Cryptoheros sajica fry!!!!

[ragc]

Some photos:

Dad watching over the fry. He captures strays and keeps the tetras away.

Some of the fry out to play/eat? The hole in the gravel is one of several the parents dug to pen them in.

Mom in her pot, with some fry. She brings them into the pot every night, one by one or in twos, in her mouth!

Question: the fry seem to be eating from the gravel. I have seen no evidence of them feeding from secretions produced by the parents. Is this normal?

 

[ragc]

Another fry pix. There are at least 100! These are a few in one of the depressions in the gravel excavated by the parents.

 

[MacFish]

Question: the fry seem to be eating from the gravel. I have seen no evidence of them feeding from secretions produced by the parents. Is this normal?

My Red Points do the same thing. Is this their first spawn? If you have tetras in there, you will likely see a steady decrease in fry numbers.

 

[ragc]

Yes, it is their first spawn.

As for the tetras, they are in a corner of the tank, which is 30 gals, and dare not come close to the cichlids. I have two types, both considerably smaller than the T-bars; black phantoms, and red phantoms. One of the reds is already missing a chunk of tailfin...apparently got close a bit too long! I watched a 'lost' fry swim right through the middle of the tetras (nine in total) and not be hurt.

 

[ragc]

The original question was:

Question: the fry seem to be eating from the gravel. I have seen no evidence of them feeding from secretions produced by the parents. Is this normal?

Had to re-post so that it won't be buried under all the newer posts...maybe someone will answer...

 

[MacFish]

I already answered above. Yes it is normal. The parents will often stir up the bottom to release more food hidden in the rocks.

 

[ragc]

Sorry, MacFish. I can be dense at times...

I have been crushing flakes so that they fall over where the fry are, but was wondering if I had to supplement these since I don't see the parents secreting anything, as I had read. It seems like they will be fine with the flakes, then. I even saw the male crush a food pellet in his mouth so that the 'crumbs' would fall among the fry!

It's my first batch, so I worry. Their population does not seem to have decreased, so I think everything is fine. Thanks for the answer!

 

[MacFish]

no problems

My current batch of HRP's started at easily 100. They lasted for about 10 days. Then the numbers steadily went down. I now have about 10-15 left.

If you want the fry to grow quicker, you can hatch brine shrimp but I found that to be a pain in the butt.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[ragc]

Her fins full!

Good Parents

 

[carpediem]

Nice article in this month's TFH on these guys...

Nice pics, thank you for the post.