MarkLB Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 Hi ppl. I'm new to fishkeeping so please forgive any stupid questions. I have a pair of Cockatoo Cichlids in a tank that is 80cmLX30cmWX40cmH. 96litres. pH is 6.8 , temp is 27C. Nil Ammonia & Nitrites. The only other fish in there is a small Bristlenose. The Cichlids have spawned twice in the last month & both times the eggs have disappeared within three days. The first spawning was in a spoon shaped depression in a peice of wood. The second spawning was on the roof of a cave. I can only assume that the adults are eating the eggs. I am feeding them twice a day on flake mostly with Tubiflex as a treat every other day. I tried them on Cichlid pellets but they won't take it. Has anyone got any suggestions as to what I can do to encourage them not to scoff their eggs?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigMcN Posted January 12, 2006 Report Share Posted January 12, 2006 some thoughts... It's possible the bristlenose is scoffing the eggs overnight when the lights are out, you could try leaving a small night-light on to make it easier for the parents. They could also just be getting the hang of things. Most cichlids will go through a few spawnings before they work out exactly what they're doing and how to do it. If anything spooks them or goes awry, they'll just eat the eggs and try again. It might take them 3 or 4 tries. The eggs might be getting fungus or diseased? The parents will definitely eat any that aren't viable... C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted January 13, 2006 Report Share Posted January 13, 2006 From my recent experiences I strongly recommend removing BNs from spawning tanks. I saw a pair of bolivian rams attack a large female BN quite vigorously trying to protect a brood but made absolutely no difference as she scoffed the eggs. Either way, better luck next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 I have bred these successfully a number of times years ago and recently I have been having a similair problem they have laid 3 times now and the eggs keep disappearing.. I have been watching them to see whats going on and so far they appear to be fertile etc and alot hatch but the female doesn't remove fungused eggs (I dont know why she doesn't) and it spreads and kills all the eggs/wrigglers in the end im left with a heap of white eggs with fungus all around them and eventually the female gives up and eats them all. I ended up with about 5-10% wrigglers after 4 days last batch (4 babies) which I removed but they didn't do so well.. The next batch I have I am going to add some meth blue to hopefully help the female with the fungus and remove the male from the tank, I think I will also add a night light so that she can look after the eggs fulltime and hopefully reduce the fungus again. If that doesn't work I will remove the eggs to a bowl with meth blue and an air stone and give it a go artificially (but ive looked around and it seems people have limited success with apisto's this way and the babies also seem to grow slower).. I would remove your bristlenose and position all your tunnels etc so that you can see in them and shine a torch in there to see whats going on you may be having fungus problems as well.. Keep posting and let everyone know what you do and how you get on and ill do the same.. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 Thanks for your replies ppl. I have removed the Bristlenose so the Cockatoos now have the tank to themselves. They are courting again and I've started giving them Bloodworm, which they love. I'll keep posting and let you know how they get on. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2006 Hi all. My cichlids spawned again while I was at work on Thursday. Heaps of eggs on the roof of a cave. I had to go to Auckland for the weekend (BDO) so a friend was looking after things. She told me that the female started moving the eggs to another site. By the time I got home on Saturday there were 6 eggs at the new site and none in the cave. By Sunday morning they were all gone. I didn't get a chance to dose the tank with meth blue so fungus may be an issue although the 6 eggs that I saw looked ok. This is the third spawning so maybe practice will make perfect,lol. Would another female help matters or make them worse?? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted January 23, 2006 Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 Hi MarkLB, the gerneral behavier of apisto's is the male looks after the greater area and the female looks after the spawning site egg/fry, with this in mind .... I wouldn't add another female to your set up, the foot print (80x30) would not have enough room for the 3 fish if both females had eggs the poor male would have no were to go. I see no mention in the previse posts of water conditions althou cockatoos do not need really soft water like other apisto's, I beleave CHCH water is hard and alkaline this may be adding to your troubles. keep feeding them well but if you continue to have failed spawnings you may need to change the general hardness of the water in there tank. