Okay.... so on Friday (2 days ago) I went into my LFS and I was looking around like I always do because they get new fish in on Thursdays. I passed by the Ram tank and I took a peek and BOOM! Pink Belly. They had females for the first time since I've started shopping there regularly. So I picked up two the two more dominant females in the tank. Got them home and added them to the tank after I acclimated them and within ten minutes one colored up very nicely. The Male noticed her almost immediately and he went over to her and started posturing (his color got more intense) here's a picture of him:
And he started to follow her around everywhere.
I noticed later that night that they started cleaning off several items (a peice of the driftwood a couple leaves and a rock. But they settled on a plant that I was planning on removing because I found out its terrestrial.
What should I do now. They spawned yesterday afternoon and upon further reading I've found out that they'll take 3-4 days to hatch? meaning tuesday-wednesday afternoon/ evening (It could have happened anywhere from 5-11 pm [I was at work and happened to come home for lunch]). What should I do in the mean time.
They're in a 20 gallon planted tank with 17 Neon tetra's a Female Betta, A bristlenosed pleco, several Ghost shrimp and 3 Amano shrimp.
Should I do a water change? The levels are as follows, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and, 0 Nitrates. I don't think I need to but I worry about these things. I think it might do more harm than good.
Should I move the other fish? I have a 40 gallon breeder with less than one inch Kenyi fry (about 28 of them). It wouldn't be the same PH however. It would be 8.2 while in the planted tank its 7.4. I think the Neon Tetra's might suffer for it but if it's necessary I'll try. I just think suddenly increasing the Bioload in the tank might be a bit much. If I need to move them which ones in particular just the neons? Will that cause a mini cycle in my planted tank? (I wouldn't think so. The plants should handle it when I add them back in too right?)
When they start hatching what should I do? Should I remove the parents (I don't' think so since cichlids are supposed to be good parents)? Should I do anything really?
When they become free swimming what sorts of things should I feed them. I have on hand Brine shrimp eggs, frozen baby brine shrimp, Hikari first bites, flakes I can crush. I read that they're tiny and because of that can be hard to feed. Someone suggested allowing mulm to build up that would have little things in it that they could eat but I have a few ghost srhimp that keep the bottom pretty clean (as far as I an tell).
Any help would be helpful Sorry for being long winded. Here's the tank if you want to see it.
[YT]GUSKNVBuPRY[/YT]
[YT]IaQxK7bmK3s[/YT]
And he started to follow her around everywhere.
I noticed later that night that they started cleaning off several items (a peice of the driftwood a couple leaves and a rock. But they settled on a plant that I was planning on removing because I found out its terrestrial.What should I do now. They spawned yesterday afternoon and upon further reading I've found out that they'll take 3-4 days to hatch? meaning tuesday-wednesday afternoon/ evening (It could have happened anywhere from 5-11 pm [I was at work and happened to come home for lunch]). What should I do in the mean time.
They're in a 20 gallon planted tank with 17 Neon tetra's a Female Betta, A bristlenosed pleco, several Ghost shrimp and 3 Amano shrimp.
Should I do a water change? The levels are as follows, 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite and, 0 Nitrates. I don't think I need to but I worry about these things. I think it might do more harm than good.
Should I move the other fish? I have a 40 gallon breeder with less than one inch Kenyi fry (about 28 of them). It wouldn't be the same PH however. It would be 8.2 while in the planted tank its 7.4. I think the Neon Tetra's might suffer for it but if it's necessary I'll try. I just think suddenly increasing the Bioload in the tank might be a bit much. If I need to move them which ones in particular just the neons? Will that cause a mini cycle in my planted tank? (I wouldn't think so. The plants should handle it when I add them back in too right?)
When they start hatching what should I do? Should I remove the parents (I don't' think so since cichlids are supposed to be good parents)? Should I do anything really?
When they become free swimming what sorts of things should I feed them. I have on hand Brine shrimp eggs, frozen baby brine shrimp, Hikari first bites, flakes I can crush. I read that they're tiny and because of that can be hard to feed. Someone suggested allowing mulm to build up that would have little things in it that they could eat but I have a few ghost srhimp that keep the bottom pretty clean (as far as I an tell).
Any help would be helpful Sorry for being long winded. Here's the tank if you want to see it.
[YT]GUSKNVBuPRY[/YT]
[YT]IaQxK7bmK3s[/YT]
Good luck with them, I wouldnt do a water change, thats just me though, like you said it could do more harm, temp change and ph and all. Dang it I want some rams!
