Black emperors

[the loach]

And this just after 2 weeks of getting them? Congratulations. What pH are they on?

 

[NoodleCats]

And this just after 2 weeks of getting them? Congratulations. What pH are they on?

GH 89.5ppm/5DH
pH 7.3-7.5
Temperature 76F

They started spawning day 2 in the tank, but for this spawning I separated the female and a male to a 4 gallon tote aerated with an airline, some hornwort, moss, and wisteria loose in it and a thin layer of sand on the bottom. Let them be for 2 days and returned them to the community tank. End of day 2 there were eggs starting to hatch.

This morning I lowered the water level in the nursery to only 3 inches deep for the babies. Tomorrow they may start swimming free and can start feeding them.

 

[fishorama]

Most fish like change of tank to get them in the breeding mood. It definitely worked for your fish & your well prepared tank. I can't wait to see growing fry pics! (with or without circles, lol.)

 

[NoodleCats]

Theyre free swimming today though hard to find as they're hiding about. Super cute though.




Also love seeing the adult boys display, they flare their fins all out and sit stiffly in front of the others lol


I have to say I really like these tetras, they may be my favourite tetra that I've kept. They're beautiful, active, have personality, have a bit of attitude but are peaceful with other species. Little nippy with the boys if they don't back down after displaying, but thats few and far between. I worried a lot over having a large group of males and few females how the aggression would do, but they've been really good with it and no single fish is singled out. They don't really shoal tight much, so they bring activity to all areas of the tank too. They use the full 4 feet of the tank space too.
And they don't bother the cherry barbs and the cherry barbs don't bother them. Actually, they've gotten my cherry barbs to come out again since the melon barbs. The cherries are shy and blind so they take some time to adapt, but because the other fish leave them alone, they've been coming out more and more.

 

[fishorama]

Thanks for circling, I might have eventually found those eyes, lol. I'm glad your blind cherries are getting used to things & the new guys are mellow. I'd be worried the lone female might be harrassed by all the males but apparently not

 

[NoodleCats]

Thanks for circling, I might have eventually found those eyes, lol. I'm glad your blind cherries are getting used to things & the new guys are mellow. I'd be worried the lone female might be harrassed by all the males but apparently not

Thats what I worried about too, but she doesn't seem bothered. The males are actually sorta gentlemanly with her. If she's not interested and she leaves their territory, they don't bother her.

But thats also why I set them up to spawn, I plan on keeping some females so she's not the only female with them.

 

[NoodleCats]

Fry are 9 days old now, doing good, about a dozen+ in the nursery

Enjoying the microfauna in the nursery as well as green water, baby cyclops, powdered fry food, and baby brine shrimp. There is daphnia in their nursery too but too small to eat them or the babies just yet. But soon!

 

[fishorama]

Very cool!

 

[NoodleCats]

Large enough now to take baby brine shrimp. The hardest part of fry raising is done

 

[Wyomingite]

Nice. As far as small schooling fish go, I've only intentionally spawned white clouds. That was a pain in the behind because they were so tiny, especially when you're used to cichlids. Only 3 or 4 made it to full growth.

How many do you think you have now that you've reached this point?

WYite