What would you do in this situation? Monte Cristo fry

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JDCichlid

Plecostomus
MFK Member
May 7, 2021
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My two Heterospila oscura have laid a large clutch of eggs (their first time). I’m headed out of town on Friday and would be gone a full week.

Would you try to get someone to come over each day and feed the fry OR would you just leave them alone for a week? I guess what I’m asking is if they’ll all starve if I don’t have someone come feed them while I’m gone.

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This will depend largely on timing. It takes a few days for the eggs to hatch, and then several more before the fry absorb their yolk sacs and start swimming and eating. They don't need any attention from you before that, and you might well be back by that time.

Personally, I find "have someone come feed them" to be one of the most terrifying phrases to hear as an aquarist. This plan probably causes more problems in the hobby than almost any other mistake we can make.

As stated above, a mature sponge filter would be a good food source for new fry, as would a rock, some driftwood or a handful of plant matter such as Hornwort, Guppy Grass, etc. Anything with a decent growth of algae and biofilm will host microflora and fauna that the fry can graze on. :)
 
Well just to update-
the eggs hatched today and I’ve got wigglers.

Thanks for the suggestions. I do have along filters and plenty of wood with biofilm. I’ll add some leaves from a few of my planted tanks.

They should be free swimming the whole time I’m gone so I plan on using an automatic feeder with powder food I normally feed my fry.

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Congrats as seeing the pair bond, then the courting process, protecting the eggs, and rearing fry is by far the best thing in the hobby in my opinion. How old are your pair?
 
Congrats as seeing the pair bond, then the courting process, protecting the eggs, and rearing fry is by far the best thing in the hobby in my opinion. How old are your pair?
Thanks I appreciate it. For me nothing beats watching new world cichlids spawn and protect their fry. I’m actually not sure. I had never kept this species and started looking for them a couple months ago. The only place I could find them for sale was eBay and only two were available. I just got lucky and ended up with a pair.

Vieja are slowly taking over my fish room. I’ve got 6 BIG “lago peten” Melanura that belonged to Dan at COTA that I’m hoping will breed for me as well as 9 breidohri “Presa La Angostura” growouts (2-3 inches). It’s looking like I ended up with 8 female and 1 male breidohri.
 
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Thanks I appreciate it. For me nothing beats watching new world cichlids spawn and protect their fry. I’m actually not sure. I had never kept this species and started looking for them a couple months ago. The only place I could find them for sale was eBay and only two were available. I just got lucky and ended up with a pair.

Vieja are slowly taking over my fish room. I’ve got 6 BIG “lago peten” Melanura that belonged to Dan at COTA that I’m hoping will breed for me as well as 9 breidohri “Presa La Angostura” growouts (2-3 inches). It’s looking like I ended up with 8 female and 1 male breidohri.
That’s awesome! I have 10 from TUIC so they’re around 2.5 years old and 2 pairs are spawning. They grow so damn slow as mine are around 4 1/2’ to 6 1/2”.
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Dan definitely had some of the best Vieja in the business. I still have 9 melanura from him.
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Hello; I strongly agree with the danger of having someone feed the fish. Lost a tank of nice fish that way. Non hobbyist will feed too much or too often.

One of the ways i feed newly hatched fry is to boil a gallon of water and throw in some lettuce leaves. Set it aside for a few days. Usually takes a few days for the wrigglers to move around to feed. By the time you get home the jar will be loaded with infusoria. It also will stink. If the tank in in the living space of your home and you are married such could be a problem.

I have not faced the exact situation of being away with newly hatched fry. Fair chance fry will find food which adults ignore. If you happen to use an automatic feeder likely will not be a problem.

Here is something I have not tried so have no idea if it will work. If you doe not have any plant eaters in the tank after you boil some lettuce leaves, throw one in the tank just before you leave. Not a big one. Not enough to sour the tank. I do not know if the adults will eat such and even if they do might still work out. If adults do not eat it will soon have tiny critters on it. If the adults do eat it much will pass thru the gut and the poo will still be a food source. Not ideal and may not work. May be bad in a way I do not anticipate.

likely just do whatever you normally do when being away is the best idea. If this batch of fry do not make it you have a breeding pair and they will try again. First time breeding pairs often enough do not do well the first time anyway.

Good luck.
 
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Hello; I strongly agree with the danger of having someone feed the fish. Lost a tank of nice fish that way. Non hobbyist will feed too much or too often.

One of the ways i feed newly hatched fry is to boil a gallon of water and throw in some lettuce leaves. Set it aside for a few days. Usually takes a few days for the wrigglers to move around to feed. By the time you get home the jar will be loaded with infusoria. It also will stink. If the tank in in the living space of your home and you are married such could be a problem.

I have not faced the exact situation of being away with newly hatched fry. Fair chance fry will find food which adults ignore. If you happen to use an automatic feeder likely will not be a problem.

Here is something I have not tried so have no idea if it will work. If you doe not have any plant eaters in the tank after you boil some lettuce leaves, throw one in the tank just before you leave. Not a big one. Not enough to sour the tank. I do not know if the adults will eat such and even if they do might still work out. If adults do not eat it will soon have tiny critters on it. If the adults do eat it much will pass thru the gut and the poo will still be a food source. Not ideal and may not work. May be bad in a way I do not anticipate.

likely just do whatever you normally do when being away is the best idea. If this batch of fry do not make it you have a breeding pair and they will try again. First time breeding pairs often enough do not do well the first time anyway.

Good luck.
Thanks so much for the help I never knew that lettuce trick. I will definitely be trying that during future spawns
 
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