Baby cichlids

[Nogauthi]

I notice that one of my cichlids was caring babies in her mouth so I went and bought a 10 gallon tank and put her in their yesterday. Now today some are coming and I was so impressed. But I wanted to lower my water nitrate since I put the water from my other tank to get her in their ASAP . So I just did a water change and some babies are now coming gasping or floating at top. What is the proper care for a mother that has her fry? Will she eat her babies? How long do I keep her in their ? When do I start feeding the mother? And the babies? How long before a water change?

 

[imtcurveball]

Put some of the media from your old tank in their. There's no beneficial bacteria yet do there is ammonia in your tank.

 

[mdawg75]

The water dosent have much to do with Benifical Bacteria, you would have needed to place some filter material from your other tank in the 10 to get it going. If you have a chemical test kit test that water quickly and use a filter media baggie or some type of screen over your vaccum hose or what ever you use to do a water change.
when you approach the tank and the mom fish does not suck the babies back into her mouth its time to throw her back in the main tank because the Maternal Instincts are done. Hope my rambling helped a little.

 

[Nogauthi]

The water dosent have much to do with Benifical Bacteria, you would have needed to place some filter material from your other tank in the 10 to get it going. If you have a chemical test kit test that water quickly and use a filter media baggie or some type of screen over your vaccum hose or what ever you use to do a water change.
when you approach the tank and the mom fish does not suck the babies back into her mouth its time to throw her back in the main tank because the Maternal Instincts are done. Hope my rambling helped a little.

Well since I took the water from my existing tank to get her going dont I have the bacteria? And is it normal for the mother to suck the babies back in. And how long before they r all out?

 

[mdawg75]

Bringing the water does not hurt your tank at all, as long as you kept the filters wet, thats where your BB is and in your deco and substrate.
I dont know a time you just watch the mom and when she stops allowing them to swim back in her mouth put her back in the main tank and raise some babies