# Is this normal?



## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Ok so I have a pair of marble convicts.. They have 25 to themselves.. Like three days ago I had at least 15 free swimming fry, When I checked yesterday there was three and today there is a lone fry hiding in the plants. Now this is probably the first time they have bred since I bought them a few weeks ago from an lfs and they are relatively young. But I thought cons were supposed to be excellent parents and whatnot and this is just baffling me.. Anyone know what's going on?


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## TheCableGuy (Feb 22, 2005)

My con's did the same thing with their fry.
It was suggested to me by my lfs to remove the fry a few days after they hatch because they will eventually be eaten by the parents.
However I did that for the 2nd time they had fry, and they haven't laid any eggs since. They just stopped breeding.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Yeah I'm pretty sure you shouldn't remove them the last cons I had raised their fry right up until they were about nickel size


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Trigga said:


> Yeah I'm pretty sure you shouldn't remove them the last cons I had raised their fry right up until they were about nickel size


The reason they eat the fry is typically stress (male beating on the female)... or the male eats them to get the female back "in the mood" for another breeding session.

When i had cons, i would INSTANTLY siphon the fry out the second they were almost free swimming and transfer them and 10 gals of the tank water to a 10 gal holding tank, small HOB filter with a SPONGE ON THE INTAKE to keep them from getting sucked up.

Dont mix batches of fry more than a couple days apart, or the older ones will devour the younger ones.

For food i used Hikari Cichlid gold, put in a food processor and turned to dust. The fry can fit the small pieces into their mouth once free swimming, and its easier than hatching brine or something else.

I would also replace the 10 gals i took out with fairly cold well water to drop the temp about 5-8 deg thus triggering another spawn.

Also Cons arent good parents or tank mates... they are honestly one of the most aggressive fish i have seen, they dont hesitate to attack my hand or any other fish when fry are around, or spawning is happening. Even if its a kamikaze mission, like the 2" male con that tied bulling my Xingu Rhom one day.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Yeah I have seen the male and female fighting a ton lately. As far as other stress factors I can't seem to find any.. Water is perfect, plenty of cover, and a whole tank to themselves. I was told by another cichlid guy that since it's their first time spawning that they just don't know what to do yet and it will take a few spawnings to get it down pact. What you think skunk?


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

Trigga said:


> Yeah I have seen the male and female fighting a ton lately. As far as other stress factors I can't seem to find any.. Water is perfect, plenty of cover, and a whole tank to themselves. I was told by another cichlid guy that since it's their first time spawning that they just *don't know what to do yet *and it will take a few spawnings to get it down pact. What you think skunk?


I am pretty sure all breeding behavior is "pre programmed" into them at birth, and they dont actually "learn" anything... They are just eating the fry for some reason, most likely they dont feel its "safe enough" to raise them and its better to consume them, and get food out of the deal to help the next batch mature.

If they are fighting, then thats the cause (if shes eating them) and if the male is eating them and bullying her, he just wants to get laid

Next batch you could TRY separating the male, but its more effective to just remove the fry, get some cheap 10gals from walmart, and some sponge filters.... endless supply of feeder fish.

And then once some of your fry become breeding pairs you have a factory going.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

I have some egg crate so Ill divide the male next time they breed.

I checked on the tank today and the female was kinda rough around the edges of her fins and hiding behind the filter.. I wanna move her but i don't have another tank where she wouldn't get eaten or beat the sh*t out of her tankmates


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

whats your filter inlet like, big enough to suck a few fry up ?


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Yeah probably but they never went near the filter.. And I have seen my self the male eating a fry (not holding it in it's mouth and spitting it our but swallowing the poor thing and chewing it lol)


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## Guest (Nov 28, 2009)

My cons ate their first batch. Havent had a problem since. The male is more protective of the fry than the female, she actually gets chased and beat up a week or so after the fry are free swimming.


