Please Critique my Breeding Setup

[ThaDude]

Hello, I'm looking for any advice on my current breeding setup.

The parents are ~6" Regular Jack Dempseys.

I used an interesting technique to pair these two up. Originally I had the female in the tank with a Polyterus & Jewel Cichlid. They all got along well. Then I introduced the slightly smaller male Dempsey.. The male did not take kindly to the female, & beat the snot outta her to the point where she was a half-floater. I took the female out to the hospital, & introduced a similar-sized, very aggressive male Green Terror (gold saum). The roles reversed, & the GT beat the snot outta the male JD. I let this go on for about a week, then took the GT out, & introduced the female JD again. They've been a couple ever since.

Enough about the process, on to the questions.
The two seemed to have laid eggs, I'm guessing on easter (funny huh.)
I removed the Poly & Jewel a little earlier today, as I noticed the Poly snacking when the female wasn't watching. The male JD seems to stick to the other side of the tank, while the female lurks in the cave below the spawning site. She pops out of the tank & fans the eggs occasionally.
(although for the last few hours she's been hanging out with the male, far away from the eggs. My guess is they have some learning to do about the rearing process.)

The eggs seem to be in good shape, with a few scattered whites, but from what I can tell they seem to mostly be fertilized (tiny black dot in egg).

I would like some advice on my spawning setup. The JD's are in a 55, Once the fry come, I would like to leave them with the parents for 2-4 weeks, then siphon them to a 10-gal I have waiting below.

The 10 gal is running a Topfin 60 filter, with sponge inserted. I have a "gravel-in-the-sock" type contraption (the weird black thing on the left of the tank) & a plastic plant in a netted cup. Both of these came from established tanks, and I have a couple convict babies in the tank at the moment to help with adding ammonia. (all liquid ammonia we have locally has "surfacants")

So please, comment on my setup & give me any tips you think would be beneficial to fry survival, or make my experience easier. The fry will most likely be used for Piranha feeders.

Also, any quarantine tips would be appreciated as well.

Thank you!

 

[kjfan1]

So far so good. No critique needed.

 

[zennzzo]

Looks OK, maybe a little more short bushy cover for the fry in the 10 gallon for when the arrive...

 

[Sab_Fan]

Looks OK, maybe a little more short bushy cover for the fry in the 10 gallon for when the arrive...

yup, I agree . . . I have planted tanks, and the fry really seem to like having the extra cover . . .

 

[ThaDude]

Right on - thanks.

This is pretty much a test run.. I have a couple breeding projects going on now, some angelfish (male hasn't got down the fertilization yet..)
For my convicts I use a 30 long divided, constantly shuffling the parents from each side of the tank once they spawn, but I constantly find myself in trouble, mixing several sizes of offspring. (hence why I wanted to try something new with the JDs)

I really need to establish a weekly movement schedule..

Zennzzo, You mean like the little spikey bushes / mats?

Very similar to these?

Also, thoughts on the Bare Bottom?
I used Black & Blue Vinyl (same used in signage & car decals) on the outsides of the tank. (the idea being that the fry should be easier to see)

I've also heared that Hornwart is a good thing to have. I used it in my original convict setup & they seemed to like it. Plants grew like weeds too.

Also, if anyone has any reading material in regards to optimal breeding conditions for JDs, it'd be greatly appreciated... I think they spawned by fluke this time. Temps at 78d, pH is unknown (i'm guessing 7.7-8.0 range)
I was on a weekly 30% water-change schedule, I skipped 2 weeks and the spawn happened. (Not sure if by coincidence) The water level was also down slightly, about an inch - Enough for the Emperor400's to splash & make some noise.

 

[ThaDude]

These are the actual plants I was referring to, that I saw in the store earlier:
Penn Plax Aqua Plant Baby Hide-Out

It says they can float or be secured in gravel... Seeing as how I don't have any gravel, how would I secure them to the bottom (siliconing being out of the question)?
Or, would it be just as effective to float them?
(my concern with floating them is the current from the HOB Topfin60)

Temp in the 10 gallon is 76d. Temp in the 55 is 78d.
I take it this will be an issue?
(the heater in the 10 gal is non-adjustable.)

 

[zennzzo]

These are the actual plants I was referring to, that I saw in the store earlier:
Penn Plax Aqua Plant Baby Hide-Out

It says they can float or be secured in gravel... Seeing as how I don't have any gravel, how would I secure them to the bottom (siliconing being out of the question)?
Or, would it be just as effective to float them?
(my concern with floating them is the current from the HOB Topfin60)

Temp in the 10 gallon is 76d. Temp in the 55 is 78d.
I take it this will be an issue?
(the heater in the 10 gal is non-adjustable.)

Yup those exactly...about 9 bux at PetSmart for the 6x6 one, and then with the bare bottom fix them with airline suction cups...
When my Jags looked to be pairing up to spawn,
I went with 82-83 degrees f / 8.0ph / lower water level than normal (the gentle splashing causes ripples that hide them from what's above the surface, I believe) and of all things a change in the barometer ^ along with a 3-day rain...of course the latter not being in our control, but it put them from thinking about it, nesting etc. to a few thousand egg spawn, over night...
a few days later I had this

 

[ThaDude]

Suction cups sound like a stellar idea. I know walmart has some.. Where do you pick yours up?

Do you think your parameters would work well for my JD's?

Where did you pick up the 5-finger leafed plant in the upper right corner? I've been looking for something that looks similar to that.

What is your water change schedule?

Congrats on your spawn BTW... they look amazing!

Also, do you think an airpump would be beneficial to add to the 10 gallon?

 

[zennzzo]

Suction cups sound like a stellar idea. I know walmart has some.. Where do you pick yours up?

Do you think your parameters would work well for my JD's?

Where did you pick up the 5-finger leafed plant in the upper right corner? I've been looking for something that looks similar to that.

What is your water change schedule?

Congrats on your spawn BTW... they look amazing!

Also, do you think an airpump would be beneficial to add to the 10 gallon?

That maple leaf looking plant is a lizard deco thing I got at my LFS. Don't know about my parameters and the JD's but....
W/C is 33% weekly till the spawn then zero w/c till they are 1 month old then 10% daily with AmQuel as the dechlorinator for the 10% changed...
and bubbles seem to sooth all fish, might be the gentle up current they produce.

I know this sounds strange but crystal clear water is great for us to view our fish in, but from a fish standpoint it must make them feel very vulnerable feeling. So water that is shaded and dimly lit and with plenty of cover, with ripples on the surface makes more sense for a spawn...remember they are doing this and trying not to get eaten in the wild...

 

[ThaDude]

Okay, I had seen that plastic plant at the store, but was un-sure if the material was safe for my fishtank. Now I know!

That makes sense what you say about the breeding in the wild. It would also explain all the breeding activity I've been having recently.

Anyone have any ideas for covering the intakes on the Emperor 400s?
With the Topfin60 I'm using on the 10 gallon, if you look at the picture, you'll see I just stuffed some sponge inside the intake. Do you think something similar would work well with the emperors, or should I go with an external sponge block?