hovmoller Posted September 30, 2010 Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 I have a large altifrons pair that have spawned several times but have always eaten the young. I have recently had to separate them due to the male beating up on the female. She spent a month in recovery and when introduced back to the male he once again beat her nearly to death this time in only one day.. I separated them again, the female lost nearly all of her tail to infections. She is now well again, tail fully healed and she is in great condition. In the meantime the male has grown bigger and stronger as well! I am almost too scared of just putting her back with the male and getting her beat up again so I was thinking of a sort of tank divider that would let smaller tetras swim through but prevent the male from beating on her.. Would then situated some rockwork along HER side of the net and hope that they are able to court each other through the divider.. enough so that she would lay her eggs on the rocks and he would attempt to fertilize them from just beside on the other side of the net. (perhaps with water current from his to her side? If succesful then just let her raise the fry.. Anyone out there with experience in this?? I have read about it where it has been used for aggresive african cichlids.. Hope someone has some great ideas of technique and material for divider?? Have looked around bunnings etc. but have not found any net/mesh that would let tetras through but stop Geos.. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkie Posted September 30, 2010 Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 If it was me i would use a piece of perspex as the devider and cut a hole in it small enough for her so if he get agressive she can escape to the other side leaving him stuck on the other this way she can come and go as she pleases and if they do spawn then just remove the male? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted September 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 If it was me i would use a piece of perspex as the devider and cut a hole in it small enough for her so if he get agressive she can escape to the other side leaving him stuck on the other this way she can come and go as she pleases and if they do spawn then just remove the male? That's a good idea and I saw that in the same book as well.. Very useful for species where there is a big difference in size between male/female eg. Jewel cichlids.. The difference in the profile of each fish is not that big though... and I would have to cut an exact oval shape for her body... but then he might get stuck there and if the female grows a bit she would not be able to fit through anymore... It's a 600x600mm cross section of tank so would be a big piece of acrylic too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navarre Posted September 30, 2010 Report Share Posted September 30, 2010 Not as pretty my pretty....(its a movie quote) but if you are going to do what you have suggested above why not just use an old oven rack or some weld mesh in a frame or held in by rocks? ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 There was an article in one of the magazines a while ago about a guy who spawned his pair of festae like that (but because the female was bigger than the male and would have killed him). Divider in the middle, flat rock on her side and a powerhead gently pushing water from his side towards the rock. Shame yours are so aggressive, hope I don't end up with problems like that! Perhaps thats why its usually recommended to keep them in harems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 There was an article in one of the magazines a while ago about a guy who spawned his pair of festae like that (but because the female was bigger than the male and would have killed him). Divider in the middle, flat rock on her side and a powerhead gently pushing water from his side towards the rock. Shame yours are so aggressive, hope I don't end up with problems like that! Perhaps thats why its usually recommended to keep them in harems... So it can be done.. that's good to hear.. As far as I have read it is very common for altifrons to include "aggresion" in their courtship behavior but as you say if I'd had a bunch of them he could have directed some of that aggresion towards the group and not just his female.. In my case it does not look like typical cichlid territorial aggresion but more the type to be expected in courtship.. but he just goes on and on and on and on...... if he could just get it in his head that this is the only female around and he needs to start treating her better! Can you remember where you saw that article David? would love to see what kind of net/mesh he used.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 I think I read the same article, Was it in a TFH mag David? Waynes New World ? Ill go flick through my mags now, If I can find it Ill scan it for ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 Of course, it was written about [probably] my favourite cichlids, I have the magazine here. He used that plastic stuff the yanks call "egg crate". Its commonly available over there and even in Australia, but all I can find here is aluminium stuff. Its used as a diffuser in air conditioning and commercial lighting, I've tried just about everywhere in the yellow pages with no luck. If you can find some of the plastic stuff here I'll gladly shout you a beer some time!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 yeah thats the stuff. Have you aske HFF David? Im sure thats what they have their corals on in the SW tanks? I may be wrong but Im sure its the stuff. Maybe give them a bell and ask. Actually I am right, They even sell it, Now come here David and buy me a beer, LOL http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Pe ... 085686.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 1, 2010 Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 Yeah that coral shelving stuff is similar, but it would make for a fairly expensive divider for a 60x60 tank. The air conditioning stuff is cheap and comes in big sheets fro Home Depot etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2010 So there is still a chance for a beer then? I remember the stuff you are talking about David but haven't seen it since secondary school back in Denmark, hehe. I also saw it in a video on cichlidforum where he used it in an african setup under the sand to place rocks on. Anyway the mesh I had in mind would ideally be 20x20mm openings, innert synthetic stuff and sort of soft so fish don't hurt themselves on it.. been looking around but can't seem to find my dream mesh.. any ideas anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 2, 2010 Report Share Posted October 2, 2010 Steal a bread tray and cut it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2010 Hmm.. not a bad idea but aren't they made of chromed steel usually? Wouldn't want to put that with my fish Come on kiwi ingenuity.. help me find the right mesh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 5, 2010 Report Share Posted October 5, 2010 Never seen a steel bread tray before, pretty sure they're all plastic.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2010 Never seen a steel bread tray before, pretty sure they're all plastic.. Sorry thought you meant the one that goes in the oven that you put a bread on after you take it out of the oven.. What kind of bread tray are you thinking of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted October 5, 2010 Report Share Posted October 5, 2010 The ones you find out the back of shops and dairys that the loaves of bread are delivered in, which is why I said "steal"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted October 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Found it!! In Mitre 10 Mega.. "Green plastic trellis 17mm squares" Have now stuck it between two acrylic frames with silicone and waiting for it to cure.. Will post in technical when I've put it in the tank.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted November 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Time for an update: Divider works really well. The pair is very interrested in each other but he can no longer beat her up Yesterday I noticed her obsessively cleaning the rocks and wanting him to come close so I lifted the divider to give them some interaction. It didn't last long until he was again constantly chasing and nipping her so divider went back in place. When I came home from work today they had already begun spawning :bounce: The males doing the best he could from the other side of the "fence" (not easy I guess) I then lifted the divider again but of course it just turned into a constant chase again. The handsome male. Female with egg laying tube showing. Finally I put the divider back in and after a while they continued the spawn. I have my doubts how succesful this spawn will be given that he was on the other side and not as participating as he should be...But she has a mouthfull of eggs now so time will tell... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted November 3, 2010 Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Very nice looking fish! Neat idea too; hope it is a success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwan Posted November 3, 2010 Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Very nice, they sure are stunning fish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted November 3, 2010 Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Great. Do you have any clearer pics of the female? I have one here I cant tell if its a female or a sub male. You are giving me hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted November 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Great. Do you have any clearer pics of the female? I have one here I cant tell if its a female or a sub male. You are giving me hope Just took a few.. sorry had to use flash because the light is quite dim in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted November 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 She is still carrying the eggs.. after 2 days that would indicate that the eggs are fertile yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted November 5, 2010 Report Share Posted November 5, 2010 That male is a stunner!!! Maybe there's something in the water, I just heard from a friend who has a group of about 12 (IIRC) altifrons in a 1000L and he currently has four pairs with eggs/fry and the tank is utter chaos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovmoller Posted November 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 No more eggs I'm guessing they were not fertilized... I guess shooting from the other side of the fence is no easy feat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.