JDS BRED!

[urbaninja]

Hey I need some advice for raising some JD fry, I added a feamle JD with my male in the 55 and they laid a batch off eggs on the flower pot just wondering if they need special treatment or are just like most cichlids. Sorry no pics because i dont have a camera . Ill try to borrow a camera asap though.

 

[Markm0723]

Congratulations. JDs tend to be excellent parents, so the babies can be left with them for several weeks (until its time for their next spawn). If you don't have access to live baby brine shrimp to feed the fry when they become free-swimming, get a pack of Hikari First Bites. I've had excellent results with that as a first food. Good luck.

Mark

 

[urbaninja]

Congratulations. JDs tend to be excellent parents, so the babies can be left with them for several weeks (until its time for their next spawn). If you don't have access to live baby brine shrimp to feed the fry when they become free-swimming, get a pack of Hikari First Bites. I've had excellent results with that as a first food. Good luck.

Mark

Thanks i was thinking about grabbing some first bites today, you read my mind.

 

[urbaninja]

Well this spawn was a complete failure. After the eggs hatched ( only about 25%, the rest rotted) the parents hid the fry in the under gravel filter and I have a bunch of snails down there that I wasn't aware about and they ate the fry so all bad for me. Should I take out the UGF for the next spawn?

 

[joedodge]

i would as it wil continue to cause issues good luck im hoping my sevs will spawn soon

 

[Toby_H]

UGF are aweful for breeding Cichlids. The parents will instinctualy hide the fry in the gravel where many of them will get pulled down and stuck to the plate, not to mention eaten by snails.

I personally hate gravel for breeding tanks as well. Even without the UGF fry can easily get trapped in the gravel and parish. Also if your gravel is in need of a gravel vac when the parents lay eggs, most likely you won't c;ean it while the parents are guarding eggs to prevent stressing them out. So by the time they are wigglers the gravel is beyond ready for a cleaning, and the delicate fry are hidden in the dirty gravel.

Sand is much easier to deal with, especially when dealing with breeding pairs.

I'm a strong advocate for live hatched baby brine shrimp for new fry. It's a complete pain in the rear the first time you make it, but gets easier with every batch. With experience you can fine tune your process to work for you and your situation. There re plenty of people eager to share their process too.

Good luck with the next brood. When you and the parents get the process down, what do you plan to do with the offspring?

 

[urbaninja]

UGF are aweful for breeding Cichlids. The parents will instinctualy hide the fry in the gravel where many of them will get pulled down and stuck to the plate, not to mention eaten by snails.

I personally hate gravel for breeding tanks as well. Even without the UGF fry can easily get trapped in the gravel and parish. Also if your gravel is in need of a gravel vac when the parents lay eggs, most likely you won't c;ean it while the parents are guarding eggs to prevent stressing them out. So by the time they are wigglers the gravel is beyond ready for a cleaning, and the delicate fry are hidden in the dirty gravel.

Sand is much easier to deal with, especially when dealing with breeding pairs.

I'm a strong advocate for live hatched baby brine shrimp for new fry. It's a complete pain in the rear the first time you make it, but gets easier with every batch. With experience you can fine tune your process to work for you and your situation. There re plenty of people eager to share their process too.

Good luck with the next brood. When you and the parents get the process down, what do you plan to do with the offspring?

Thanks for the info, the pair seems like they are ready to breed again the female keeps on trying to dig the surface of the drift wood would it work this time even with the UGF? heres a pic of their potential spawn site nest

 

[Toby_H]

Every time they spawn they will learn better ways to care for fry. Cichlids are generally smart enough to learn when something doesn't work... but hiding fry in gravel is a very primal instict for them. I would at least urn the flow off on the UGF while the fry are wigglers (from the time the eggs hatch until the babies are able to swim, which is usually 3~4 days)... that is if I can't talk you into taking the UGF out all together.

I've seen people use UFG on 'bare bottom tanks' and they are fairly effecient (though less than a sponge in my opinion)... and I've seen them used on Community tanks full of fish like Tetras and so forth which produce little waste and produce only small waste... but for Cichlids... there are so many better options I see no reason to use them...

But again, if your undecided and they lay eggs... just turn the flow off on the UGF about 48 hours after the eggs are laid. This will greatly increase your choances of survival (but won't help against your killer snails )

 

[urbaninja]

Every time they spawn they will learn better ways to care for fry. Cichlids are generally smart enough to learn when something doesn't work... but hiding fry in gravel is a very primal instict for them. I would at least urn the flow off on the UGF while the fry are wigglers (from the time the eggs hatch until the babies are able to swim, which is usually 3~4 days)... that is if I can't talk you into taking the UGF out all together.

I've seen people use UFG on 'bare bottom tanks' and they are fairly effecient (though less than a sponge in my opinion)... and I've seen them used on Community tanks full of fish like Tetras and so forth which produce little waste and produce only small waste... but for Cichlids... there are so many better options I see no reason to use them...
they
But again, if your undecided and they lay eggs... just turn the flow off on the UGF about 48 hours after the eggs are laid. This will greatly increase your choances of survival (but won't help against your killer snails )

I want to go with your advice and take it out and switch it to sand but its too much work for me right now, maybe ill do it on sunday and if i do remove it should i dig up a spot for them in advance?Thanks for you help btw.

 

[Toby_H]

if i do remove it should i dig up a spot for them in advance?

Nope, it's the male's job to dig the holes while the female guards the eggs... althogh in young pairs the male usually does this in advance only to show the female he is willing to do his part as a father.

Thanks for you help btw.

No problem for the help... I play on forums because it's fun...