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

Just turned on the light Yeah they seem to be buddy buddy again swimming very close to each other.. Let's see how this works out


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## wpviper (Jun 25, 2007)

ya mine just had babys last night what should I do with them they are in my elong tank they where food but now there breeding and beating up my elong can I get the babies out some how?


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

wpviper said:


> ya mine just had babys last night what should I do with them they are in my elong tank they where food but now there breeding and beating up my elong can I get the babies out some how?


You can siphon the fry out with air line tubing if they are small enough, and if the parents keep being asses to the elong after you get the fry out, net them and throw them in a bucket or another tank for a few days. They will cool down and forget about the fry pretty quick, and you can return them to the main tank if you choose.

It's best to just keep one sex of con in the display tank. That way they don't breed like mad, and stress your piranhas in the process.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

And to trigga's original question....

Cons eating their first batch of fry isn't uncommon, if the tank has a pretty high turnover you can lose a few to that too, and I have even thought I lost some in the gravel before when the parents are digging around.

If you know the parents are eating most of them, give them another shot. If they do it more than one more time just suck the fry out into their own tank. Many people have really good luck jsut removing them right away anyways. I make my fry food the same way Skunk does, and it seems to work well for me too.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

How do you know if they are ready to Breed?

I'm attaching some pics of the 3 i have..also is sexing pretty easy?

They are about 2- 2.5 inches right now measuring the body only and guessing from outside the tank.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

When they are old enough to breed they will start to pair off. It appears you only have two females and one male. That's a great ratio to keep the females from getting beat up, but it makes it hard to tell when they are old enough to breed, because they won't really pair up. They are really close to breeding when the male starts chasing the females around or the female starts hounding on the male. In my tanks after the chasing starts, I usually find eggs within 2 weeks.

Sexing is usually pretty easy. The females have an orange to pink color on their gut directly behind their gills, and the males lack that orange/pink color and have longer fins and some times a bump on their head. (nochal bump? not sure how it's spelled or pronounced)

pic#1) Female- she has that color on her stomach

pic#2) A very pretty female- has the color on her gut and she doesn't really have long trailing fins.

pic#3) The top fish looks like the same female as in #1, and the bottom one is a male just based on color, since I can't see the fins.

pic#4) Definitely a male- lacks the color on its gut and the fins are noticeable longer than they are on the females.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Yeah..they have been chasing each other like crazy and the "pretty" one keeps digging out all the substrate in the corner.

Breeding soon maybe??

SHould I remove 1 of them?

Thanks for the info!

Trig...just jumped in here instead of making another topic with the same Q's as you.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I would guess real soon.

I've always just left the 3rd one in, but if the parents are getting to crazy with her, you might have to remover her. I've only had to remove the third corner of the love triangle a couple times, that I can remember.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

very cool...i hope they don't eat the fry b/c I have giant danios and a cray fish in my 55 right now cycling and both my other tanks have my Mac and trop fish.
Thanks for the info


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Mother F'ER!
The two bastards killed the "pretty" blue one last nighta nd are chasing each other all over the place!
What do I do?


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## Ægir (Jan 21, 2006)

notaverage said:


> Mother F'ER!
> The two bastards killed the "pretty" blue one last nighta nd are chasing each other all over the place!
> What do I do?


Sounds like male on male dominance battle... you will have to remove one otherwise it will be killed by the dominant one.

Mean little bastards arent they.


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

There was only 3 fish to begin with wasn't there? The pretty female, the not so pretty one, and the male from the pictures?


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I've never had hem get that crazy aggressive unless there were fry/eggs in the tank. I'm sure I could have just been lucky for the last couple years, but that would be crazy. I would look all over hell for the eggs.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

I don't see any eggs at all.
According to plowboy the one that is dead was a female.
Could she have eggs in her that I should cut out and put in the tank???


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## Plowboy (Apr 9, 2008)

I think cons fertilize the eggs after they are layed. So even if you did get them out, you would have to cross your fingers and hope the male was in for a solo act.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Well if the last 2 dont breed in a few weeks they go to the feeding tank with my Mac and I start looking for Cherry Shrimp!!!


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