PLEASE HELP! w/FRY DEVELOPEMT and NURSING

[bubblereef]

I have a 30 gal with five two inch cichlids in it, a 20 gal with two ifish in that... and a 3/4 gal feeder tank. mymouth broading afr cichlid just gave birth to about 6 fry... she's in a 3/4 gal feeder tank right now because she was getting abusive with her two tankmates in my 20... who are very injured from her attacks. What do i do with the mother and her babies... she's very week.. hasn't eaten... how do i properly care for these babies... one has died already! also, my two fish in the 20 gal are badly ripped to shreds, one of the fish's tails is all red and has a film growing around it (looking infected) and it doesn't look good... how do i go about nursing these two abused fish back to health? they have a filter... but they are not eating...

Thanks, ASH

 

[bigspizz]

That is allot......A 1/2 gallon is not neerly big enough for any cichlid. If all you have is a 20 put the mom back in it. Feed the babies crushed flakes/brine, in the 1/2 gallon. They might not live. The other fish and injuries....put some salt in the tank and raise the temp a few degrees, leave the lights off and hope for the best.

 

[balton777]

Add some Melafix to the tank to to help with infection. Follow the instructions on the bottle.

Have you thought about investing in a tank fish can cohabitate in? Not trying to be a smarta*s btw. A 20g is just to small to have multiple fish in and trying to breed too. A half gallon tank isn't even a tank IMO, it's a betta bowl.

 

[bubblereef]

u must have misunderstood, i am not trying to breed... i am just trying to give every fishthe best shot with the resources I have and the situation they face. thanks for your help. it's a FEEDER TANK. nothing was intended here besides keeping fish alive.... we got our tank for free... etc...

thanks,

ASH

 

[balton777]

Sorry no disrespect intended.


I just think a 20 is not a cichlid tank unless it's for growout. Thre are a few that would work, but IMO a 20 gallon is for tetras, mollies or guppies. Heck even a 4" full grown molly is pushing it. Again just my 2 cent.

As stated before, isolate the injured, add a bit of salt and some Melafix. Keep the lights off for less stress and he should heal up in no time as long as he's not fatally injured.

I'm not worried about you and you're little tank. This hobby will suck you in and you'll get MTS and before you know it you're one of us!! mwuahahhaha

 

[bubblereef]

thanks for your 2 cents... yes, a 20 and a 30 and a 3/4 gal is pretty much just a start... but those fish (ie...tetras and gobies) your talking about bore me... african cichlids are way more exiting. The brooding female in my tank keeps catching her babies in her mouth and holding them away from sight... she's in the 20 gal right now alone butstill has a mouthful of babies... any insight on how to help her or the survival rate of the young. I bought first bites and some frozen brine shrimp for their development but the mom won't let her babies out of her mouth... i suppose moving her from the 3/4 gallon into the 20 may have scared or injured the young egg sack ridden fry just couldn't take the climate change so drastically... my hopes is to simply have one tiny fry survive out of the possible 25 plus she has brooding amongst her gills.

thanks for all your help today everyone... glad it was a sunday.

ASH