Journal: Breeding Black Convict Cichlids

[falcon1]

March 19
 
The parents moved some plants (they weren't anchored anyways so I really don't care) to make a nest for the babies during the day. Babies are a lot more active now.

 

[falcon1]

March 20
 
Babies are getting more active by the day. Most don't need to rest on the bottom at all any more. Parents are frantically trying to keep them all in check.

 

[falcon1]

March 26
 
The babies are growing really fast. I no longer have to crush flakes for them. I just take a pinch, dip it in the water so it sinks. The parents are messy eaters and small
pieces always make it down for the babies. They are much more dependant on flakes and get very little of their daily meals from algae, their original source of sustenance.

 

[falcon1]

August 2
Only 2 babies survived the first batch and none the second. The third batch went extinct after only a few days. I don't really mind, I don't want to have a ton of babies to deal with. I did notice the two survivors ate lots of babies from batch 3 and I suspect my striped Raphael as a contributor as well as the reason batch 2 went missing. The female is once again swollen with eggs for a fourth batch.
 
Surviving babies are around an inch. One appears it will be more colourful than either parent: it already has dark stripes and a dorsal fin tinged dark green. The other looks somewhat standard, but is smaller right now so we will see.