Geophagus steindachneri-breeding.

[Carg R]

One of the few New World Mouthbrooders. I've got 100+ fry growing out since purchasing a group of 7 adults in October 2007. I caught the littlest female and put her in a seperate tank, then got a few shots of here guarding the newly released fry. I made her nervous and the fry swam right to her jaw and she sucked them back up.

Here's the father of a few batches.

Here's a different father courting the females

Here was the same fish holding a few months ago

In the holding tank sucking up the fry

Here are a few fry stuck in the egg tumbler back in december

Little ones ready to come out of the tumbler.

 

[superluke]

very nice more pics

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

good job on those, I have a male, but no females. How many females are in with the male?

 

[deepblue101]

that is ccccccccccooooooooooooooool!

 

[Westie]

Thats very cool. I've never seen a tumbler. Can you tell me how it works? I got Discus to breed.

 

[Kdcarey]

ya tell us how the tumbler works and is it a DIY?

 

[zerelli]

Egg tumblers are not necessary for discus. They are used for fish that normally mouthbrood. You strip the eggs into the tumbler and it uses air to keep the eggs moving around like they would in the mother's mouth.

 

[Carg R]

good job on those, I have a male, but no females. How many females are in with the male?

For a while I had two females with 5 males , and they bred like crazy. Then I selected the better looking but smaller male and removed the other males...they didn't spawn for almost a month. After two spawns I put the other males back in, cause why fix it if it ain't broke...and the females are back holding again.

Thats very cool. I've never seen a tumbler. Can you tell me how it works? I got Discus to breed.

ya tell us how the tumbler works and is it a DIY?

I've never tried to tumble adhessive eggs (i.e. discus) but Tongue used a similar tumbler on his Pbass eggs. Which are also supposed to be adhessive.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119911

A friend from another site (Utah based) made it. I've put several mouth brooding African cichlid batches in there, and now these guys.

The air 'pulls' the water through the multiple holes in the bottom piece & screen and out the top piece (three holes), the yellow rubber band is there to keep the top on (the tube is a bit smaller & needs something to act like a gasket). I adjust the length of the tube to increase or decrease the 'turbidity' around the eggs. About half way down seems to work well for now.

If I need to I can move the whole thing to another tank (perhaps with methlyblue sp?) by just slipping a cup under the tube and never let the eggs/fry get exposed to the air.

And the suction cup zip tie helps it all stay in place.

Here are some photos of the tumbler in pieces.

 

[Onion01]

how did you prevent fungus?

 

[Carg R]

how did you prevent fungus?

With these, two days after pulling the eggs from the mother, I pulled the tumbler out, then using a large dish seperated the 5-10 bad eggs from the good ones. Using an eyedropper I put the good eggs ( the egg shells came off at this point ) back into the tumbler.

I've used some anti-fugal meds before, but the steindachneri are so prolific I don't bother trying to save everyone.

Tongue spoke w/ a local expert about using methlyblue on his eggs, but his are worth more and don't spawn nearly as readily.