Con Solo the Convict

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Figured I’d kind of cross that bridge when I get to it lol. If I get overwhelmed with fry I guess I can always remove Leia, and put it on hold. Really want see them spawn at least a few times, it’s extremely exciting. Haven’t had cichlid fry in the house since my father was big into breeding mbuna years ago.
Right now my main concern is finding a way to get them from the 75 into the 29. That’s if I don’t just leave them in there. Figured I can siphon them out when they’re just about free swimming? Doing that is a bit intimidating though.

Hee hee

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So some of the fry started swimming around a bit today, I was actually mid water change when they started. They were all huddled in a big pile when I began, by the time I was finishing up some were already swimming. Doesn't seem like a particularly large batch off fry, but they're adorable nonetheless. I might go in again tomorrow or Wednesday to siphon them out, just worried I might hurt the little buggers.
 
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Decided to pull the fry today. Probably the most hectic/stressful thing I’ve done yet with these aquariums. Nonetheless I got it done. Siphoned the fry moved them all into the 29. Or at least like 99% of them. They’re might be like 5 or less little buggers still in the 75.

Leia was getting HYPER aggressive towards the swordtails, and unlike Solo she’s able to catch up to them. They were getting nipped up, and were really confined to the top corners of the tank. So decided to get the fry out of there today. If I have to, I will remove the swordtails as well. There is a part of me that feels bad for taking their little younglings😅.

But now I can look forward to raising some fry which is pretty cool. Plenty of algae and biofilm in the 29 for them to graze on (I’ve been purposely keeping lights on longer). And I’m assuming I can crush up flakes and pellets into very fine pieces as well.

Edit: I’ve added pre filters to the intakes of the aquaclears as well. Not sure if it’s necessary but I pictured fry getting sucked up into there.
 
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If you have a sponge filter you can run it and let it accumulate algae and muck. The fry will just stick on it and nosh on green mush and food particles. My hrp fry would just cover the sponge filters and get fat.

You can take a long turkey baster and squirt food paste at the fry too.

LOL Leia sounds like my female hrp Speck, just attacking anything all over the place. With the pair if you have a heater turn it off. It won't stop breeding but it will slow things down some with lower temps.
 
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If you have a sponge filter you can run it and let it accumulate algae and muck. The fry will just stick on it and nosh on green mush and food particles. My hrp fry would just cover the sponge filters and get fat.

You can take a long turkey baster and squirt food paste at the fry too.

LOL Leia sounds like my female hrp Speck, just attacking anything all over the place. With the pair if you have a heater turn it off. It won't stop breeding but it will slow things down some with lower temps.
Great ideas. I actually do have a spare sponge filter I was planning on hooking up to the 29. Thinking ahead in case I need to bring out the ol’ plastic tote for more fry. They’re cheap, could always pick up another. And have a long feeding pipette as well that I got when my betta was still refusing dry foods lol.

The pair has calmed down dramatically since removing the fry, swordtails are now able to swim around relatively freely. Not sure if I can go full unheated in the basement, but I’ll turn the temp down in the 75 during tomorrow’s w/c.
 
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Question: Is a rise in Solo’s aggression a cause for concern? It is now Leia who is being confined to the corner of the tank behind the filter intake by Solo. She has zero interest in him and seems only to want to get away. I’ve gotten used to it being the other way around so this is well… different.
 
Question: Is a rise in Solo’s aggression a cause for concern? It is now Leia who is being confined to the corner of the tank behind the filter intake by Solo. She has zero interest in him and seems only to want to get away. I’ve gotten used to it being the other way around so this is well… different.
Yes it is. This can be a step or 2 before a male actually killing their female. A way to decrease this happening next time is too not pull all the fry and instead pull half or as many as you get with as much ease as possible so it also isn’t as stressful of an experience trying to get ALL the fry. Leaving a good chunk of fry to tend too keeps them focused on raising the rest of the batch successfully so they are far less likely to turn on each after pulling fry from the batch if you only pull half or so. This not only keeps there bond intact but strengthens it even more.
 
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Yes it is. This can be a step or 2 before a male actually killing their female. A way to decrease this happening next time is too not pull all the fry and instead pull half or as many as you get with as much ease as possible so it also isn’t as stressful of an experience trying to get ALL the fry. Leaving a good chunk of fry to tend too keeps them focused on raising the rest of the batch successfully so they are far less likely to turn on each after pulling fry from the batch if you only pull half or so. This not only keeps there bond intact but strengthens it even more.
Wow, I had no idea 😫. My fear was that their pair bond had been broken. I’m assuming removing her is my only option right now?
 
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This is natural. When males are in the presence of fry it seems to turn the "I have to breed now" instincts off. Now that the fry have been moved the males is back to "must breed now instincts". But the female can't just switch like him it takes her a number of weeks to make another batch of eggs.
With my Saggitae pair I had to separate them after each batch of fry to give her some time to recoup some before starting another batch. You can stunt her growth by chain spawning.
My Saggitae had eight weeks or so between batches yet she still didn't grow that much, and was much smaller than her male due to using up so much energy in the breeding process.
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