Apistogramma Cacatuoide FRY

[FishKeeperCole]

Hello,

Got a surprise 2 days ago with about 60 or so...I lost count lol...Cacatuoide fry.

However the tank was not 'exactly' set-up for fry. Sure there are some almond leaves for a blackwater effect, and a few huts etc...but other than flake, pellet or freeze dried foods there has been no live food because I can't get it..thanks Covid-19
Lol.

Great parents, and there's actually another female at the other end of this tank, 55g, that has not appeared for a day..I'm thinking there may be another batch about to appear

I am however, trying to get 3 zebra danios out of this tank, not easy without disturbing whole tank...but so far I have not seen any losses or any fish but the parents come within a foot of the fry.

Is it normal for them to breed without me feeding them live foods, or at least something micro like bbs?

They are about .5cm long...so have they been eating some micro food off substrate etc?

We took some out, in a failed attempt to move her and fry out of the 55g Community tank...when she and fry were in 10g she began eating them frantically...so I placed her and approx 30 fry back in 55g...remainder fry in 10g after her frenzy is about 20.
Last photo is of her and fry in the 55g.


Thanks

 

[FishKeeperCole]

This was posted on fish lore, but have had 0 responses. So I re posted here today.
Fry were discovered May 11th.
The attempt to remove from Community tank May 14th.
30 still with mom, in 55g.
20 or so alone in planted 10g.

 

[the loach]

Congratulations ! The pictures are from today, or the 11th? If they were from the 11th the fry are older than that so yes they have been grazing on the leaves and such. If you have a matching pair and a comfortable biotope for them, you can breed them without live foods.

 

[FishKeeperCole]

Thanks for the reply,

Awesome, was worried they would 'starve-out' after eating the yolk sac.

Awesome experience to share with my son ?

I would like to remove the rest of the fry from the 55g Community tank...but she picks them up quick and moves them around the tank better than Houdini lol.

 

[the loach]

Begin to feed the fry though with at least finely ground flake food, baby brine shrimp, egg yolk, etc.

 

[FishKeeperCole]

Yeah, been grinding flake, or bug bites..will do yolk tomorrow...thanks forgot about egg yolk

 

[fishorama]

Congrats! I had cacs breed in a community tank, only a fry few survived. I don't remember what fish I had with them.

I would suggest you put a sponge over your filter intake. That will protect any later fry & give them some place to graze. Cichlid parents are pretty good at chewing up food & spitting it out for the smaller fry...for a while, then they lose interest & want to breed again. Smushed up flakes or pellets that fall into tiny bits are fine for cichlid fry. I would be wary of egg yolk, it can really pollute your tank. Change water & carefully vacuum as often as you can, it'll help fry grow & remove uneaten food.