Ptychochromis Tarantsy first spawn!!

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Update, as of this morning about 40% of the eggs have very dark spots inside. So were seeing continued progress. Mom and dad are still furiously fanning their babies. Interestingly the rest of the eggs are no longer visible. I'm not sure if they disintegrated due to lack of development or the parents removed them. Both parents still have their stunning coloration.

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Video update

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddF0XTvwIRI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Pic of female Paratilapia large spot on opposite side of divider from Tarantsy pair with eggs. Mom and my paratilapia are butting heads through the divider. Since the paratilapia cannot investigate the eggs, she is making her other tank mates miserable.



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Great news!!!
All Ptychochromines are similar in behaviour, they are good parents and will raise lots of fry. They will eat a few but you should have lots of juveniles left. The fry of Ptychochromis is tiny, they will be free swimming and start eating about 10 days after parents spawn. I only use newly hatched brine because it is more nutritious than any commercial food I can find and Malagasy cichlids are rather picky!
If you remove the eggs, the parents will spawn again after 6 weeks or so but I don't think it's necessary as their spawns usually are very large and it is hard to find homes for hundreds of fish.
Good luck with them, btw the tarantsy is still undescribed and at risk of becoming extinct.
 
Thank Jose! Yes, we chose this species and our other Mad. Cichlids because of their status with ACA CARES.

Update

It looks like they have eaten quite a number of the wrigglers. As soon as one of the parents sees wriggling, one or the other eats it immediately. I'm estimating there's less than 20% left. I'm seriously considering moving what's left into a 10g with same tank water, heater and an air stone. At this rate, all will be gone by tonight.
If I'm remembering correctly, temp should be a bit higher, normal lighting.... should anything else be added to the water?

Thanks,
Laurie


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Spawn update, good news :-)

Decided to remove the rock to a 10 gallon with a heater (83°), tank water, air stone and sponge filter. My paratilapia was determined to knock down the divider to reach the spawning site. This made mom and dad very, very nervous. They were eating the eggs/wigglers quickly. Once the rock was removed, there were about 50 wigglers left. They've now all come off the rock and are safely in their new home. A few eggs didn't develop, but everything else seems OK. Once they're free swimming, there is plenty of food.

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