Apisto cockatoo spawning behaviour - update: babies!!

[Sunbird73]

How long after laying the eggs should the male visit the cave and do his business?

My fm has definitely laid eggs, think yesterday morning from her behaviour, but the male seems to be oblivious to his job.

She constantly tried to entice him to the cave all yesterday but he always got distracted just before getting there, and would wander off. She slapped him in the head a few times with her tail but it didn't seem to work. He flared at her a little, but nothing else. Today he seems to be hiding behind the cave like a naughty little shirker.

I just checked for eggs, and they are there, not red like they should be, more whitish I think (hard to tell tho against the orange terracotta) so not fertilised?

Well, at least I am sure now my pretty girl is definitely a girl

[ryanjury]

The male should get in on the act while the female is laying, you never know he could have snuck in there and done what he is supposed to.. Failing that if they are only young fish it can take them a few goes to figure it all out at least you know you have a male/female so it is a good start.

[Sunbird73]

Good info thanks ryan! So shall I just leave these ones alone - she will eat them if infertile?

I didn't really want babies just before xmas anyhow, but am vy pleased with having a definite female

[Sunbird73]

Well, just fed the fish and noticed the female cockatoo being vy nippy to the guppies and hiding in a dark corner. Wondering whether she might have laid another batch outside the cave, but nearly fell over in surprise when I saw at least 5-10 babies around her! There may be more, but hard to see as they are just swimming bits of dust

OF course, just when I was going to change the water.... and when we are going away in a few days for a bit over a week *sigh*

But YAY! She didn't eat her eggs, and yay! my pretty pretty boy does love the ladies

So exciting!!

Now, being caught out in that I was so sure the eggs were not fertile, I haven't got any brine shrimp going. They look too small for microworms? Would decap brine shrimp eggs work? However, as we are getting a friend in to feed the fish once every 3-4days it might be redundant worrying about what to feed them

I will move out the guppies this afternoon, what about the panda corys? Will they eat fry or not really? Just need there to be some for my daughter to see over the next couple of days..

:happy1:

[the-obstacle]

Woo hoo! Well done. Mine are constantly trying but nothing ever comes of it.

I would have thought they'd be ok with the panda's but don't take my word on that one

[ryanjury]

The pandas will have a go at eating the fry at night because the female will move them into a pit.. But they might be ok.

If the fry are in an established tank with lots of plants etc then just keep feed them as normal crush up some flake and they should be able to find enough to nibble on and keep alive. Sure they will go better with the brineshrimp or microworms but most seem to go ok in planted tanks.

[Sunbird73]

Thanks - will keep with the microworms and crushed flake. They seem to be hanging around the xmas moss so hopefully they have been feeding there for the last few days (checked the pot on the weekend and found no eggs just a lot of debris :oops: maybe the debris was actually babies!!)

Will have to move the pandas out tonight I think, my daughter is getting a bit nervous about her precious pandys as the female is very narky with them and they are confined to the distant corner.

It is looking like there are about 20-30 of them now that my eyes know what they are looking for Nice little cloud around her, she is a very proud and vigilant mum