Green Terrors Won't get Along  - 03/29/2006
Hi crew. Thank you for all the timely help. It has been of great use for me. I have now got stuck up with a problem. I have a pair of green terrors and the problem is that the female is being bullied by the male. I cannot remove them from my tank as the tank is full of decorations. How can I get them adjusted to each other. Any help will be greatly  appreciated. Thank you
<Green terrors like other large cichlids get very territorial when they get older. Other fish compete for resources like food and shelter. Males will allow females into their territory if they are ready to breed. If not, then they are chased away until they are ready to breed. You could try lowering the temp to the mid 70's and rearrange the decorations. If that does not work then get a tank divider before he kills her.-Chuck>

Turtle Age And Spawning Green Terrors   3/20/06
Hi crew. Thanks for the earlier help. I have recently purchased a red year slider  turtle.1)! wanted to know how can I calculate its age. Its about 2  inches.
< It is probably a hatchling that was hatched about a year ago last spring.>
  2)My green terrors are not spawning. What can I do to stimulate them to spawn.
   any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanking you
< Feed them heavily with good food like live washed earthworms. The n do big 50% water changes while vacuuming the gravel. Raise the water temp to 82 F.-Chuck>

About Euthanasia, Culling Frontosa  - 03/13/2006
I have 7-Stripe Frontosas and when there are fry, they are not all perfect, I try only to sell the perfect 7-stripes, so I am stuck with the bad striped ones, I have a tank with just bad stripe that are sizes from 1 inch to 4 or more inches I figured that I can't keep doing this (keeping all the bad stripes) and the only way I will cull them is with MS-222. I just received a bottle from a company on the Internet, ( which I never thought I would be able to) but this is what I want to know, I am not a chemist (that's why I am writing you ha!) I wanted to know in terms, like how many tablespoons to how many gallons, and how do I know it they are just sleeping or dead? Do you know or do you know someone that would know more about this? I really appreciate your time, Thank you
< First of all not all frontosa in the lake have perfect stripes. While diving in Lake Tanganyika a few years ago we noticed that many frontosa have variable striping patterns. Ad Konings is a world famous photographer of rift lake cichlids. In his business he sells books, and pictures sell books. He gets the best photos of the best fish he can find. Aquarists often expect all the wild fish to match the photos in the books and are disappointed when they are not. You have made a personal choice to only sell fish that have perfect markings. Many aquarists would try and sell them off to make a profit but it is nice to see someone that has integrity and concerned about the fish they wish to promote in the hobby. MS222 (tricaine methanosulfanate, 3-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester) is a carcinogen (causes cancer). I would recommend a much safer alternative.  Place the fish you wish to kill in 17 to 34 ounces of aquarium water and add two Alka-Seltzer tablets. The fish will go to sleep and eventually die. Since you are not a chemist and may not be aware of how to safely administer the MS222 please try the WWM recommended method first. We withheld your name by request but felt that your question was very important to other aquarists and they would benefit by the reply.-Chuck>
Thank you, I will check more, but let me know if you find any thing out, Thanks again!

Breeding Green Terrors  - 03/13/2006
I have a young pair of green terror cichlids. About a week ago they spawned together and the eggs hatched. At this point they dug a hole through the gravel to the under-gravel filter and moved the "wigglers" onto the surface of the under-gravel filter. Obviously, the wigglers were sucked through the filter where the immediately ceased wiggling. I have since removed the under-gravel filter to prevent this in future spawns. I was just wondering how soon I can expect the fish to spawn again. Also, is this problem common with and under-gravel filter?
< They will spawn again in a couple of weeks if the conditions are right, maybe sooner. Cichlid aquarists don't use undergravel filters for those exact reasons.-Chuck>
Thanks,
Dan

Breeding Flowerhorns  - 1/30/2006
Hi, I've been reading your forum and it has informed me a lot, but still there are some questions that I have to ask. I am trying to breed my flower horn fish. I have a 35 gallon tank that has colored pebbles on the bottom with a 4x2 inch pot in the female side. I know that I have a pair with me right now and I did put them together in the same tank for almost a year now (with no divider), yes they would fight sometimes, some times I see my female getting worked but lately I noticed that the female has a big tummy with the straw sticking out her tummy, she was very red, and I saw the male got worked pretty bad, he lost his tail fins and scales. As a matter of fact he really got weak, so I divided them with a glass divider, now they mind each others business. The female had a big tummy for almost a month now and she lost the straw under her belly I don't see no eggs, but I see a pebble like cocoon that I know it came from her.
My question is, how long before she would lay eggs and what is that cocoon like thing that I see on the bottom of the tank? By the way it is color white and is about half an inch looks like a pebble but am sure its not. When can i take out the divider and would the eggs mature even they are separated by a divider?
Please I've me more info on hoe to successfully breed my flower horn.. I really need a lot of help, this is my first time to own a fish, any kind of fish. Eriq
< To get the fish ready do a 50% water change, and clean the filter. Get the water temp up to 82 F. When you are going to be home for awhile to watch them, pull the tank divider and watch them. If they start to act like a couple then you can leave them alone for awhile. If they are going at it then you will need to separate them and try again later. Don't know what the pebble thing is. Get it out of the tank.-Chuck>

Baby Cichlid Fry Won't Stay Alive.   1/30/06
Hi I have a 50 gallon  aquarium  and I have  a 3 male and  4 female cichlids. They are silver with a black stripe. The problem is that when the eggs starts to hatch and then after 2 days they will die. I have had this problem  going on for about  10th time now  and I tried to separate  them in a small aquarium they died then  too. I don't know  what to do. thanks ,
< After the eggs are laid they will usually hatch in three days at 80 F. They are born with an egg sack and this feeds the fry for another three days. When the eggs sack is absorbed they need to be fed fine food many times a day or they will quickly starve. Many aquarists hatch out some baby brine shrimp for their fry. Go to fishbase.org and see if you can identify your fish. Some species of cichlids have fry that are too small for baby brine shrimp and require smaller foods.-Chuck>

Breeding Jack Dempseys   1/27/06
I had three Jack Dempseys given to me.  Two were 2 inches 1 was 3 inches.  The 3" killed one of the 2". so, the small one that was left had babies.....like 100 or so.  They are now 4weeks old.  Most of them survived.  The 2" inch is now latching on to the lips of the 3" jack Dempsey and won't let go unless I separate them.  I wanted to know if I could put the 3" in my larger tank 60 gallons, with 2 orange cichlids (4in)and 1 terror (5 in.) and a catfish (8in)  and some algae eaters (3and 4 in)?  and any tips on the 85 baby jack Dempseys, they always seem to be hungry I have to feed them 3 times a day!! They are still in a tank with the mother, the tank is 10 gallons.  (the babies are about 1/4 in to 1 inches they are all different sizes in between) Monica Sandoval
< When you move a new fish in with fish that are already established , it is a good idea to rearrange the aquascaping so all the fish are looking for a new territory and not just defending the old ones. Time to move the babies to a tank of their own. This tank is way too crowded with all the babies.-Chuck>

