Breeding in Curious circumstances

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fishfreak2009

Candiru
MFK Member
Sep 25, 2009
694
14
48
Michigan
So my 125 gallon is overstocked. I recently had my red devil and kamalau flowerhorn pair up and decide to attack all their tankmates, as well as having 2 very large african cichlids being given to me as a gift. So now my 125 gallon has:
2 Jack Dempseys (both males moved from the 75 gallon with the red devil and flowerhorn, both around 4 inches)
1 Belly Crawler Pike Cichlid (moved from the 75 gallon as well, around 4 inches)
2 Blood Parrot Cichlids (Pair, female lays eggs but male is infertile, both around 5 inches)
1 Green Severum (Male, 6 inches)
1 Carpintis Cichlid (Male, 4 inches)
4 Convict Cichlids (1 male, 3 female, all around 2 inches)
1 Red Zebra Mbuna (male at 4 inches)
1 Blue Zebra Mbuna (a 5 inch female that was given to me)
1 Red finned blue Zebra mbuna (a 7 inch male that was given to me)
5 Tinfoil Barbs (2 albino, 3 regular, all around 6 inches)
1 Grass Cutter Catfish (moved from 75 gallon as well, 4 inches)
1 Striped Raphael Catfish (about 3 inches)

Well, anyways, yesterday two of the convicts laid a batch of eggs and are defending them quite well. Today, the carpintis and one of the convicts laid a batch off eggs on the opposite side of the same rock. Both pairs have dug out a little fortress and both are guarding the eggs extremely well, keeping out even the large tinfoil barbs. The pairs are not fighting each other however, they seem to be helping each other guard the entire area. Just thought I'd share this unique circumstance.
 
I have to ask: what are your plans for this tank? Because as you said you are way overstocked right now. I would recommend doing something about this soon before you start to have deaths as your cichilds increase in size and aggression. Not to mentions the large bio-load on the tank. What are your nitrate levels and how often do you do water changes?

-Cage
 
I do 3 50% water changes weekly. I also plan on removing the tinfoil barbs, blood parrots, severum, and both catfish to my 180 gallon. Eventually the barbs will be going in a pond/much larger tank I'll have to build for my motoro/Arowana I'm growing out. I also have to find out if I can move the belly crawler pike to the 180 gallon, because I think that would be much better for him.
 
Hopefully everything works out for you long term. The thing I would worry the most is both the RD and the FH, especially if you say they seem to have paired off. I wouldn't see that alone working in a 125, much less having tankmates that survive. Luckily they are still small. Do you have any pics?

-Cage
 
The red devil and the flowerhorn are paired in a 75 gallon by themselves. They are not in the 125 gallon. Today I moved the belly crawler pike and the grass cuttter catfish into the 180 gallon and they seem to be doing fine with ray and the two big angelfish in there.
 
Pulled roughly 150 tiny convict fry from the tank yesterday and put them in their own little tank to grow out.
 
nice story any pics
 
Had to pull the blue zebra mbuna last night because it claimed half the tank for itself and was constantly fighting with the female blood parrot (and loosing, the mbuna's jaw is pretty ragged). Here's the updated stock:
2 Jack Dempseys (both males moved from the 75 gallon with the red devil and flowerhorn, both around 4 inches)(One paired with a convict)
2 Blood Parrot Cichlids (Pair, female lays eggs but male is infertile, both around 5 inches) (Possibly moving to 180 gallon)
1 Green Severum (Male, 6 inches) (Most likely moving to 180 gallon)
1 Carpintis Cichlid (Male, 4 inches) (Paired with a convict)
4 Convict Cichlids (1 male, 3 female, all around 2 inches) (One breeding pair)
1 Red Zebra Mbuna (male at 4 inches)
1 Red finned blue Zebra mbuna (a 7 inch male that was given to me)
5 Tinfoil Barbs (2 albino, 3 regular, all around 6 inches) (Moving to 180 eventually, then to a pond or 8x4x2 tank I need to purchase for my arowana and my ray I'm growing out)
1 Striped Raphael Catfish (about 3 inches)(Moving to 180 gallon once I tear the tank apart to find him)
3 Giant Danios (forgot them on the original list, moved them from the 75 because the flowerhorn was catching them and turning them into snacks)
 
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