Con Breeding "Journal"

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There should be swimmers by the weekend, and if not, dont get discouraged. Con spawns can be brought on by as little as a slightly chilly water change.

My breeding pair are looking around their new home for a suitable location for breeding. My flowerhorn gives them free roaming privilages since he knows they are no threat to his complete dominance of the tank. I bought a used 210 from a LFS nearby, and finally got done setting it up. I built a wet/dry out of a 30 g tank, and the overflows from 1 1/4 inch pvc. The stand was a home built special as well. I made the stand about 10 inches taller than a normal stand so the tank is almost at eye level. It needs a few finishing touches, but I'm pretty happy with it.
 
Yeah, it's abit odd. I can't quite see into the cave because of it's odd angle, but if I look at the bottom of the aquarium, I can see right through it, since the female as dug to the glass. Problem is, I can't see the sides/top of the 'cave,' so I can't see if anything is going on. There HAS to be eggs, because they don't leave the spot, the male attacks anything (including my hand) that comes near. It's been 3 days since this behavior started, and so i really don't know what is going on. I've heard, from various sources, that Con eggs hatch within 2-3 days, and then 1 day, and then 5 days, and someone once told me up to a week. So I guess I'll have to wait and see. I have been expecting to see atleast wrigglers for the last two days, and I still am today. I'm just hoping that I can see them if there are any. They would blend right into the play sand substrate. So I'm still hoping for the best, and there will be pics when something happens.
 
Whoever said 1 day, what a load of BS. They usally take 3 days. Depends on temp. They're wigglers for another 2-3 days after that. The may take 2-3 days to become completely free swimming.
 
dread where you at in MI. if this all works out i might be interested in getting a couple cons from you. i started this project a while ago but it was in a time when i was back and forth from school and i didnt have the tank space. now i do and i was thinking of trying to get some cons and try again. i was trying with FM's but the female just kicked the males butt so i had to seperate them. maybe i will try when he is bigger.
 
Why dont you leave the algae on? Very natural and comforting to parents, affording them some privacy (from you) and is a great source of food for growing fry since it will have its own microscopic life growing on it.

At 24 degrees C it usually takes 3 days for eggs to hatch and another 2-3 days for wrigglers to slowly start free swimming. The parents will keep them very close by though and may move them from pit to pit.
 
fishdance;1022204; said:
Why dont you leave the algae on? Very natural and comforting to parents, affording them some privacy (from you) and is a great source of food for growing fry since it will have its own microscopic life growing on it.

At 24 degrees C it usually takes 3 days for eggs to hatch and another 2-3 days for wrigglers to slowly start free swimming. The parents will keep them very close by though and may move them from pit to pit.
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Algae has been left on the rocks and on the back of the tank, I just wiped it from the front, so I could see. And it's been 3 days now since I suspected eggs, and I've yet to see wrigglers. They could still be deep deep in that cave, but I figure I would've seen one escapee by now, or seen them get moved if they hatched earlier. The behavior is still the same. Guarding, being very protective, the female's breeding tube is gone, colors are still very dark, etc.

And fsubulldogs, I'm in the Howell area. If you know where the Oyer's (cichlid breeders) house is, I'm about 15 minutes away.
 
alright i am from the flint area so its not to far away. this Oyers house do they sell the fish out of thier house or no? i never knew this place existed in MI. i guess we do learn something new every day. and i cant wait to see pics of the fry and good luck
 
Yeah, the Oyers are one of the top Cichlid breeders in the country (if not in the world). They sell the fish right out of their home. I'd say 400+ tanks is a light estimate. Their basement and garage are FULL of tanks. All kinds of Cichlids, and the quality is top-notch.

http://www.oyercichlids.com/OC/index.php Their stock list is probably only 1/4 of what they have.
 
Well this morning I noticed the parents digging another pit under a smaller rock, and I was slightly confused. I suspected they abandoned the last batch and decided to start a new one. I went out to get movies from Blockbuster, returned, and TADAH! There's little freeswimming fry in the newly dug pit. Apparently, they somehow managed to go unnoticed as wrigglers. I will have pictures in a couple hours. I'd say there's maybe 150 or so of them.
 
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Mom with the new babies.
 
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