Feeding Jack Dempsey Fry   1/30/06
What should I be feeding the babies and how much?
<Jack Dempsey babies are pretty easy to raise. They do well on baby brine shrimp, microworms and finely crushed flake food.>
I am setting up a 30 gal tank today to move the babies into a new home, what is really important to have in the new tank to start?
<Use Bio-Spira to get the bacteria going on the filter. You have already experienced high nitrogenous waste problems because the fish are already many different sizes. Watch for ammonia and nitrite problems.>
I have never had so many survive before.
< If you put the adults together you will have another chance in a couple of weeks.-Chuck>

Breeding Convicts   1/26/06
Hi crew. I have two questions?
1) I have a pair of a convicts. A pink male and black female. They are about 3.5inches long. They have spawned about 5-6 times. The LFS keeper says that they won't spawn again as the number of fry has decreased in the last spawn. Is it true?
< They will spawn again. It is just a matter of time and conditioning.>
I love my convicts and want them to reach the max. size of 6inches. Should I separate the pair and grow them separately as they are 1.5 yr old and have not reached their maximum size?
< Your convicts will either put their resources towards reproduction or growing. Separate them and they will grow faster than if you kept them together and they continued to spawn every few weeks.>
2)Will feeding large amount of live brine shrimps to the fry cause gill flukes or any other disease?
<No.-Chuck>
Any help will be greatly appreciated. thanking you.

Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids   1/20/06
Greetings! I am Leo Ilagan of the Philippines. I'm a new flower horn hobbyist and I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with
some of my questions. First, Is it true that I can breed two flower horns even with a divider between them and a small space beneath it?
< Yes, it is possible to breed substrate spawning cichlids using the divider method. This is often done with plastic egg crate type material purchased from a hardware store in 4'x2' sheets.>
Second, is it still necessary to put gravel, plants, rocks or any other form of decoration in my tank?
< Some aquarists have had better luck using a flower pot or a rock as a focal point for the spawn. It not used they will lay the eggs on the glass and then they cannot be removed and hatched artificially.>
Third, I have a flower horn who remains small even after a month and I would like to ask if after separating him from the larger ones, could he still grow to his potential size and form?
< Females stay usually smaller than the males. You could also have a "runt" that genetically will not grow to the size of the others.>
And last, does chipped skin or scales grow back after being bitten by fellow flower
horns?
< Usually the scales will grow back but maybe not as nicely patterned as the original scales .-Chuck> Hope you can help me and I'm glad I found your website. Many thanks
in advance.

Firemouth Female Worn Out After Breeding   12/28/05
Hi, I have a 420 litre freshwater tank with a pair of firemouths and a pair of convicts.  Recently the firemouths have bred and the female has been
guarding the fry, but she has not been eating.  Today I found her lying prostrate on the bottom of the tank, having abandoned the fry, and only
taking the occasional swim around the tank.  I have moved her into a 170 litre quarantine tank because the convicts were beginning to attack her.
The water quality is all fine, but she does appear to have symptoms similar to an intestinal obstruction.  I was wondering if it is possible that she
may have had an obstruction with the ovipositor when she was laying eggs, possibly leading to an infection?  All the other fish are fine and healthy
and showing no signs of illness or distress and as I said the water conditions are perfect.  I am running a Sacem marathon 1500 canister filter
@ 1600l/h  and a UV sterilizer and a 2000l/h internal filter.  This is also the first time she has bred, could this be a factor in that she was too
attentive to her eggs/fry and neglected her own health by not coming out to eat ?  Thanks for your help.
< Breeding takes it toll on fish , especially the females. You are probably seeing a female that have lost a lot of body weight by laying eggs as well as guarding them to the very end. In her weakened state she may have come down with an internal bacterial infection. Separate her and treat her with Metronidazole. You might try and scatter some blackworms in the tank and get her back some body weight.-Chuck>

Red Devil Cichlid Without A Mate  12/26/05
Hello, Great Site!
< Thanks, We like it too.>
I have a solitary female Red Devil in a 80 gallon   tank. She laid a LOT of eggs on her black pipe (her cave). I am curious if laying eggs without a mate present is normal behavior?   Will the eggs just sit there forever? Will they eventually come off   and get filtered out? She's incredibly aggressive right now, and I'm   concerned about how she will be when her eggs don't hatch.
< In 24 hrs or less the eggs will fungus or die. They will decompose and be picked up in the filter. Females in good shape will do this even without a male present. After the eggs are gone she will calm down until she does it again. maybe in two weeks.-Chuck>

Cichlids Breeding With Nothing To Show For It  12/22/05
Hello! I hope very much that you may be able to advise me.
I have a pair of Central American Cichlids - Fenestratum. I acquired the large, aggressive male fish after he was introduced to a friends established cichlid aquarium and was beaten up by the other fish when he bullied them and they ganged up on him. He spent a few days recovering in an "intensive care" cooler/cool box/esky and then continued his convalescence in the new and huge tank that I bought to accommodate him. I rather enthusiastically bought him a wife, slightly smaller than him at 6 inches ( he is about 8 or 9 inches) When I bought her she was full of eggs and very keen, and almost immediately they laid a small batch of eggs and successfully nurtured them for several weeks, displaying for my delight all the intricacies of cichlid courtship, breeding and parental care behaviour. Eventually the babies started to be threatened by the bored? father and I removed them to a small tank to grow. My problem is this. My adult fish continue to repeatedly lay batches of eggs, but none have been successful hatched since the first "beginners luck" batch. After they have lost/eaten a batch of eggs. He cools off towards her and can injure her or force her into hiding so I keep them separated with a transparent tank divider until they are ready again. It takes them 2-3 weeks before they are "friends" again and 2-3 days to court and lay. Usually about 90% of the eggs in a batch go white and fungus, and a very small proportion will hatch, but I think the fish feel it is wasteful to invest in only 10 or 20 wrigglers and eat them at this point. These fish are and have been the only fish in the tank. They are otherwise completely healthy, with healthy appetites. They seem to do everything right in terms of general and breeding behaviour according to my Central American cichlid books (Konings and Conkel) They have both grown visibly since I have had them. I keep the tank clean and tidy, but not over clean it. I have a good quality established external canister filter running. I feed them a varied diet of 3 different types of cichlid food plus meal worms, and try not to overfeed ( they are always hungry) I keep them at the recommended temperature. In the 4 months that I have had them I have treated them once with an ich remedy and water changed twice since, and given a handful of doses of melafix tea tree remedy for injuries, but otherwise no meds in there. My question is this. Has one of them become infertile, and if so which one and why, and is there anything I can do to improve this? I was utterly delighted when they seemed such perfect fish parents so soon after I got them, and I have been very disappointed that everything has gone downhill since. The original babies are now about 2 inches, and there are very few of them left. I am reluctant to part with them if I will never have any more to enjoy. I am so grateful for your wisdom.
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Add carbon to remove any left over medication. I suspect your problem is high nitrates from only doing two water changes in 4 months. Do weekly 25% water changes to control nitrates. The melafix may be affecting the sperm of the male and somehow prevent them from getting to the eggs. Cichlids usually spawn every couple of weeks when the female is ready. Watch them closely when you put them together so he doesn't kill her.-Chuck>

