Sorry to hear that. I suggest tossing in a sponge filter so it will seed and you can remove the fry if you choose to do so.
Breeding behavior in Oscars
- Thread starter Scrappy71113
- Start date
I guess the biggest question is...do you really want more Oscars?
When you buy fish of any species, and they breed, that should be considered as an indicator that they are being kept reasonably well, in good water with decent food and space. Congrats are in order. But it shouldn't be automatically assumed that every little blob of life that they deposit on a rock or flowerpot must survive. It doesn't happen that way in nature; that's why there are so many of them in the first place. A tiny fraction of a percent will survive to maturity; the rest vanish, mostly into the mouths of other critters, some of which might be their parents.
IMHO, you should just enjoy the spectacle of a pair of very cool cichlids laying their eggs, messing up their first few attempts at being parents, and likely eventually succeeding and caring for a brood of growing young. Then, before you get too attached to the little ones and start naming them and setting up college funds for them...get rid of 'em! You can't keep all of them, no matter how much you think you want to; they'll grow like wildfire, they'll require many tanks, many gallons of water, much work and space and time and money. It will stop being fun really quickly. Try to keep them all, and all will suffer, including...especially... you.
Just take care of your adult Oscars...let them take care of their little ones...and when/if you eventually find yourself with a school of one-inchers, trade 'em in at the LFS, give them away, sell them privately, whatever. As an aside...did you know that baby cichlids make great feeders? No thiaminase worries, nice crunchy texture, excellent mouthfeel.
Don't continue on down the road you're starting on, the one where you use phrases like "Poor little guys didn't stand a chance". That way lies madness!
When you buy fish of any species, and they breed, that should be considered as an indicator that they are being kept reasonably well, in good water with decent food and space. Congrats are in order. But it shouldn't be automatically assumed that every little blob of life that they deposit on a rock or flowerpot must survive. It doesn't happen that way in nature; that's why there are so many of them in the first place. A tiny fraction of a percent will survive to maturity; the rest vanish, mostly into the mouths of other critters, some of which might be their parents.
IMHO, you should just enjoy the spectacle of a pair of very cool cichlids laying their eggs, messing up their first few attempts at being parents, and likely eventually succeeding and caring for a brood of growing young. Then, before you get too attached to the little ones and start naming them and setting up college funds for them...get rid of 'em! You can't keep all of them, no matter how much you think you want to; they'll grow like wildfire, they'll require many tanks, many gallons of water, much work and space and time and money. It will stop being fun really quickly. Try to keep them all, and all will suffer, including...especially... you.
Just take care of your adult Oscars...let them take care of their little ones...and when/if you eventually find yourself with a school of one-inchers, trade 'em in at the LFS, give them away, sell them privately, whatever. As an aside...did you know that baby cichlids make great feeders? No thiaminase worries, nice crunchy texture, excellent mouthfeel.
Don't continue on down the road you're starting on, the one where you use phrases like "Poor little guys didn't stand a chance". That way lies madness!
I agree. I had no intention of keeping any babies. I love my Oscars dearly, and the new guy is already growing on me, but the three are enough. Oscars, in my opinion, are on the same level of responsiblity as a dog. Although Sparta was a bit of an impulse purchase, it wasn't without thought and consideration. What if he doesn't get along with Brutus and Flower? Do I have everything I need for a second set up? Do I have time for a second set up? What if he's a boy and there's babies? What will I do with the babies? If he's a picky eater like my red devil, do I have the time and energy to work with him and find a good quality food he'll eat?I guess the biggest question is...do you really want more Oscars?
When you buy fish of any species, and they breed, that should be considered as an indicator that they are being kept reasonably well, in good water with decent food and space. Congrats are in order. But it shouldn't be automatically assumed that every little blob of life that they deposit on a rock or flowerpot must survive. It doesn't happen that way in nature; that's why there are so many of them in the first place. A tiny fraction of a percent will survive to maturity; the rest vanish, mostly into the mouths of other critters, some of which might be their parents.
IMHO, you should just enjoy the spectacle of a pair of very cool cichlids laying their eggs, messing up their first few attempts at being parents, and likely eventually succeeding and caring for a brood of growing young. Then, before you get too attached to the little ones and start naming them and setting up college funds for them...get rid of 'em! You can't keep all of them, no matter how much you think you want to; they'll grow like wildfire, they'll require many tanks, many gallons of water, much work and space and money. It will stop being fun really quickly. Try to keep them all, and all will suffer, including you.
Just take care of your adult Oscars...let them take care of their little ones...and when/if you eventually find yourself with a school of one-inchers, trade 'em in at the LFS, give them away, sell them privately, whatever.
Don't continue on down the road you're starting on, the one where you use phrases like "Poor little guys didn't stand a chance". That way lies madness!
I do have a soft heart at times, and I do genuinely feel sorry for the little babies that got eaten, but I also understand that it's natural. I was expecting it to happen (just not so soon) because (1) new parents, and (2) there simply wasn't enough babies for the parents to expend the effort or energy on (at least that's what I believe, not based on any kind of solid information). I don't plan on interfering with their parenting unless it starts causing safety issues like aggression, poor water quality, or risk of infection from moldy eggs.
I definitely DO NOT want an army of flood level sea monsters to feed and clean up after for the long run. I know a ton of local breeders, and hobbyists, and I regularly attend the local fish swaps, so I don't think finding them homes would be an issue.
I also understand that I probably would have ended up having to "deal with" a good chunk of babies because of deformities and other quality of life issues that arise with so many babies.
However, I was very excited for the experience. I would have loved to watch the little things grow up from the wiggly specks that they were.
There will be a next time, and knowing mom, it'll only be a month or two of waiting. At least now I know, if I ever want a fourth Oscar, I don't have to buy one
.