Golden Severum laid eggs!!!!

[kooter]

:thm:

Here's the story....... I noticed that my golden severum was being very aggressive (usually very passive). I was a bit worried because she seemed "stressed". Her behaviour was like this the last 2 days. I started watching her closer and low and behold, on the rock below her is a pile of eggs!! I have a turquoise severum in the tank as well but did not know the sex of either severum, until now! Obviously the golden severum is female but can she or would she lay eggs even if they don't get fertilized? I am still unsure on the sex of the turquoise severum and she chases him/her away if he/she gets too close.
Anyone have any idea on gestation period for severum eggs or any info/comments/suggestions would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Cheers.

 

[toddnbecka]

Any female can/will lay eggs whether or not there's a male around to fertilize them. Infertile eggs will quickly turn white, if they're fertile they'll likely hatch in a couple days. Since she's chasing the turquoise off they're most likely infertile. Substrate spawners don't spawn w/out pairing up like mouthbrooders.

 

[kooter]

hhmm, ok. I looked this morning and there are probably 10 - 15 white eggs, all the rest are light brown.
I'll just wait and see what happens! Kind of exciting!

 

[toddnbecka]

Thay's odd, usually a pair of severums will both guard the eggs. What other fish share the tank? Pics of the turquoise? Are you wanting to raise the fry?

 

[kooter]

The male was trying to eat the eggs........hmmm, finally the female decided to eat the eggs too?! weird. Anyways, that sure was an experience! It looks like she is cleaning another spot?! I have 2 angels, 1 gold gourami, 2 cories , 1 feather fin synodontis besides the 2 severums.
I'm undecided if I want to raise the fry or not.

 

[toddnbecka]

Not at all unusual for them to eat the first spawn, in many cases that's a recurring issue. Once they start spawning they'll likely continue for some time, usually 5-6 rounds before taking a break. I have several pairs of cutteri that haven't stopped yet, and they're each past their 6th consecutive spawn. For that reason I house them with fish that eat their fry; nobody wants or needs a couple thousand of them. Best bet would be to move the eggs to another tank if you want to raise any. Severum fry take some time to grow out to a decent size.

 

[kooter]

Thanks toddnbecka! I don't have room for another tank at the moment,......so I'll let nature take it's course. :goldfish: I just did not expect this to happen since the turquoise severum was only introduced approx. 6 months ago. I heard that severums take awhile to pick each other. I only have the 2 of them and low and behold, they are a male and female that like each other!

 

[toddnbecka]

I'm not sure how well they like each other, sounds more like "tolerate" when they aren't spawning, but as long as they aren't fighting it's all good. I have 3 red spotted severums (were 2 pairs, 1 male died unexpectedly/overnight some months ago) and a single smaller green sharing a 125 now. The reds and the green were grown out in separate 75 gallon tanks before I set up the 125 and moved them over. No spawning yet, but they're still pretty young. They have at least doubled in size while I've had them:

The silver dollars have grown out nicely too, that white skirt tetra is as big as they ever grow:

Here's the smaller green and 1 of the 10 fat kubotai botia's: