Hi Everyone! I have been reading online to see if the fact that my severum and convict having hybrid fish is normal, or possible. I'm not finding much suggesting they'd breed together, so here's my story:
I basically took over my Aunt's 29gallon fishtank because she didn't know what she was doing. She only had 1 white severum, and 1 regular tiger barb. I decided to add a small parrot fish to the tank, and a couple of weeks later, the severum laid eggs. Within a few days the eggs turned white and she ate them. I know they were unfertilized, and read forums explaining that parrot fish most likey can't fertilize eggs. So, I ended up adding a dinosaur bichir, and a small black convict. In another few weeks, she laid eggs again. This time... they were fertilized! She is a great mother and gaurds them very well. Now there are hundreds of fry hanging out under her and in the ornament. They look nothing like her, or a convict. They almost look like tiny guppies! I've never delt with fry in my own fishtank, and have never really seen cichlid fry, so I'm not sure what they SHOULD look like. So, I'm sure the tiger barb or dinosaur bichir didn't fertilize the eggs... and story has it parrot fish are sterile. Do I have a weird unheard of hybrid here or is it not rare!? Oyyeee help me.
I basically took over my Aunt's 29gallon fishtank because she didn't know what she was doing. She only had 1 white severum, and 1 regular tiger barb. I decided to add a small parrot fish to the tank, and a couple of weeks later, the severum laid eggs. Within a few days the eggs turned white and she ate them. I know they were unfertilized, and read forums explaining that parrot fish most likey can't fertilize eggs. So, I ended up adding a dinosaur bichir, and a small black convict. In another few weeks, she laid eggs again. This time... they were fertilized! She is a great mother and gaurds them very well. Now there are hundreds of fry hanging out under her and in the ornament. They look nothing like her, or a convict. They almost look like tiny guppies! I've never delt with fry in my own fishtank, and have never really seen cichlid fry, so I'm not sure what they SHOULD look like. So, I'm sure the tiger barb or dinosaur bichir didn't fertilize the eggs... and story has it parrot fish are sterile. Do I have a weird unheard of hybrid here or is it not rare!? Oyyeee help me.
I should've known better. If I find some when I do my next water change I'll post pictures if possible.