Getting the babies... Convict Cichlids  12/16/05
Hey Bob, nice website you got. I was just wondering, how do you get the babies out of the tank?
<Usually just netting them, sometimes they can be siphoned... sometimes removing the parent/s, other livestock instead...>
Right now they're in a 40 gallon tank with the parents and another convict. They don't really bother each other, only till they get near each other, that when they start to bug each other. But I did look at the article about convict cichlids, and I read that you have to use an airline tubing to get the babies out of there and into their own tank. Can I use the same tubing I use to clean the tank with?
<Yes... but with Convicts, best to remove the parents, leave the young in place till they're larger... dime-sized or bigger>
Or do I use airline tubing? And how big does the tank for the fry have to be? Can I use a one and a half gallon? Or do I buy a 5 gallon?
<"Bigger"... the better>
Well I hope I did not ask to much for just getting the babies out. And your site still rocks!!!!! Sean
<Because of folks like ourselves writing back and forth. Cheers, Bob Fenner>

Too Much Of A Good Thing, Or Be Careful What You Wish For!  12/5/05
Hello, I wrote in July and announced the hatching of babies for my Severum couple. I have now had 2 batches and still have the nursery of fish in with the parents. I have relocated 75 babies and I am moving the others as possible. I have watched the babies for the last couple of months continuously swim behind the daddy fish. He positions himself nose down a lot of the time in the tank. He can and does swim correctly and eats very well but is noticeably vertical at times. What can this be?
< The male is using his ventral fins to signal the fry.>
Do you know a good way of getting homes for the approximately 150 other babies? Thanks for the help. Debbie
< When the fry are about 1 1/2 inches long you can start to call pet shops and tropical fish stores in your area and see if you can sell or trade some of the fry. They may take some and you can make a couple of bucks out of the deal. Go Aquabid.com and see if you want to sell them over the internet. Their may be a local aquarium society in which you can place some of the fry up for auction at a meeting. Their is a national club called the American Cichlid Association that can be found at cichlid.org. They have a publication they put out called the Trading Post in which members can buy and sell fish. Lots of possibilities. Sometimes these big New World cichlids will produce thousands of fry and take care of a market for the entire country.-Chuck> 

Egg Eating Rams Moving to New tank  12/1/05
Hi there and thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
I have a 25 gallon freshwater with 1 pleco, 3 gold rams, 1 curviceps cichlid 
<<Chuck, or anyone else, if you get a chance, would you provide me with the genus and species of this animal?  Marina>>
<<<Flag cichlid.  Used to be Aequidens curviceps, is now Laetacara curviceps .>>>
and 2 African butterfly cichlids, 2 plants, a large rock/cave, piece of wood on slate and a small bridge. 2 of the rams have had eggs 4 times thus far and each time the eggs are eaten/disappeared usually when I wake up in the morning and after usually 2 days. The butterfly cichlids I purchased about 4 weeks ago have just laid their second batch of eggs. The first batch had the same fate as the ram eggs. Any idea's of what I can do to try to help them keep the eggs? Should I try an egg light (read that on your site)?
< After spawning the fish are exhausted and have expended a lot of energy to spawn and have worked up an appetite. Try to keep them well fed with lots of baby brine shrimp or micro worms. Egg eating is a problem for these species and they can get into a habit of eating eggs that is hard to break. the eggs could be removed and hatched artificially.>
I am also purchasing a 55 gallon that I would like to move most of the occupants too, but still keep one of the mated pairs in the old 25 gallon. What is the best way to get the new tank safely cycled and not damage the old tank or kill any of my fish when they get moved?
< Take some of the old gravel and place it in the new tank. The bacteria in the old tank are needed to get the bacteria in the new tank going. Add new fish slowly over a week or so. Quarantine any new fish from the store for at least a couple of weeks before adding them to an established tank.>
Is it possible to run the new filter for the 55 gallon on the 25 gallon without doing any harm to the fish and using the old 25 gallon filter with the new tank to help the process? Should I move some of the substrate and/or plants, ornaments?
< Swapping filters for awhile will not harm anything.>
Thank you for any help you can provide, I really appreciate it. Your site is a great resource, thanks for all the time and work you all put into it. Troy
< Thanks for your kind words.-Chuck> 

Breeding Apistogramma cacatoides  12/1/05
I have a 20G tank with 3 females and 1 male. It is planted, ph is around 6.2.  Water hardness is around 4 kh. There are also 6 Flame tetras in the tank. I have tried but cannot get the Apisto's to breed. Also the temp is around 76f and they are fed a variety of frozen foods (Bloodworms, Brine Shrimp, White Mosquito Larvae).  I also use a Hagen CO2 system and nitrates run around 10 to 15 ppm.  Is there anything else that might encourage them ? Thanks Dean Smith
< Raise the water temp to 80 F. Provide numerous small caves at scattered locations throughout the bottom of the tank. These little cave spawners spawn in rolled up dead leaves in the wild. When they spawn the female will turn bright yellow and be guarding the area.-Chuck>

White Worms With Baby Fish  12/1/05
Hi, I am currently breeding Ps. demasoni. Tonight, when I stripped the female of her fry (still with egg pouch attached), into a small, plastic breeding container, what I noticed with the babies was tons of these little white worms. They obviously came out of the mothers mouth with the babies. My question is, is this a parasite, and if so, will it hurt the babies or other fish, and should I expect this parasite to be in my tanks, i.e., in my other fish as well? What do I do?
< This is not normal. I am guessing that these may be gill flukes. Treat with Fluke-Tabs. This will get rid of any invertebrates in the tank.-Chuck> 

Fluke-Tabs With Fry  12/2/05
Really cool. Thanks. I'll try that. But will fluke tabs hurt my babies?  They still have the egg pouch.
<I have not heard of any problems with fry, but to be safe you could put the fry in another container while you treat the main tank.-Chuck> 

Convicts and Genetics - 10/30/2005
I have 3 breeding pairs of black convict cichlids, two of which have babies at the moment. My smallest pair have their babies right in the front of the tank (babies are 3-4 weeks old) and I've noticed that maybe 10 of the babies seem to be pink. The other couple has all black babies and most of the pair in fronts babies have the beginnings of black lines too. This is their first brood so I don't have any past experience to draw on. I'm wondering; is it possible to get naturally occurring pinks?
<Mm, by "naturally occurring" if you mean an original natural mutation, not highly likely.>
I was told in order to get pinks I'd need one parent to be pink and that the brood would hatch equal parts each color. 
<Mm, actually, I believe this "pink" trait is recessive.... Basically, your pair that has some pink offspring are both heterozygous for this trait - they carry the gene for the color, but do not exhibit it. Thus, roughly 25% of their offspring will exhibit that trait. 25% of them will be homozygous for the black trait and not carry the pink trait. 50% of them will carry the trait but not show it. A pair consisting of one pink fish and one heterozygous black fish would have 50% heterozygous fry that carry the trait but do not exhibit it, and 50% pink fry. A pair consisting of one pink fish and one fish homozygous for the black gene would have all fry heterozygous for the trait - they'd all carry the pink gene, but none would show it.>
I have found TONS of info on convict breeding, but nothing on natural albinos or how the gene begins. I'd love to hear your thoughts and I'd be happy to send pictures once they get a little bigger. -Anna
<Sounds like you're having great success with them. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Moving Jack Dempsey Fry 10/13/05
I have a question. I currently have 2 Jack Dempseys who have recently bred.  The spawn is about a week old now and are growing pretty well . They are in a 29 gallon right now they get flake food 2 times a day and blood worms once a
day. Is there anything else I should be feeding them ?
< The fry should get some baby brine and micro worms.>
Not only that but they are still in a tank with their parents who are first time breeders will they be ok or should they be moved.
< Move them soon or they will be eaten.>
I'm a little concerned with moving them so if it is a wise idea I was thinking of moving the parents but I don't want to disturb their breeding grounds either what is the best suggestions for this?
< Siphon the fry out into a bucket with airline tubing with water from the original tank.-Chuck> 

