pearls. Any ideas on anything I can order/prepare to feed them initially. The decap BS and golden pearls may or may not be suitable for freshly hatched fry. I also have some flour beetls/larvae for later on....I guess my question is what I can feed them in the first few days?

I'd appreciate any advice. The adults are in a 10g, but I have a 15g setup that I can either move the fry to or move the adults to at some point.

 

[Turbosaurus]

I would leave the parents in with them- I've never had a problem with it.

I've never had luck without live food- Fresh hatched BBS or microworms. I always start with fresh hatched BBS, then its pretty easy to wean them onto decapsulted BBS after 10 days.

 

[jmhart]

I would leave the parents in with them- I've never had a problem with it.

I've never had luck without live food- Fresh hatched BBS or microworms. I always start with fresh hatched BBS, then its pretty easy to wean them onto decapsulted BBS after 10 days.

I'm gonna pick up some brine shrimp eggs and go that route. After that I'll have the flour beetles and larva to keep feeding them.

 

[DavidZ]

I have the same thing going on in the community tank and as amazing as it is the fry are doing great has been a week and they are still there.
The parents are doing a great job keeping the rest of the fish away.

 

[pinkertd]

Congrats! Sounds like a population explosion is going on with cacs!!

 

[msjinkzd]

that is a little cooler than I keep my tanks. I would add some moss or somethign as well as the babies will graze on the infusoria in between feedings. I leave the parents with the fry. Sometimes when the fry become food seeking (after they leave mom's side) you will have some issues so keep a close eye after a week to ten days.