ARGH - Angels Breeding

[Cheese Specialist]

Hello,

I have a planted cube that has been going a couple of weeks but with a very mature filter.

I got some discus the other day to add to it but they were being really shy so I was going to move the angels out and put them in the 320l. However, I then noticed why the angels were being more aggressive than usual - they have laid eggs!! All well and good and of course I am happy for them but I have to shift the discus now and don't have many choices of where to put them.

There are 4, they are 2" across. Here's the options...

I have my 4ft (160l) tank which is fully stocked with very good parameters, however there are barbs in there and they are too active IMO for the yound discus.

I have my 5ft (320l) tank which is understocked but have potentiall breeding chromidotilapia finleyi in there.

I have a small 10US 18" tank which I have taken the female krib out of and I am now putting her in the 160l which may be problem atic in itself because she is aggressive. I am going to put the discus in the 10US for now because I have no choice but do you have any suggestions for the future?

I have put this in the NW cichlid section too as I really need your help.

As for the angels breeding, as I never expected it I do not know anything about it. How long to the eggs take to hatch? What happens when they do? What is the behaviour of each parent, as I don't know which is which. Also, I have a problem with water changes, the eggs are at the very top of the tank on the filter intake so changing water would leave the eggs out of water until it was filled.

HELP!!

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I can't tell you where to put the fish, but I can tell you about the fry.

The fry will hatch in a couple of days, if memory serves me right.

The best thign to do is to put the eggs in a 1-gallon jar and add methylen(hmm, how to spell this word...) blue into the solution to prevent fungus. Not sure about the strength or dosage for it, but someone else (or a bood on angel breeding) should tell you the exact amounts.

If you leave the eggs in with the parents, there's a chance that either one or both of the parents will eat the fry. Cichlids are known to be protective parents, but angels are not prime examples of this. Fortunately, unlike discus fry, the angel fry don't need to feed on secretions from their parents, so you're better off moving them.

If you can move your angels without a problem, you should do so. this way your discus will have a tank to move into.

HTH

 

[tstenback]

cant speak to the discus situation but it sounds like quite a quandry. The angels will be very aggressive right now and will attack anything including you if you stick your hands in the tank. The eggs should hatch in a couple of days if mom and dad dont eat them first. If this is a first run for these fish they just may eat them but if they dont they will be fanned and looked after by mom and dad. They will pick up any stragglers or run aways and put them with the rest. THe fry will not need any food for the first 3-5 days or until the yolk sacs are gone. somtimes its even 2 days so watch them.
For the water chnages i had a situation like this once before and what i did was get 2 buckets roughly the same size and as i put water into the tank from one i took it out on the other end into the other. Make sure the out bucket is a little larger in case you get distracted and dont stop the water flow in time HTH

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Cheers for the refresh hint, I was not at the computer.

How do you mean move the eggs? How do I get them off the filter intake? The angels can be moved but I don't want to do it right ow because of the eggs.

The discus are small enough to go in the 10 for the moment but I will wait for the angels to eat the eggs or for them to hatch before moving them. I don't have anything to put the eggs into and I am not confident in moving them.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

cant speak to the discus situation but it sounds like quite a quandry. The angels will be very aggressive right now and will attack anything including you if you stick your hands in the tank. The eggs should hatch in a couple of days if mom and dad dont eat them first. If this is a first run for these fish they just may eat them but if they dont they will be fanned and looked after by mom and dad. They will pick up any stragglers or run aways and put them with the rest. THe fry will not need any food for the first 3-5 days or until the yolk sacs are gone. somtimes its even 2 days so watch them.
For the water chnages i had a situation like this once before and what i did was get 2 buckets roughly the same size and as i put water into the tank from one i took it out on the other end into the other. Make sure the out bucket is a little larger in case you get distracted and dont stop the water flow in time HTH

Thank you, that's a good idea.

I think I have seen them fanning. I hope they don't eat them, I am not sure how long they have been there as it's so unexpected.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Despite the fact that they're fanning the eggs, they aren't the most reliable of parents.

As for dislodging the eggs, all you need is a razor. You can use a bucket, if you want; you don't need a jar.

You just said that you can let the parents eat the fry. If you don't want to keep the fry, remove the eggs. You should be able to add the discus in a day or so.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Despite the fact that they're fanning the eggs, they aren't the most reliable of parents.

As for dislodging the eggs, all you need is a razor. You can use a bucket, if you want; you don't need a jar.

You just said that you can let the parents eat the fry. If you don't want to keep the fry, remove the eggs. You should be able to add the discus in a day or so.

No, I am not saying I do not want the fry. I am saying that I want to leave the angels to it.

I own no razors that would be useful in this situation. Even if I removed the eggs, you say that I can add the discus again, but the angels are likely to spawn again.

If they eat the eggs or whatever I will move them back to the 320l where they were before and did not breed and move the discus back into the cube. If there are any fry I will move them (when I feel they will be ok) into the tank that I have krib fry in and move the male krib from there into the 320l.

I have removed the discus now and it must have been horrible for the angels because I was having to move the intake tube about and it took a while to catch all the fish.

I would like to know who is the more likely to guard and fan the eggs because one is doing it more than the other, I would be interested in who is male and female.

Thanks for all your help so far.

 

[Tempestuousfury]

The males usually guard the perimeter.

Well, it's all up to you.

Regardless of what you do, if the angels feel that their conditions are right, they'll breed. The only way to prevent this is to split them up, but that's not really necessary.

Good luck, I hope you find the best solution for this little jam you're in.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Cheers, I think I'll need it!!

I have had these angels since they were tiny (got them in Sept last year) and this is the first spawing. I think it's like most cichlids, they need a suitable environment.

With regard to gender, one is always at the eggs fanning them and shuddering towards them and the other is just faffing around and was guarding until I took the other fish out.