Convict Basics  10/6/05
I have tried to find book on how to breed convict cichlids, I am not a beginner on aquariums, however I want to expand and start breeding tropical freshwater fish! I want to find a book containing atmosphere, tank size, temperatures, "decorations", and basically all I need to know on breeding these  "Tank Criminals", if you could help in any way please email me back with some  
response, thank you very much for you  time.
< To breed convicts you need a pair. Males are larger than females with longer fins. Females often have a orange patch on the belly area. When they are about 2 inches you can feed them very well on some live or frozen food. Do big 50% water changes. Keep the water around 80 to 82 F. This will get them to spawn. The eggs hatch in three days and the fry become free swimming in another three. At this stage they need to be fed baby brine shrimp, micro worms, and crushed flake food. They should separated from the parents at this stage. Good luck.-Chuck.>                                                                
Reed

Strange Convict Breeding Behaviour  9/20/05
Hi, thanks for reading my post. I have a female convict that has been with 3 males over the past 2 months but nothing has ever happened after they each pair up, dig a site, and presumingly after they lay and fertilize eggs. Since I doubt there is anything wrong with the 3 males. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE FEMALE IS DROPPING FLAWED EGGS?
Currently, the poor male spends his entire waking hours with eyes glued on the eggs, as if the eggs are going to hatch any second. But it's been 8-10 days now.  Also, the female has now started to engage in some "two-timing" by getting very friendly with her "Original" male mate. CAN SOMEONE COMMENT ON THIS SITUATION? Sabrina? Thank You so much. Tony
< Males are usually larger than the females and have longer fins. Most females have an orange patch on the belly areas. At 82 F the eggs should hatch in three days. Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Pick one male and leave her with the female. Feed them heavily with black worms or small washed earthworms. After they spawn the eggs should hatch in three days. Unfertilized eggs turn white and soon fungus. The newly hatched fish resemble a small wiggling mass for an additional three days. After that they absorb their egg sac and become free swimming and require small food like newly hatched brine shrimp. If you don't get any fry with this male then swap him out for another after a couple of attempts. I suspect that the males are so busy fighting over the female that none of them has the time to fertilize the eggs.-Chuck>

Convict Breeding Question - II - 09/16/2005
Since I'm retired, about all I do all day is take part in this interesting hobby.
<Sabrina here, in Bob's stead, and envious of your use of time!  Wish I could do that.>
14-16 inches of (cichlid) fish in a 39 gallon tank doesn't seem like a lot.
<A mating pair can terrorize and even kill the other fish.  Even if none pair up to spawn, these guys will really peat each other up.>
I have a carrying Yellow lab in my only extra tank so I would have to buy another convict breeding tank. But like I said, it's a pretty peaceful environment with the other convicts rarely venturing 3/4 the way across the tank. But since convicts don't have "egg spots" like their African cousins, if you could just tell me how the fertilization process is accomplished, I'd surely appreciate it.  
<These are not mouthbrooders, hence no egg spots.  The female will lay part of the clutch, and the male will fertilize....  they usually will spawn in a cave, under an overhang, or in a pit if no other suitable structure is available.  If a pair successfully spawns in this tank, the remaining fish are likely to be quite damaged.  I'm not confidant that a pair can/will spawn, however, with the increased stress of having so many conspecifics about.  Keep in mind, a single pair's territory in the wild can consist of several square feet of surface area....  Pack them in like this, and they're not going to behave naturally.>
Thanks Again !!
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

Cichlid Fry Flying Away 7/26/05
Hello, Unbeknownst to me, my black convict and tiger cichlids have reproduced in my 55 gallon tank. I have never experienced this joy, and have some questions/concerns. I observed the wrigglers swim to the top, but they proceeded to morph into insects (white in color, six legs, obviously, and a pair of wings) at the surface. I have been feeding frozen bloodworms, and wonder if that may be an explanation, i.e. could it be larvae from the worms??
< Cichlid fry don't change species and turn into insects. It is probably the worms or mosquitoes.>
I noticed the eggs yesterday and they happened to hatch today, so the tankmates have all been moved, save for my 4-inch Pleco. I do know, however, that this is the first spawning attempt, and am curious as to what the process is as a whole. In other words, after the eggs hatch, how will the fry look ( not concerned about coloring/patterns, but more so the shape and size, primarily)? Should I move the "fry" to a tank of their own if I find one that doesn't morph? Is it normal for the fry to change in such a way (I assume the answer is, "NO," but again, I have never seen such a process in action)?
< New World cichlids like your are substrate spawners and lay their eggs on hard surface. If the eggs are fertile they usually hatch in three days at around 80 F. After 3 days the wriggles become free swimming and need to be fed baby brine shrimp or crushed flake food. The fry should be removed from the parents  within the next week so the parents don't eat them.>
Please understand that I am new to this, and my philosophy is the only stupid question is the one not asked. I have read your forum thoroughly, and really appreciate the knowledge contained within; I did not find the answers I was seeking and opted to e-mail to see what the heck is going on in that tank of mine. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Helen Graf-Blough
< I am surprised that the cichlids don't eat the insect larva. Use fluke-tabs to get rid of them in the aquarium.-Chuck>

Green Terror Fry 7.24.05
We had a great group of little green terrors about 2 weeks old. The dad guarded them from the beginning. We removed Mom and let dad take over.
Once the fry were able to swim around, the Dad ate them, all of them. Is this normal? It was the first set the mom and dad had.  
Any idea how long it will be before they mate again?
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks! Dana
<It happens.  I have a pair of angels that like to take care of their eggs for about a week then eat them.  I'm convinced they are just raising them until the are ripe enough to eat.  Your terrors will most likely breed again in the next few months, just provide warm clean water and they should take care of the rest.  I would try leaving both parents to raise the young this time and see if you have more success. -Gage>

