Another cichlid has eggs but.....

HDrydr · Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 5:07 am Post subject: Another cichlid has eggs but.....

Well I had another cichlid have eggs however when I attempted to move her into a safe tank....she got too stressed and passed.... I got the eggs out of her mouth and all 12 are in my fry tank....I'm not sure if they will make it I've never done this part before so any help would be appreciated.... I don't know what to do with eggs I have read you need to "tumble" them....well see if they hatch or not.
I am really upset I lost the mom she was really pretty!!! Bright blue with faint vertical stripes.....

Help......

HDrydr · Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 3:57 pm Post subject:

Well just an update:

Looks like the eggs are still viable!!! Good orangish/tan color, smooth and it looks like a few of them are starting to have the tail growing out of the egg sac!!!!! I "tumble" them frequently, and I have cut a piece of my gravel cleaner and moved all the rocks away from a corner of the tank so rocks don't squish them and got them all within the clear round plastic.

It is kinda exciting I hope that the 12 eggs make it to be wigglers then to baby fry!!!! I'll know I am successful if they keep developing over the next few days!!!!

Is there anything else I should be doing???

HDrydr · Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 2:40 pm Post subject:

Exciting update!!!!

The eggs are forming into fry!!!!!! Eyes and spines are showing up in the egg sac!!! and the eggs are changing shape due to the growing fry inside. I tumble them often to rotate them and get more O2 around them.

It seems like they change by the hour!! This is really amazing to be able to really see this transformation from egg to fry....

HDrydr · Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 11:59 pm Post subject:

Well I just about have 12 wrigglers!!! their tails/heads are free and the egg sac is becoming their bellies...... they move around in circles kinda like tadpoles... it is very fascinating to see this happen.

HDrydr · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 2:03 am Post subject:

All 12 babies are still growing and doing well... they can now "bounce" and spin then float back down. They really are changing into cute little fry....

I have another batch on the way just found another female holding a mouth full this afternoon.... she is new as of last night and well found out at work when I did a search she is a female I already have the male opps...... they didn't waste any time.....

I really am going to be overrun by babies..... 14 fry already, these 12 and however many eggs this new one has...... And I have 12 adults....

Baby fish factory!!!!! Don't know what I'll do when I run out of room to separate the fry tank into smaller sections and they keep reproducing..... I have to wait until they are 1 1/2 inches long before my pet store will take them for store credit.

1- 5 gal with the 12 "Wrigglers" in it
1- 30gal with the first 14 in it
1- 50 gal with the adults in it..

HDrydr · Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2009 1:50 am Post subject:

Yea they are swimming now!! I did loose one though Crying or Very sad

it got caught in the intake of the filter (now corrected....) didn't think that was going to be an issue but I guess it was..... They still have their egg sack but that is going away.
Very interesting process this was! kinda weird being all excited about baby fish but seeing the whole thing for the first time is kinda cool. couple more weeks and they should be able to go into a sectioned off part of my 30 gal till they are big enough to take to the pet store. where my first 14 are growing as well. Very happy tank I seem to have..... Looks like I will have a 5 gal for the very young or eggs to grow.... a 30 gal that I can section off. Mr. Green

HDrydr · Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject:

Very distressed!!! Cleaned the baby tank just like normal no difference and I have lost just about all of my babies!!!!!! temp is the same tested the water it comes back normal... only thing i did different was added some of the rock i had taken out when they couldn't swim.
Very very sad don't know if any of them will survive this mystery deadly water change. Don't know what happened took out less than half just like I have done prior many times. They just started eating flake food couple days ago maybe it was just too stressful on them????
Crying or Very sad

I feel like a bad fish momma!!! Can't stand to see them so distressed and passing away before my eyes. Had to turn the light off.
Any clues????? so I don't do it again..... Crying or Very sad

Update: (many hours later) I have one sole survivor out of 11!!!! very sad but at least one made it. I will have to come up with a good name for him/her.

HDrydr · Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject:

Well this little one that made it is now called Lucky Louie!! He is doing well I put a few of the couple week older ones in with him but now I have moved them all into the 30 gal with all the other babies and all are doing well. It was a bit of an adjustment for Louie but he is doing well.