I've had a pair of green terror/gold saums for almost 2 years. I grew them out from 1.5 inchers to 6inchers and had several spawns ( all devoured by tank mates shortly after wiggler stage).
On Wednesday morning I noticed the male guarding the spawning site (a rather wide cave) and the female would occasionally join him in fighting off intruders. By feeding the tank (all the fish rush to the top) and using a flash light I could make out a ton of eggs along the walls and floor of the cave.
Wednesday night I observed the female was not joining in the defense of the eggs at all and would wander to the opposite side of the 180gal/6 foot tank when the male chased other fish away.
Thursday afternoon I did not see the female, so I began searching for her and after poking around the nooks and crannies of the lace rock set up, I found the female. She had stuffed herself in the opposite corner (to the cave) and was badly beaten, virtually all her scales above her mid-line were missing and her eyes were fogging over (bitten), and her fins were ragged.
I moved her to a 20 gal, and dropped the breeding convict parents which were the residents of the 20 gal, into the 180 gal- turned up the heat from 79 to 82 and added some salt to her tank.
Friday evening she was no longer gasping, but a little fungus had sprouted from her wounds.
Water change, removal of charcoal, and a treatment of binox occurred Saturday and this afternoon she's floundering around. She does not seem to be able to orient herself and is swimming erratically. She isnt floating, though.
I don't think she'll make it.
Lesson for next time? Watch the South American cichlid pairs a bit closer. They dont tolerate lazy parenting and if the smaller of the pair decides to slack off spousal abuse may occur- tis the natural way, I guess. Next time only the watchful parent gets to stay with the eggs.
On Wednesday morning I noticed the male guarding the spawning site (a rather wide cave) and the female would occasionally join him in fighting off intruders. By feeding the tank (all the fish rush to the top) and using a flash light I could make out a ton of eggs along the walls and floor of the cave.
Wednesday night I observed the female was not joining in the defense of the eggs at all and would wander to the opposite side of the 180gal/6 foot tank when the male chased other fish away.
Thursday afternoon I did not see the female, so I began searching for her and after poking around the nooks and crannies of the lace rock set up, I found the female. She had stuffed herself in the opposite corner (to the cave) and was badly beaten, virtually all her scales above her mid-line were missing and her eyes were fogging over (bitten), and her fins were ragged.
I moved her to a 20 gal, and dropped the breeding convict parents which were the residents of the 20 gal, into the 180 gal- turned up the heat from 79 to 82 and added some salt to her tank.
Friday evening she was no longer gasping, but a little fungus had sprouted from her wounds.
Water change, removal of charcoal, and a treatment of binox occurred Saturday and this afternoon she's floundering around. She does not seem to be able to orient herself and is swimming erratically. She isnt floating, though.
I don't think she'll make it.
Lesson for next time? Watch the South American cichlid pairs a bit closer. They dont tolerate lazy parenting and if the smaller of the pair decides to slack off spousal abuse may occur- tis the natural way, I guess. Next time only the watchful parent gets to stay with the eggs.
.