My Severums Have Started Breeding!!!!

[loachylover]

Hi all.

I am looking for some help. I have a 100(UK) Gallon south american cichlid tank. In the tank i have

2 X Adult Urau's
3 X Adult Severums
1 X Geophagus Jurupari
2 X Clown Loaches

I have just noticed that a Green and a Gold serverum have paired off and laid eggs. This was totally unexpected and i really dont know what to do, both parents have taken over one corner of the tank and are refusing to let anyone near it. Even if i go to the tank the Green male flares up at me. I really dont want to lose these babies but dont know what is best to do, do i go out and buy and new tank and remove the pair and their fry?, or do i let the fry grow up with their parents and then remove them? i know i will have to remove the pair at some point as from what i have been reading they become a pair for life but i am stumped at what to do to save the fry??

Any help would be very grateful

Thanks

Chris

 

[TexasPadreSurfer]

i dont have too much expierience on breeding this type of fish but i do know that this particular species becomes very aggressive when they are guarding their fry.
as long as the others stay away nobody gets hurt. i would not disturb them but watch them closely and make sure they do not eat their own babies. this i believe is rare because most fish in the same family are very good parents. if you see any evidence that the parents are eating their fry then take the fry and put them in a breeding net or in a small tank. you shouldn't have any problems with other tankmates eating the fry or picking at them.

 

[van]

Unless you really want to save some of the fry, I would leave them with the parent fish. They will eventually be eaten by the other fish, but your severum pair will probably spawn again in 3-4 weeks. This experience, by your pair, will make them better parents in the future and strengthen the pair bond. I once had a pair of gold severums spawn about every three weeks for a couple of years, in a 55 gal. tank.

 

[loachylover]

Thanks for you replies!!

I came in from work today and noticed that there was alot less fry than last night. I ignored it but earlier tonight i checked again and there was only a few left so i managed to get them in a fry tank, only about 10 of them left. I felt gutted and the parents were far from happy. So i hope they survive. I went and bought a 200 Litre tank at the weekend which i have cycling at the moment which i am going to put the pair in so they dont have the added hassle of defending their teritory all the time when spawning.

Can anyone tell me whats the best way of moving the fry into the little fry tank as i made a right mess of it tonight, by first syphoning them into a bucket then trying to individually net then and put them into the tank

Thanks for all the advise so far, much appreciated

Chris

 

[van]

I use a large diameter syphon tube and syphon them into a bucket.