breeding red head geos

[Raysocal]

Well finally after 2 months of digging, rock cleaning, bumping and grinding my geos laid eggs during dinner time this evening. I thought the smaller female was not sexually mature yet, since nothing had happened for a couple of months and she is rather small at about 3.25 inches. IN the pics the female is hovering over the eggs in the first photo and actively laying eggs in the 2nd photo (excuse the TV reflection in the 2nd photo - BTCC racing if you are curious) . I have not isolated them and they have a lot of tankmates including 4 severums. Hopefully the male will pick them up and incubate them. Not expecting much since this is their first spawn. After this time I plan on putting them in their own 35 gal tank. I've raised jack dempseys and kribensis ages ago but no experience with geos. If there are any special considerations I should keep in mind please let me know Thanks

 

[wfex4]

It may take them a few attempts to get things right, but if the eggs do hatch, just let them take care of the wrigglers. They make great parents and will guard the nesting area letting each other take turns to go get food.

 

[Ajtennis]

How old are they? I'm trying to get a pair out of my 6


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[Raysocal]

Thanks for the advice Wfex. The parents are about 2 years old. I have 2 others that are nearly the size of the male and one was exhibiting breeding behavior on his or her own by rock cleaning too but on a different rock and with no partner! I think I may have 3 males and 1 female.. Since I posted they picked up the eggs while I was out of the house. Both parents were holding fry. and while they had the fry out of their mouths in a gravel nest a clown loach intruded and ate some. Parents were doing their best to shove him away. They still retained some in their mouth. Appears only the female has fry in her mouth now. Supposed to mouthbrood for another 7-10 days and then free swimming. Now that I have seen them produce fry I will shuffle some tanks and set up a new one and then the pair will have their own 35 gallon tank.

Prior to them breeding they were getting a diet of sinking pellets (daiichi, tetra color bits), market shrimp and they would eat the squash and zucchini I put in for the plecos - the clown loaches go nuts for those veggies too. I read on another site just recently, zucchini is recommended to get them to spawn. Water temp about 80. Tap water treated with Prime or Amquel.

First time out they are making great parents. My kids like the loaches but they are mad at the big one now for attacking the nest. My two biggest loaches also fight for dominance like the meanest of cichlids and I will make another post of that with a couple of pics of their color change.

 

[Fishbrains]

Thanks for the advice Wfex. The parents are about 2 years old. I have 2 others that are nearly the size of the male and one was exhibiting breeding behavior on his or her own by rock cleaning too but on a different rock and with no partner! I think I may have 3 males and 1 female.. Since I posted they picked up the eggs while I was out of the house. Both parents were holding fry. and while they had the fry out of their mouths in a gravel nest a clown loach intruded and ate some. Parents were doing their best to shove him away. They still retained some in their mouth. Appears only the female has fry in her mouth now. Supposed to mouthbrood for another 7-10 days and then free swimming. Now that I have seen them produce fry I will shuffle some tanks and set up a new one and then the pair will have their own 35 gallon tank.

Prior to them breeding they were getting a diet of sinking pellets (daiichi, tetra color bits), market shrimp and they would eat the squash and zucchini I put in for the plecos - the clown loaches go nuts for those veggies too. I read on another site just recently, zucchini is recommended to get them to spawn. Water temp about 80. Tap water treated with Prime or Amquel.

First time out they are making great parents. My kids like the loaches but they are mad at the big one now for attacking the nest. My two biggest loaches also fight for dominance like the meanest of cichlids and I will make another post of that with a couple of pics of their color change.

do you just toss in slices of zucchini? Or how do you prepare it?