Re: green terror fry - dad ate them :( 7/29/05
Thanks a great deal. I spent the day frustrated yesterday, felt like going fishing but decided against it and just traveled north up 95. I had to leave or the daddy green terror was fixing to become filleted Oscar treats.
We bought a tank back in January to break the monotony of the house and office. Now we have 4 tanks running and just bought another one yesterday.
We have an Arowana that outgrew his first tank fairly quickly.
<I see>
Hopefully the Terrors will breed again.
<Almost undoubtedly>
They were my favorite from the beginning and we have 3 alone in one tank. The two bigger ones, male and female are of a lighter colored breed, and the smaller one, the actual dad is blue and more colorful. It would of been interesting to see the babies and what color they would of been.
<Likely a mix of all types>
It's a flip of the coin on leaving mom and dad next time. I think once they can swim, they're going about life on their own. Is this an ok move?
<Yes, one approach>
I'd hate to let an Oscar go in that tank if they eat the babies again. If I did want to get mean, I do have a 4 inch black convict that could teach them all a lesson.
Thanks for the input!
Dana
fishchairs.com
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Jaguar Cichlid and Jack Dempsey? 7/11/05
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a 55 gallon tank that currently holds one 5" Raphael Catfish, one 2" Red Devil, one 5" Plecostomus, one 4" Jack Dempsey, one 3 3/4" Jaguar, and one 6" Oscar. In this tank I have a fake log which has many hidey-holes.
<You are going to need a much larger system... soon>
My Jack Dempsey has been trapping the Jaguar in one of these holes. The Jaguar puts no resistance to the Jack at all, and when (if) the Jack goes out of the hole the Jaguar stays. Though I have seen the Jack 'peck' the Jaguar for no apparent reason when in the hole. Is this normal?
<Yes>
Or could the Jack have a fancy for the
Jaguar?
<Likely not>
Why would the Jaguar put up with it if it is not normal?
<To avoid damage>
And is it at all possible for them to mate? (I am pretty sure that the Jaguar is a female and the Jack Dempsey a male)
<Possible to cross, but at their sizes... this is simple aggression. Bob Fenner>
Christine

Breeding Dempseys in a Mixed Tank
We have three Jack Dempsey's in a 55 gallon tank, two are breeding together and the female has laid eggs three times now. My question is how to keep the eggs alive? The night before the eggs should hatch, I look in the tank the next morning and all the eggs are gone. Also in the tank are two Angelfish and a sucker fish and they stay away from the eggs because they are well guarded by the parents. So I do not think that they are being eaten by the other fish. Thank you, Chris
<If that Sucker Fish is a Pleco, he's eating the eggs at night while the parents are asleep. It's also possible that they are hatching and being eaten by the adults. They will take there own young if they feel some other fish will get them. Better for them to recycle the protein than loose it to others. The way of nature. I strongly recommend that you get this pair their own tank. They will (not may) kill the others in the tank at some point. Your Angelfish are very lucky to be alive right now. Don>

Texas/Convict Cross
Interracial dating??? Hi, I have a 30 gal aquarium with one Texas (about 4"), two convicts (about 2"), and one Koi (about 5").  I recently noticed one of them has spawned inside a tipped over pot I put in there as 'territory'.  I watched for a while, and to my amazement realized it was the Texas cichlid who laid the eggs and the convict (who is about half the Texas' size) who was in there with her, fertilizing.  They both take turns guarding the nest and do so aggressively.  Has anyone run into this before???
< Yes, it happens all the time.>
Now I know they prooooobably are NOT going to successfully breed (LOL), but what's the deal???
< Fish have a need to reproduce. When the proper mate is not available they choose the next best thing.>
Do they often form weird, cross-species pair bonds like that... or do I just have some seriously crazy fish?
< This normally does not happen when both sexes of the same species are present.>
And with Texas Cichlids forming pair bonds, will I be able to intro a male Texas (later, in a larger tank, of course) and will they realize and form their own pair bond?
< If a male Texas is introduced it will probably pair up with the correct female. The sooner the better.>
Will she dump her little felon man for a hearty Texan????
< Hopefully and probably.>
Will her ex con try to murder her by slipping rat poison in her drink???? lol, OK, just going a little Soap Opera here... ; )  But seriously....  Can someone help me out with my weird fish?  Kim
< Get the proper sexes to pair your fish up and hopefully nature will take care of itself.-Chuck>

Will my Jack Dempsey always eat her fry?
My Jack Dempsey's just had their first spawning.  She fanned, she hidden
them and then when you could see them wiggling around she ate them.
Will she always eat her fry?
Debbie Borolov
<Mmm, no, unlikely. Often the first batch or two of New World cichlids go this route... eaten that is... with the parents "learning" as successive broods come along. Bob Fenner>

Crossing Cichlids
I just wanted to know if its possible for a red devil and a convict to breed?
< There are many cases of different Central American cichlids
hybridizing with one another.-Chuck>

Sexing Cichlids
I know this is an odd question and many expect you to know how, but how do you vent a fish? I hear that you have to hold the fish, but wouldn't that take off the protective slime on their body? How do you know if the fish is a female or male if you do not have the opposite to compare 'results' with?
< Venting cichlids is an easy and reliable way of sexing many cichlids. I catch the fish in a net take them out of the water under strong like and simply look at the area on the belly between the pelvic fins and the anal fin. There you should see two openings. One opening is where the fish waste comes out. The other is a sex organ where the eggs or sperm is released during spawning. In females that opening is larger for eggs . In males it is usually the same size as the waste opening. Fish with large eggs such as Tropheus are very easy to sex this way. Fish with small eggs like Uaru are still difficult to tell.-Chuck> 

Sexing Cichlids
I'm sorry, but I forgot to add my other question, I guess I forgot when typing the first question, but I was wondering how or if you can sex cichlids early, like around 4 months old, because I cannot figure if my Jack Dempsey is Male or Female same with my Oscar.
< In general males are larger with longer unpaired fins. Female jacks tend to have a very blue lower jaw and not many blue spangles on the body. Oscars are very difficult until they get larger. Look underneath at their ventral area. The female will have two openings of the same size. Males should have one opening larger than the other.-Chuck> 

Flowerhorns Mating
Greetings, Well, I've got a cichlid which I called Canon. After that, I've got a flower horn who is Dranzer. I put them in the same tank, a ten gallon tank with a divider in it. A couple of days later, I found some eggs on Canon's part. I didn't mind it because it might not hatch. But three days later, it was filled with white fungus and was swept away. Another days later she laid eggs but the eggs were also filled with fungus. How can I keep fungus away?
< The fungus is usually the result of infertile eggs.>
Can a Flowerhorn and a cichlid mate?
< A Flowerhorn is a man made cichlid that is a hybrid between three different species. It is possible it could breed with another Central American cichlid.>
How can my Flowerhorn get good colors and a protruding head?
< With good nutrition an good water quality you can get some pretty good results as long as the fish has the genes for those traits you desire.>
How can I breed fishes?
< Breeding cichlids is actually pretty easy. Make sure you have a pair and set them up with warm clean water. They will usually do the rest and even raise the fry.-Chuck>
Hope for your reply, Nikki 

Egg Laying Parrot cichlids
How long from laying of the eggs until hatching?
< At 80 degrees F the eggs will hatch into wrigglers. In another three days the wrigglers will become free swimming and need to be feed baby brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food.-Chuck>