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2006 Thanks Caserole, I did a water test last night and I have pH 6.8, nil ammonia, nil nitrite and 10ppm nitrate. I'm not testing for hardness but I will be getting a test kit today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Hi all. To update y'all on my progress. I have added peat to my filter to up the acidity. My GH reads 60 which I think is soft enough (correct me if I'm wrong). I have been doing 10% daily water changes . I am leaving a night light on. The prospective parents spawned again on Saturday afternoon (fascinating to watch.)and the eggs have survived two nights so far. Mum has gobbled some but I'm guessing they weren't fertilised. She seems to be doing a better job this time (spawning #4) and she is fanning the eggs and chasing off any snails that get too close. I am keeping a close eye on her and if too many eggs are eaten I'm going to move Mum and Dad to the community tank & I'll add meth blue to the breeding tank. I will post again to let you all know how it goes. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Hi all. I'm gutted. I was watching Mum last night and every time I had a peek there were less eggs. I made the decision to shift Mum & Dad into the community tank but I felt so mean. :evil: They were not too happy about it and Dad is chasing Mum around the tank. I dosed the breeding tank with meth blue and put an airstone close to the cave entrance. I had a look this morning and guess what?? NO EGGS!! The only living creatures in there is some snails , the biggest is only the size of a pea. Will snails eat eggs?? I think yes. My next move is to remove all snails and put Mum & Dad back to try again. How many shifts can fish handlein a short time? I know it stresses them. Should I leave them in the Comm tank to settle before shifting them back or should I do that today before they settle? Cheers Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted January 30, 2006 Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 Id just chuck them back in today it stresses them but they will get stressed if you move them after they've settled anyway.. Im still having trouble with mine as well.. Had another lot fungus and a lot when the female laid before I removed the divider so the eggs didn't get fertilised.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted January 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 Thanks everyone for all your advice. I've got Mum & Dad back in their own tank and I'm just gunna let them get on with it. If it happens , it happens. One last question....whats the best way of getting snails out of a tank? :lol: I've heard of putting cucumber under a saucer , leaving it over night and remove it , with snails under it , in the morning. I tried and it wasn't too sucessfull. I pick 'em out as I see them and I'm removing the snail eggs but I'm hoping theres a quicker way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 I know you can get snail rid etc.. Im surprised your male cocaktoo doesn't eat them I think mine does as all the snails that were in the tank have disappeared.. I think you can get snail rid but im unsure how effective it is as ive never used it.. Short of that you could put a loach in there they are pretty good at getting rid of snails.. Good luck with the cocaktoo's im about to do a water change on mine and remove the divider soon so hopefully I have more luck so far ive only raised 1 baby it was soo much easier with my other pair years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted February 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2006 Hi all. PROGRESS Mum & Dad spawned 7 days ago and on day two I moved the spawning cave to a small tank and dosed the water with meth blue. On Sunday I noticed that I had wrigglers on the floor of the tank. I reckon theres maybe 10 or 12 but they are sooo small its hard to tell if they're all moving. I'm doing 10% water changes twice daily and I have a gentle sponge filter in with them. I'll post again in a couple of days with an update if any ones interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustcooktea Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Congratulations! :bounce: And of course we are interested so do keep us updated. We wouldn't mind photos either MCT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted February 14, 2006 Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Yeah always interested in an update mine aren't going too well, I think my male is slightly infertile as im getting alot of fungus issues and only having 2 or 3 eggs hatch out of a batch probably more but the fungused eggs get to them I think.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted February 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2006 Hi all. I had some fungus on the unfertilised eggs too. I use a plastic pipette that came in a H2O test kit to gently remove anything that isn't a wriggler. I had a rough count up last night and I have 15 or so of the little charmers. No free swimmers yet. Fingers crossed for the next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLB Posted February 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2006 Hi all. Well that didn't work. The wrigglers came to nothing Mum & Dad have spawned again (they do so every 10 days) and I'm just gunna leave them alone to do, or not do , their thing. This may be my last post on this subject and I'd like to thank the ppl who gave me advice and encouragement. Cheers all. 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.