Adrienne Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 Came home from work tonight and wandered in to look at my pleco tank which has 6 bolivian rams in it to find one pair guarding a whole lot of fry (free swimming). Then looked at the other end of the tank to see a single bolivian ram guarding yet another batch of fry (also free swimming). Having never bred these before I assume they will be alright left with the adults or should I siphon them out? The tank is 250 litres with the bolivian rams, 5 young bn and 5 pretty peckoltias in it. Quite a bit of driftwood and a few plants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 The parents will look after the frys. Only problem will be the filter sucking them up. Congrats on the spawnings :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 I've put a stocking over the filter intake. I'm running a cf1200 on the tank but I do have a couple of powerheads and did wonder if perhaps I should turn them off. Are the BN likely to nibble the fry. They are the only ones the parents are chasing. The other plecs you never see out and about although I guess they will come out at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discusguru Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 The best way is to set up another tank :bounce: and put the frys in there with a sponge filter. The bristlenose should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 hmmmmm!! I don't think I can fit another tank in the shed. I might have to bring one back into the house. So set it up and take the fry away from the parents? or bring the parents too. Sorry for the questions and thanks for answering Ron. I only got one of the pairs about 2 weeks ago and then thought I had 5 males and one 1 female in the tank :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 I've decided to leave them where they are. Had to laugh tonight. I was watching them at feeding time and the bn were getting right in among the fry. The male ram came along and pushed the bn across the tank using his nose. No nipping, just a very firm and prolonged push across the tank away from the fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted March 10, 2010 Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 Awesome sounds like you are doing things right to have the 2 pairs with babies, odds are you will get some grow out! If you really really want them to survive you should siphon them out as it is the only way to guarantee it but sounds like you have 2 good pairs there so no need to stress. The plecos will usually eat the eggs if they are going to eat them at any stage wrigglers should be ok. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Well I siphoned out about 100 fry last Thursday and they are doing well in their own tank. Left a few with each set of parents and they had disappeared by Friday night. This evening I have discovered that one of the pairs has eggs again. Not sure about the second pair, they have disappeared out of sight so they may have more eggs as well. Are they likely to continue to spawn if I keep siphoning out the young? I am assuming that they do not spawn when they have young fry with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2010 An update - the fry are growing well and I don't seem to have lost many. However, I have another 3 spawns of them in the big tank, all free swimming today. These will definitely be left for the parents to raise themselves. I have put netting over the filter to aid this. So, not 5 males and 1 female :oops: but 3 pairs :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted April 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Well all these fry were eaten. They got to about 10 days old and then over three successive nights all three spawns disappeared. However two pairs have spawned again. I siphoned off one lot today and will siphon up the next spawn tomorrow when they all become free swimming. The first lot are growing well, not sure how many I have left but around 50 I think so pretty pleased with the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manda Posted April 22, 2010 Report Share Posted April 22, 2010 Loving the updates. Do you find the rams easy to keep? Have only had platy fry so far and am waiting for my kribs to pair up (if they do) and am looking for something else to breed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted April 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2010 Well they have spawned again (2 pairs again this time). No more space so I guess they will have to remain in the big tank where eventually they will become dinner. I do the bolivian rams easy to keep but I do not find the blue or gold rams easy to keep (in fact I can't keep them alive at all). Atm I still have about 50 fry from the first lot and about 200 fry from the last lot I siphoned off so thats enough. I don't have any more stand space and I don't have time for any more tanks atm. I currently have 5 tanks of newly hatched fighter fry to look after as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manda Posted April 24, 2010 Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 Planning on getting some as soon as I can find another tank - looking for decent sized tank now... my biggest tank is 90L and its just not big enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted April 24, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2010 mine are in a 120 X45 X 45cm tank - about 240 litres I think - you can get them made for about $90 up here and they are very well made. Well braced and 4 lids. If you want one of my pair they will be going cheap. I don't need this many fry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manda Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 where? I am in Auckland too. Keen to get on that size and thats a great price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 Have pm'd you the contact details, he also sells on tm. Tanks2U Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 His details are also here - viewtopic.php?f=24&t=42159 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted May 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2010 Thanks Zev - I couldn't find that post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manda Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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