Re: Snails and Planted Tanks
Hi Mr. Fenner,
Sorry to bother you, but here is a short and last one on that topic. Forgot to ask in the last mail.
Are a Pomacea bridgesi and a Malayan trumpet snail going to be a danger for the eggs of my dwarf cichlids (ramirezi and Apistogramma cacatuoides)? And for discus eggs (not there yet, but might happen eventually)?
Many thanks!
Dominique
<Likely not... these small and large cichlids are quite protective and aware of such possible predators and should keep them at bay should they approach their spawn. I have seen and kept them altogether. Bob Fenner>

MAKING A NEW APISTOGRAMMA
I would like to breed a few different color varieties of Apistogramma species together. Do you think I could cross-breed with them an Apistogramma trifasciata, they look almost identical! The reason I ask this is because I know some people do not approve of cross-breeding different species.
<With close to 100+ species of Apistogramma already I am not sure what kind of fish you want to end up with. You could line breed certain species and develop new colors. There are already double and triple red cacatuoides and agassizii. These are being mass produced in Asia. I have never heard of a hybrid between two different Apistogramma species but I suppose it is possible. Check with Neil at Apistogramma.com.-Chuck>

PARROT CICHLID EGGS
In one of my tanks, I have a pair of Parrot Cichlids who have laid eggs and I cannot find anywhere as to how long before the fry hatch.
< At 80 degrees F the eggs should hatch in three days. In another three days the fry should become free swimming and will need to be fed baby brine shrimp or crushed flake food.-Chuck>

CICHLID CROSS
I have a jaguar and a Jack Dempsey. They appear to be a breeding pair.
< It could happen.>
Has this happened before?
< I am sure it has.>
They are both about 4" and appeared to have laid eggs before which all disappeared before morning (gotten eaten?). A few weeks later, there were hundreds of eggs again on the back of a rock. A few white but mostly clear. The female Jag appears to be very aggressive towards the Jack, chasing him away. I have only seen them together peacefully on a few occasions but always away from the eggs. Today is day 2. How do I know if the eggs have been fertilized and is there anything I need to do to facilitate that if they have not been? 
< You can remove the eggs and hatch them artificially to see if they are any good. The white eggs are dead and the clear ones are still good. In a 5 gallon aquarium you can fill it with water from the main tank. Remove the stone or rock the eggs are laid on and place it in the 5 gallon tank. Keep the water at 80 degrees with an airstone close to the eggs to provide circulation. Add some Methylene blue to the water too. The eggs should hatch in three days. the fry turn into a mass of jelly as they absorb their egg sac. Three days later the fry are free swimming and they need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food.>
I can't even come near the glass without the jag getting aggressive. They are in a 125 gallon tank with 2 algae eaters and a pike which is also still small and almost never comes out. Any suggestions?
<The pair will continue to guard the fry and eggs like all cichlids do to some extent. It may be better to remove the pike to save him.-Chuck>

BABY CONVICTS
Hi, I have a pair of Convicts they spawned and now I have about 100 little guys swimming around. right now there in a 10 gallon, and yes I know that the tank is to small for them I just wanted them to grow more before I put them in my 30 gallon. My question was when do I take the babies out? As far as I can tell they haven't started to pick them off yet, so are they fine for now or do I need them out ASAP?  Thanks - Halisha
<They can actually be taken out at any time. If they are free swimming then siphon them out with some airline tubing and feed them baby brine shrimp. After about two weeks the parents get ready to spawn again and will eat the fry.-Chuck> 

FIREMOUTH EGGS
Our Firemouth cichlid eggs have turned white and have been placed in a breeder net. How long before they hatch?
<Unfortunately white eggs are bad or unfertilized and will not hatch. Normally cichlid eggs hatch in about 3 days at 80 degrees. They then turn into wigglers for another three days. When they become free swimming they need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food.-Chuck>

MOVING MATED CONVICTS
Hi guys. First off, I just wanted to say again that you guys are awesome.
I have a pair of convicts that just began breeding - about 2 week old fry right now, and it looks like they're guarding some more eggs.  The tank they are in was intended for an Oscar (he is in there with them now)... it was supposed to be a temporary home for the convicts and then they would be moved to their own tank - but they were too quick for me.
I have 2 questions...
1 - Can I move them safely to the other tank, without disrupting the fact that they have started breeding? (I'm pretty sure that since they are already breeding, they will continue to, but just want to be sure)
< Move the pair to one tank and then move the fry or eggs to another tank of their own if you want to save them.>
2 - The "nest" they have set up is inside the hollow leg of a somewhat large tank decoration. Should I be moving this decoration with them? Or will the decorations/hiding places in their new tank be ok? (I would like to keep the one they are using in the current tank, but will move it if necessary)
< Convicts are pretty adaptable and will soon find another suitable ornament or rock to spawn on.-Chuck>

How to breed Flowerhorns
Hello!
I have a pair of flower horns. When I put them in the same tank, it seems that they are mating coz each of them are flaring to each other. After a day or two, I saw the eggs on the hatchery. However, after laying eggs, I noticed that my pets are now fighting? Which should I leave in the hatchery, the male or the female? For how long should I place one of them on the tank where the eggs were laid? Please help on this matter. I’ve been experimenting 4x already and up to now, I can’t them to hatch their eggs. Hoping for your immediate response. Thanks! Dale Dwayne
< Flower horns are a man made fish that have been developed to show certain traits that are favorable to the Asian culture. If you want to save the eggs then they can be taken away from the parents and hatched artificially. Fill a 5 gallon tank with the same tank water that the parents are in. Remove the rock or stone with the eggs and place them in the 5 gallon tank with an airstone to provide aeration and current. Put a few drops of Methylene blue in the water to inhibit any fungus growth. Keep the water at 80 degrees. In three days the eggs will hatch and they will turn into a little wiggly mass of fry. At the end of three days the fry will have absorbed their egg sack and they will become free swimming. At this time they can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food. If after a few attempts all the eggs die (Turn white) you either have two females or an infertility problem.-Chuck>

Cichlid lovefest
Dear crew. I'm not new at fish (cichlids) but I need help with my fish. I'm keeping many cichlids in my 250 gallon.
3.red devils,
6.adult convicts,
4.firemouths,
7.flowerhorns,
3.parrot cichlids
5.pacus
2.oscars
most of them are not very small but can handle the convicts and Flowerhorns but soon my adult pink convict started to think she's going to breed with one of the red devil who is the rulers of my tank! My pink convict started to flare at the red devil and simply don't pay attention to her! Then she started digging at a corner and the red devil seems to help! But they are not even guarding the spot they are digging! Is this just for fun or are they really going to have babies??
-Sean
< Your female white convict looks like she is getting ready to breed with your red devil. They both come from central America and have similar breeding techniques. They have been crossed before with viable fry. Typically they are not very attractive.-Chuck>

