My Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus.ramirezi) Breeding Log

[Dominus_XVIII]

free swimming fry?

 
Yes, but only about 7 of them as of 8:00am. I'll check up on them again later this evening. Nice to see both parents working together (passing fry between eachother) to corral the fry back to the nest when they start wandering around.
Will keep everyone posted

 

[Akasha72]

this is so exciting. Are they in the tank alone with their fry or are there other fish in there?

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

There's a otocinclus in the tank with them, been there since the start (post cycle). They don't seem to mind it, as it stays on my sponge filter grazing 90% of the time. Wonder if all the fry started free swimming yet, can't wait to check on them later this evening

 
I'm supposed to do a water change today, but I'm kind of worried about harming the fry. Do you think I should just top off the tank with more water (aged, and ready for this week), via drip line?

 

[Akasha72]

yes I would given that the parents have had a freak out and eaten the previous batch. I would be wary of doing too much at the moment. They are at a delicate stage so I would still be cautious about disturbing them. If you can rig up an airline drip with minimum disturbance that's the way to go. If that's going to cause stress though I'd leave it for another few days. It won't harm.
 
I often have to leave my tank for 2 weeks or more without a water change because I'm not well enough to do it. It's not ideal and I do feel severe guilt but I've got a disability that flares and settles so if water change day falls on a 'poorly day' then it doesn't get done. The period between my last water change and most recent was 18 days. In that time I've had spawns from my cories and new plants appearing. 
 
What I'm saying is the tank will be fine if you have to skip a water change. I had to when my curviceps dwarf cichlids and my bolivian rams had babies because trying to do a water change with them guarding fry just caused them to freak out far too much

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

Just got home and checked up on the pair and their fry, and saw all the fry are free swimming
I'm going try to get a drip line going to top off the tank (opposite of the side of the tank). If I start to see any stress signs from the parents or fry I'll stop immediately.
Some are already nipping at the plants I have in the tank, but I put some microworms in to get them going.
Will keep everyone posted.

 

[Akasha72]

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

Fed and checked on the parents and their fry this morning, and things are going very well. The fry are all feeding (starting to see their bellies turn white from the microworms, and poop trails behind them haha), and becoming more independent (went from a cloud that followed the parents, to swimming across the length and height of the tank).
Using a drip line to top off the tank worked, took about 3-4 hours to complete.
Will update again later this evening.
Thanks for staying posted everyone

 

[Akasha72]

that's brilliant news. What's the plan for the babies? Do you have an outlet for them once they reach sellable size?

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

that's brilliant news. What's the plan for the babies? Do you have an outlet for them once they reach sellable size?

 
Keep 3-4 pairs (future breeding project with rams I plan to get from the US and Germany), sell some to a few members of a local forum I'm also apart of (actually got a waiting list put together), and provide the rest to a local cichlid specialized store that I often shop at (might trade for some wild caught blue rams, killifish, or rare African/South American cichlids).

 

[Akasha72]

if you like rare cichlids keep an eye open for Laetacara Curviceps. They are my favourites but they are so rare here in the UK that I'm finding it impossible to find another pair. I had a breeding pair but I lost the female just over a year ago and the male died in January. I'm lost without them right now. Such a characterful cichlid with such an easy going nature

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

if you like rare cichlids keep an eye open for Laetacara Curviceps. They are my favourites but they are so rare here in the UK that I'm finding it impossible to find another pair. I had a breeding pair but I lost the female just over a year ago and the male died in January. I'm lost without them right now. Such a characterful cichlid with such an easy going nature

 
Will do, and sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a fish hits me hard every time too, especially if they're a pair (end up feeling so guilty).
 
It's a good thing that the store I mentioned will order any fish I request as long as they have a supplier and I order a decent amount

 

[Akasha72]

I have found a store that's trying to get some Curviceps in but they are struggling. I've left it with them that they'll contact me if they manage to get any and that I want a pair. That way I can breed them and provide the store with fry - win win for us both

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

Fed and checked on the rams just a moment ago, and some of the fry are beginning to starting to wonder around the tank (hiding in and nipping at my cabomba.carolinia and Myriophyllum.scabratum).
The parents seem to have a hard time trying to keep their school of fry together. Once a group of fry leave the school, the parents chase after them to bring them back, but as soon as they do, they have to go catch the ones they left behind haha.
On another note, the fry seem to have doubled in size compared to yesterday

 

[Akasha72]

all sounds normal. The poor parents wear themselves out trying to keep them all in check. This is how they get picked off in a community tank. Luckily your not in that situation so you should have a really good survival rate

 

[Dominus_XVIII]

Here are some quick shots, as I was feeding the fry and their parents this morning. Apologize for the horrid quality, the sunlight coming from the arched/halfmoon window lit up my entire fishroom (absolutely glaring). included some pics I took yesterday evening as well, which seems like a better time of day to take pictures.
 
Pictures from yesterday evening. Removed my M.scabratum from the left corner, some left over food started grow fuzz on the plant.
 

 

 

 

 
Pictures from this morning, added back the M.scabratum after some cleaning.