Venustus x Trewavasae?

[need4mospd]

I have a 5" Venustus, 4-5" Trewavasae, 4" Scofoli, and a pleco in a 55 gallon tank(yes I know, too small), and today I just noticed the Venustus spitting out something. I looked closer and it was babies!!! So it looks like I've got around 15 that have survived so far and I was interested in seeing what they turn out to look like. They are VERY cool looking fry, but maybe that's just because this is my first batch.

I'm having a hard time seperating the mother with her fry. Everytime I attempt to scoop some up, she sucks em all up. So right now she is in a temporary 5 gallon tank until I can figure out how to seperate them.

I'd like to raise them for a while, and probably feed most of them to my other fish. I might keep 2-3 if they turn out cool looking.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Any tips on seperating the fry?

 

[xhibition]

Keep her in the 5gal. You could try to strip her of the fry or you could just wait it out, she will eventually no longer let the fry enter. Try to make sure she eats. You have hybrids so try to be responsible. Good luck!

 

[need4mospd]

Keep her in the 5gal. You could try to strip her of the fry or you could just wait it out, she will eventually no longer let the fry enter. Try to make sure she eats. You have hybrids so try to be responsible. Good luck!

Thanks. This morning it looked like she had spit most of them out. I'll wait it out a couple more days, make sure she is eating, then put her back into the 55gal. Of course I'm moving this weekend, so I may just leave her in there until after the move.

The hybrids won't see anything outside my home. I will probably feed most of them to my other fish because it looks like they will turn out to be more like my Venustus. And I don't have the money for a tank to hold 15 Venustus cichlids.