Frys removed from parents

[lucky777ca]

Is it normal that the parents are chasing the frys away so soon? I've noticed them swimming, not bumping up and down on the gravel, on October 15 and I've noticed that the female is chasing the frys away yesterday (November 12), while the male is still guarding the territory (the whole tank). When I noticed this, I immediately placed the 77 frys (I counted them individually as I placed them into a container and stored them temporarily into a 5G, which I'll be upgrading them to a 20G high soon on Saturday, this week)...

This happened before for the first spawn, but the female stopped chasing the frys, when I added some tiger barbs (which I think is really cool looking, mostly the colorations on the males), which I have removed for the 2nd spawn.

Also, the frys are only 1/4"... I've heard that they will chase the frys away once they have reached a size of 1/2" (where the female will be ready so spawn again). The female is also showing the colours that she is ready to spawn again (about 3 days ago) and she has started to eat more again (after I removed the frys), although the male is still trying to protect the frys that aren't there, but signalling to the frys that they should stay down as there is a threat... I'm not sure why, though.

Or maybe the female wants to spawn (as I posted on another thread) every 4 weeks, and wants to get rid of the frys in order to spawn again... I'll be looking out once she hides in the cave for a long period of time again.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[kcooley]

these are your kribs?

most cichlids will chase the fry away if they are preparing to spawn again. it would probably be a better idea to remove them like you did already. the 20G will be a great home to them for growout. the male is ready to take care of the kids and mom is ready to get busy. sounds like you have a very prolific pair. i wish i could get mine to cooperate with me so well

 

[lucky777ca]

yup, they're kribs... I'm not sure why they are as they are, it must be my water I love them so much Hopefully, they'll stay together for a long time...

Water parameters for the breeding tank.

Last week:
Temp. 77F
Nitrites 0.2 ppm (0.2 mg/L)
Nitrates 60 ppm (60 mg/L)
GH 100 ppm (5.62 dH)
kH 100 ppm (5.62 dH)
pH 8.0

This week:
Temp 79F (hopefully, I'll be able to start to keep it constant)
Nitrites 0 ppm (although I think last week's test was already at 0 ppm)
Nitrates 40 ppm
GH 150 ppm (8.43 dH)
kH 150 ppm (8.43 dH)
pH 8.0

The test is the 5-in-1 test strips... I'll be getting another test kit in 3 more weeks (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, GH, kH, pH (wide range), Iron (I would like to start adding a fertilizer enhanced with iron)... I'm not sure if I'm missing something)... the ones from Hagen from the LFS, the liquid test kits instead of the test strips.

** I've doing daily water changes of about 20% in the grow out tanks... They seem to be happy, although I saw another fry dead. ;(

 

[kcooley]

i would say to add some stem plants. that is a good way to absorb those nitrates. something very fast growing like hygrophila, or rotala.

i wouldnt worry about them "breaking up" kribs form a pair and stick with it.i would say just keep up on water changes as normal and like i said add some more plants

 

[lucky777ca]

okay, I already have some Vallisneria spiralis in the tank, but I'll adding some Egeria densa in the tank, which I have been thinking for some time now (I'm trying to grow them from the stems that the goldfishes didn't eat where all the leaves have become salad for them, and then the frys are also eating the leaves )

Thank you kcooley