I remove the male at 36 hours from the time they Hatch. You can tell when they are ready. They will start darting back and forth..and not just up and down. At first...they try to swim up and down. As their swim bladder develops, they will start acting like normal fish. The big reason I remove the male as soon as I can, after all the work, time, and anticipation...I don't want the male to eat the fry. If he just eats 1..it might be the best male from the whole spawn. Why chance it? I don't buy the theory that the dad is the alpha male, and keeps the fry from fighting amonst themselves. for 2 reasons ... First..the alpha males from the spawn are born Alphas, not determined by fighting...so Dad can't be the Alpha...and second..the fry don't start nipping each other until 6-8 weeks old. If you keep the dad in..when the Alpha males from the spawn don't give him all the room..he kills it. 1 down..several more to go. I prefer to raise all the fry..and not the tiny timid ones that are left after the dad has taught the spawn their lesson.
