cons eating fry

[thechurro]

had my cons for a couple weeks now and for the first time i saw eggs and a few hours later they were hatched, but mom was eating the fry. is there an explanation for this? i've been feeding them regularly and there are 5 total in a 20L,3 females and 2 males.

 

[schiejr]

Many captive cichlids will do this-more common with cichlids such as discus. Sometimes it takes a few spawns for the parents to get the hang of it. Other factors could be stress from other fish or between the parents or tank conditions, other times it is inexplicable. Convicts are usually pretty good parents-see what happens with subsequent spawns.

 

[gonefishin]

My jewels always eat thier eggs, before they even hatch. I was thrilled when my cons didn't eat thier fry (1st brood). I took out all the tankmates and put them in another tank as soon as I found out they had eggs. mom and dad would rather eat them then let some other fish get to them

 

[gsk177]

Are you sure they are eating them and not just simply moving them?
Female convicts will frequently move their fry by sucking them in their mouths and then spitting them back out.
Perhaps she saw you approach the tank and was simply protecting her fry?