German Blue Ram Eggs Disappeared

[mark4785]

For about 2 days my male GBR has been watching about 40 or so eggs on a small grey pebble which he has presumably fertilised. It is now the 3rd day and he is still hovering around what look like 10-20 broken eggs and both parents seem to be looking at the sand in the immediate vicinity around the pebble as though theres some fry or perhaps some eggs that have moved away from the pebble and onto the sand.
 
Once an egg has hatched or is in the process of hatching, can it actually roll away from where it was deposited?
 
I do not see any fry swimming around any parent so it may be that they were consumed.
 
In the future, If there was a risk of the parents eating their fry, would it be cruel to take the pebble (with their eggs on) and place it in a breeding net away from them? I know that the sudden loss of eggs can cause each parent to go to war with one another afterwards as though each one blames each other for committing infanticide!
 
 
Any pointers will be appreciated.

 

[GuppyGirl20]

Sorry, I can't help you but I do have a question out of curiosity. If the parents are protective of the eggs then why would they eat the fry? Do they not realize it's their fry or something
 
Maybe you can put the eggs in the breeding net where the parents can still see it and protect it somehow??? 

 

[DerpPH]

first time cichlid parents eat their fry like my gbrs back then. They do learn after a few failed attempts

 

[mark4785]

Sorry, I can't help you but I do have a question out of curiosity. If the parents are protective of the eggs then why would they eat the fry? Do they not realize it's their fry or something
 
Maybe you can put the eggs in the breeding net where the parents can still see it and protect it somehow??? 

 
In answer to your first question, I'm not so sure. I observed the male GBR watching over the eggs and it's as though they have now hatched and he is now sucking what looks like bits of egg / dead fry into his mouth if they begin to float away from him. He then tediously deposits them back underneath him.
 
I have been up to the aquarium with a torch / flash-light several times and I *think* I've seen some movement. I'm hoping it is the fry that are moving. I've put some fry food in just in case.

 

[AeonMapa]

hey guess what! that stuff he's sucking and depositing beneath him are the fry That's classic GBR parenting behavior. Try and get some fry food in there before the little guys starve. Good news is if this batch doesn't make it, the pair is almost sure to spawn again