Angels ate the fry

[fish_tank0311]

Hi all,

I have a pair of angelfish who are approx 2 years old, and they layed eggs several times. They were going fine with the eggs for several days, eating the dead ones, and ate the odd fry which we think was them eating the weak ones and deformed ones. Anyway they were fine with about 20 free swimming fry, looking after them and all. At one point when they were wrigglers, learning how to swim, they were all on top of the filter (which was turned off), and then some fell off the giant cliff, down the tank, then the angels go up to them and gobble them up.... thats what i thought, 30 seconds later after he gobbles up half a dozen which all fell off the filter and cant swim, he goes back up the top of the filter and spits them all out again, and they were fine! What a good parent! But then when i woke up in the morning they were all gone. 24 hours earlier they were hanging out together fine! They had all the opportunity to eat the fry the last few days! My brother said maybe i wasnt giving mum and dad enough food, but i gave them tonnes. Anyone know why this happened? They are in a tank by themselves, so other fish is ruled out. Sadly these fish are in fact being sold to somebody, hopefully tomorrow morning, although i do have another pair of black lace angels same age who breed heeps too, maybe i can get something out of them... i thought i was actually going to have some baby fish :'( and now they are ALL gone. WHYYY!?!?!??!

[ryanjury]

Sometimes fish just eat the fry, some say it is a learnt behaviour (ie the fish were artificially raised and they don't know how to be parents) some say it is caused by inbreeding (too far from the wild to remember how to care for their young).

If you want to raise lots of babies just remove whatever they have laid on and stick it in a smaller tank with meth blue and airstone to keep the water moving and hatch them yourself. There is plenty of info and pics and how to guides on google..

[raewyna]

My pair often eat eggs/fry but every now and again they get it right. One thing I have learned to do is leave a night light on for a couple of weeks. I make it dim so they can still rest, but give them enough light to see. I don't know why it helps - unless it's just giving Mun a chance to keep Dad away. But it does. I had several spawnings when I lost about 50% every night. Until I left the light on.