Mixing cichlid species repro.
so your saying that my two fishies are not going to breed!!!
< It is possible and probable that your convict would indeed cross breed with your male red devil. Unfortunately this has been done before but the fry have not been very attractive or commercially desirable.>
That stinks!! Should I get 2 or 3 male adult black because all my other convicts are all females and I want to get black to see what a black and pink breed together!
< If you get a black male convict and breed it with a pink or white female convict you will get a percentage being like the mother and the rest will be black like the father.>
so I can stop the flaring madness!! the female pink convict almost got hurt of the flaring!! so I just took it out and I put it in a separate tank. no one else bred in my tank!!
-Sean
< If you get a male then I think you will enjoy the courtship that central American cichlids go through prior to spawning as well as the spawning itself.-Chuck>

Single Cichlid with Eggs!
Dear Crew,
<Nicole>
Thanks for the advice. We covered the front of her tank over the weekend and by Monday morning she had (I assume) eaten the eggs.
<Happens>
She was still a little more aggressive than normal, but she's slowly calming down. Managed to get a good scrubbing and vacuum in without getting bit, though it took some wrangling. She's big enough to do some damage. I'm glad to hear that she did this because she's healthy and not because there's something wrong. Thanks again for the help.
-Nicole
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Gold Severums have laid eggs!!!
After removing the 7 inch Bala shark and spotted African Cichlid and turning up the heat to 82-84 degrees on the 29 ga tank, the female finally deposited hundreds of eggs on the wall of the clay pot. Yesterday, the eggs were clear/opaque and today they are all white. My assumption is that the male has fertilized almost all of the eggs. I am observing that the male is maintaining guard over the entrance of the clay pot and keeps the female away every time she come near the eggs. Is this normal behavior or should I separate the fish or removed all together? Do I have to do frequent water changes? Are the eggs safe from the parents? How long until the eggs hatch into fry? Are the fry safe? Please make any recommendations, I appreciate your advice.
< The eggs should hatch in three days. The whitish color is an indication that the eggs may have all died. If they hatch the fry should be free swimming in about three days. At that time they should be fed baby brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food. They should be removed from the parents into their own tank in about a week. The parents will spawn again within a couple of weeks.-Chuck>
JohnB

Gold Severums have laid eggs!!! Bob's go
After removing the 7 inch Bala shark and spotted African Cichlid and turning up the heat to 82-84 degrees on the 29 ga tank, the female finally deposited hundreds of eggs on the wall of the clay pot.
<Neat!>
Yesterday, the eggs were clear/opaque and today they are all white.
<Ohhh... fungused>
My assumption is that the male has fertilized almost all of the eggs.
<Mmm, maybe... not... could be you have two females... or even that the male is sterile or did not participate>
I am observing that the male is maintaining guard over the entrance of the clay pot and keeps the female away every time she come near the eggs. Is this normal behavior or should I separate the fish or removed all together?
<Not too abnormal... but... trouble for you and them being in this small a container... need at least a forty, better a sixty gallon tank or larger... too stressful, problems if one beats the other...>
Do I have to do frequent water changes? Are the eggs safe from the parents? How long until the eggs hatch into fry?
<They won't... they're not viable...>
Are the fry safe? Please make any recommendations, I appreciate your advice.
JohnB
<John... you need more information than can be gleaned from simply asking here... do read through what little we have on all cichlids posted here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlivestkindex.htm
and consider getting a good book or two on cichlid husbandry... you can search these on Amazon, Barnes and Noble... Bob Fenner>

Convicts breeding & whatch you gonna do?
I have a 55 gallon tank. There is a pleco, two clown knives,
<What? This fish gets about the length of this tank... four feet... in the wild
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=2078&genusname=Chitala&speciesname=chitala>
2 tiger barbs, 4 giant danios, and 3 zebra danios along with two female convicts, and a pair of convicts.
<What a mix!>
The pair's eggs hatched out on Christmas day. They have been doing really great, there were 130 eggs or so, and there ended up being about 30 fry born. So after they have guarded these babies well, and they have not been too rough on the other fish because they stay on one side of the tank and my knives on the other.
<Eventually the Knives will eat all these other fishes>
They don't even pay attention to the other fish at all because they are not really too much of a threat to them I guess.
    Anyway, to make a long story short here, there have been quite a few fry that have disappeared. I know it is bound to happen and am not to worried about that. However, the daddy fish has decided to kick out the mommy fish. He won't let the mommy near the babies anymore at all.
<Happens>
And instead of them being
black and white. Especially the male, he is dark black and dark grey striped.
<Good description>
He doesn't like the other two females either. Why in the world is he doing this?
<Uhh, because he can? Likely a behavior that has survival value eh? Maybe he would mate with another female next time/s... a mix of genes, mates would benefit the species through space and time>
Is it because the babies are not all there?
<Maybe... it is possible he "blames" the female>
And should I remove him from the tank for a few days so that mommy can take over watching over the fry again or just leave them the way they are? thank you for your input I really do
appreciate it.
<Depends on what you want to do... become a breeder/supplier of convict cichlids? In this size system (w/o the Knives... you should trade them in, otherwise move them to other quarters), your convicts should continue to spawn, the young be mostly consumed... You can separate the eggs, raise elsewhere, take the fishes out... Bob Fenner>

Firemouths, Convicts and Cichlasoma nicaraguense
I have a pair of nicaraguense that seemed to have paired off... male and female, just in the last 2 weeks or so.  In addition, in a "territory" of the tank real close to them, I have a Convict and a Firemouth that seem real close to each other... fight battles together, always hang together etc. and have been like that for a month or two.  Well, today I noticed TONS of babies.  The Firemouth and Convict are caring for them.  Did they cross breed, or are they taking care of the nicaraguense babies?
< The probably crossed.>
Is that even possible that the Nicaraguense would lay eggs and allow others to care for them?
< No, other fish would eat the baby nicaraguense.>
Is it ok to have Firemouth and Convict crossbreeding if that is what is going on?
< Not really. They turn into mutts and usually are not very attractive aquarium fish.>
I have decided to let nature take it's course in the tank, and either the babies will survive, or they wont.  There are plenty of other fish in the tank that would more than love to have a fry snack, but so far the Firemouth and Convict will not let anyone close.  Any idea what's going on in there?
<Cichlids in general will guard their eggs and  fry for a couple of weeks until they get ready to spawn again. This is what makes cichlids great aquarium fish.-Chuck>

Not breeding Convict cichlids
Hello, I have 3 convicts, 1 baby jack Dempsey, and 1 blood parrot  in my tank I have 6 caves a clay flowerpot and a piece of drift wood.   my question is why wont my convicts lay eggs,  I know that 2 out of the 3  convicts are females I'm not sure about the other one , (I'm pretty sure  she's a female too).  My other question is, does there have to be a  male convict in the tank for the female to lay eggs.  please help, I want  to breed my fish very badly and I am trying very hard, thank you.
< Convicts are usually very easy to sex. The males are larger and have longer fins. The females usually have yellow or orange on the belly region. Try feeding some live food for a week and raise the water temp to 80 degrees F. Do a large water change and service the filter too. You see some results in a week or so.-Chuck>
                                         from your fellow fish enthusiast,
                                                Jeeves S.  

Breeding convict cichlids continued
thank you, for your help, I determined that I indeed have 3 females,   I have one additional question, does there need to be a male in the tank for the females to lay eggs .   and when I got to the pet store the convicts they have are too small and under developed for me to sex.  how can I find  a male when the fish are so under developed
< Females indeed can lay unfertilized eggs without a male being present. You can only go by external sexual dimorphism. Generally the largest fish in the group will be a male.-Chuck>
Jeeves S.

Convict fry disappearing
Dear WWM crew,
I have a 65 gallon freshwater tank with a pair of Texas cichlids, Firemouths and a breeding pair of  convicts. The convicts laid eggs that hatched about two weeks ago. At first, there seemed to be nearly 50-75 fry free-swimming. and now, two weeks later there seems to be less than twenty. I don't think that the other fish are eating them because the parents protect them like nobody's business. Could the parents be eating them and what should I do about the remainder of fry?
< After 2 weeks the parents are probably getting ready to spawn again. The female is probably picking off a few a day as she regains her strength to prepare to spawn again. I would siphon out the remaining fry soon as they will be eaten by the parents shortly.-Chuck>     Sincerely, Fish Fry Guy.

Baby Flowerhorn/red rose fish
Hello,
My Flowerhorn and red rose bred for the 2nd time and the eggs hatched 1  Dec. I removed the parents cause the 1st time they ate the babies the same day a few hours later.
What should I feed them?
< They will become free swimming in a few days depending on the water temp. At that time they can be fed baby brine shrimp and finely crushed flake food.>
And the best way in a 55 gal  tank.
< When the fry become free swimming they will gather into a little school. The fry food can be dropped over them. they will feed as the food slowly drops down around them.-Chuck> Today I gave
them a little red Tubifex worms.
Thanks,
Leo

Convict Breeding
Hey,
First off, I want to say that you guys are the best! Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise with the rest of us!
I have a pair of Black Convicts who seem to want to mate, but I haven't seen any results. The male is about 2-2.5" and the female is about 1.5". I have read about their behaviors when they are pairing off and preparing to mate - and they have done everything I have read, but nothing seems to be happening.
During the pairing off, they sort of took turns chasing each other around - testing each other's strength, I guess.
After that, they seemed to claim their territory in the tank (but they are alone in the tank). They then dug out several spots in the gravel, assumably to use for the fry's hiding spots. Then the female tended to stay in her hiding spot - which unfortunately I can't see into - the majority of the time while the male patrolled just outside (and got extremely territorial when I came near the tank). A few days later, they both began swimming around as normal again with no offspring.
After about a week, it seems as though they are doing this same thing again.
Do you think they are trying, but are just being unsuccessful their first few times (which I know is common). Or does their behavior indicate something else?
< They probably spawned but ate the eggs.>
Is there anything I can do to help them?
< Clean the filter and do a 30% water change. Get the water temp up to 80 degrees F. Feed some live food like live brine shrimp, black worms , small earth worms and high quality pellets. The following week do a 50% water change and raise the water temp to 82 degrees F.>
I have read that things such as
slowly increasing the temp (up to 80 or so), feeding bloodworms, etc. can
influence them and I have tried these things. Any other suggestions?
< Convicts are fairly easy to spawn. You have a new young pair that will better with practice. They will try again very soon.-Chuck>
Thanks,
Brian

I need to know how to breed red x red cichlids?
If you don't know please give me a link.
< Depends on what red cichlids you want to breed. Red devils are substrate spawning cichlids from Central America. They get about 10" + with the male being larger and having longer fins that the female. It is best to pick out six young fish and letting them pair up on their own as they grow. The pair will form a pair bond and then clean off an area and lay adhesive eggs on the surface. At 80 F the eggs will hatch and then three days later the fry will become free swimming and need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food. If you are trying to breed Red Zebras from Lake Malawi then that will be entirely different. Red Zebras are herbivores that require lots of algae in their diet. The male will establish a territory and then try to attract a gravid female to the site to breed. The female will lay non-adhesive eggs in the pit and then pick them up in her mouth. The male will then fertilize them and the female will be chased away and he will try to attract a new female to the site. This mouthbrooding technique is very common in cichlids from this area. After a couple of weeks the female will release the fry in a safe area of the tank. She could be removed to another tank to release the fry too.-Chuck>

Cichlid fry behavior
Thanks in advance for giving me your opinion.
My name is Diane Scott. I am writing about my 20 gallon freshwater tank in which I have 5 cichlids (all about 1-1/2 inches in length and babies of my very healthy guys in a 55 gallon tank elsewhere).  I'm thinking something is very strange in this tank because for the 6 months or so that I've had it set up, these fish (1) hide behind rocks all the time and look freaked out; (2) rather than swim, they lunge here and there to grab food but otherwise stay hidden; and (3) the area between their eyes and to the tops of their heads is turning brown!  I have had fish for a few years and have never seen anything so unusual.  
These guys seem absolutely miserable and I have no idea why.  I have an undergravel filter and two powerheads I bought on EBay and a heater than I used previously without a problem.  Maybe there's a voltage leak in the tank?  Heck I don't know.  Please tell me what you think and how to remedy the problem.  
You're the best...thanks!
< All cichlids are not alike. Fry usually hide to survive from predators. They can develop stress coloration and markings to blend in to the rocks. I would recommend some dither fish to give the tank some activity and make the timid fry more comfortable to their surroundings. Try adding a few barbs or rainbow fish to the tank and see if your cichlids notice the new fish. In a few days I am confidant that the cichlids will be out and about.-Chuck>

Flowerhorn
Hello,
I have a male Flowerhorn and female Rose flower that mated and laid eggs.  
The Rose is swimming across the eggs in a rubbing motion while the Flowerhorn approaches periodically. Which eggs are fertile the white or clear and how long will it take for the eggs to hatch?
< The clear eggs are fertile and the white ons are dead and need to be removed by the female before they fungus up and destroy the rest of the eggs. They should hatch in three days at 80 degrees. Three days later the fry will become free swimming after absorbing their egg sac. At this time they need to be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flake food.-Chuck.>
Thanks,
Leo

Cichlid question
Hello,
   I have a tank with six cichlids, a Dempsey, African blue and two black convicts (male & female- 3 years old) adults and 2 black convicts (2 months old).  The older female convict had babies two weeks ago and was a very dark black.  In the last two days he color returned back to a lighter gray like she was before the babies and everything seemed fine.
I came home tonight to find her gasping with both sides of her body white, missing scales and eyes glazed over.  I have been checking various websites and the only thing I have found is may be ich or some type of fungus but I'm really not sure its ich since she didn't have any spots last night and even today there were no spots on her tails or fins.  I'm concerned for the other fish in the tank, any idea of what this is and what I need to so to not lose any of the other fish?  Any assistance is appreciated.
< Sounds like the male convict decided to spawn again but she was not ready and he beat her up. I recommend separating her from the others until she recovers. Watch for fungus infections and keep the water clean. Try treating the water with a water conditioner that adds a protective slime on the body.-Chuck>
Thanks
  Anita