Make it stop!

[Fishyfanatic]

When I first started keeping Africans I wished that they would someday breed. Well, now they are popping out every week. We have a batch of 29 cobalt fry in the 29 gal tank that are two weeks old. A mystery African just released 9 fry in the 10 gal tank tonight. And the cobalt is now holding more fry! How can I make it stop? We don't have enough room for these babies. The cobalt was evidently holding the fry for quite some time. As soon as we acclimated her into the QT, she released them and they were already blued in coloration and a decent size. The mystery African released them as she was in the bag being acclimated into the 10 gal. The fry are alot smaller and kind of transparent in color. Now the cobalt has the same large bulge in her mouth and I think it's fry, not eggs. For some reason we can't tell when she is holding eggs. It seems like we can only tell when they hatch to fry.

Is there any way to stop the breeding? The ones that we really want to breed are the Aceis or Labs but they aren't budging. It's kind of odd because there is one male and one female Cobalt. They are breeding like crazy. Yet we have 4 Acei's (3 F and 1 M) and they aren't doing ANYTHING. The labs are the same ratio. And zip, ziltch, zero, nothing. Can someone help?

 

[krap101]

you may not like this, but maybe like.. let nature take its path? leave them in the tank?

 

[mr86mister]

now of course, we all ask the same question....

i dont know how to get them to stop breeding other than having only females *its just your water is so darn perfect they cant help but want to breed*...lol

do you have a lfs that would buy them from you or would take them?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

That's the thing, the water isn't perfect for breeding. The OB Peacocks (1 M and 1 F) are attempting to breed also. Last weekend I watched the female release eggs. Doing her little shimmy over the rocks. Then another fish (not the male OB) came by and ate them. So those are definately goners. But who knows when she will breed again. Probably soon.

The Mystery African probably released mixed fry. I don't know what she is since she is gray with black bars and has a slight trim of orange on her top fin. I have no clue if we have the male in the tank since female pics of species are usually not as common as males, especially if the female is not attractive.

Our pH is at 7.6, a little low for perfect conditions. Our water is very soft, again, not good for breeding Africans. We lack an abundance of rock structures (I read that Africans need alot of rock structures to breed). Two or three weeks after we added the new rock to the tank (a bunch of flat rocks built into a small structure) the cobalt fry were released. And ever since we have been having fry like crazy. I think it's the rock that we added that is contributing to the fish reproduction.

I wouldn't mind just letting nature take its course, but the female does not eat at all when she is holding. I am scared that she will die if she keeps holding the fry and not eating. What do you think?

 

[krap101]

i think once the fry are big enough she'll let them out to eat? im not sure though

 

[Fishyfanatic]

We do have a lfs that will take them, but they have to be of a decent size. They need to grow out to about an inch and a half.

 

[Jchillin]

Sorry to tell you this FF but if the water wasn't perfect, they would not and could not breed. So, toss the "recommended breeding" parameters away in this case. You probably have some strong phermones in the tanks as well. PWC's of 40% can remove at lot of the phermones...this is according to David Baruchowitz - Editor of TFM. Perhaps cooler temps may do the trick and keep the males from fertilizing the eggs or keep the females from laying what now appears really receptive eggs.

Just a thought.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

We have been doing more water changes lately, but thats just because they seem to be pooping alot more lately. Maybe that contributed to the breeding. We'll lower the temp and see what happens. But then the Aceis and Labs won't breed. Go figure. The ones we WANT to breed don't. Oh well. At least they are all cute little guys.

 

[fantasticaqua]

In our experience, cichlids breed more rapidly following a water change. I betcha lowering the water temp. would help a bit but that will defiantly inhibit your ability to breed those lemons and aceis... how about moving the cobalts to a new tank?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

We don't have a tank suitable to move them to. If I hadn't started stocking the 55 already I would have just made it a tank for the Aceis and Yellow Labs. That way I could try to get them to breed without the others participating. But right now all we have is the 29 gal tank and that's currently stocked with 29 fry. We're thinking of buying a 55 gal for the fry to grow out in. But then we would eliminate the 29, so that's not useful. The cobalts are one of my favorite sets because of their beautiful coloration. I don't want to get rid of them. .

 

[Puriti]

I feel your pain Fishy lol... tons of baby mollies... I had 3 batches in the same week before X.x within 2 days of each other. Though as notorious as livebearer's are... I don't think I'll ever have quite that many lol As much as I hate to do it...I just leave the babies in there, my carnivorous baby eating fish eat them no prob, I just...can't watch them do it because then I'll be chasing the baby eaters around and yelling at them lol

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The only thing that frightens me is that Africans are mouth broaders. The cobalt held the fry for a LONG time. They were largeer than the other fry that we have when they were released. I don't think she felt safe releasing them in the tank. Not long after we QTd her, she released them. The Mystery African released them in the acclimation bag. 8O It concerns me beacuse I wonder if the mother will hold the fry until she dies because she doesn't feel its safe to release them into the tank. The cobalts mouth was VERY expanded and she couldn't even close it. I think she would have held those things until she died. That's my main concern. Livebearers don't hold fry, they just basically poop them out. I know, not exactly, but in a sense. I don't want to lose my beautiful cobalt because of this.

 

[Puriti]

In a sense they don't but i had a molly that stayed pregnant for 4-5 months o.o the babies were fine after too. Do you have another tank to put your fish in?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I am putting the fry in the 29 and 10 gal tanks. The ones in the 10 are the newest and are tiny. The ones in the 29 are cobalts. Getting bigger, but not big enough.

 

[Puriti]

Maybe you should just let some of them get eaten if you keep having that much problems... O____O you ish gonna have lotttttttttsssssssss of babies

 

[Fishyfanatic]

That's the problem, if the mother holds the eggs until she feels its safe to release, she may end up dieing from holding them. The cobalt sure held those fry for quite a while. They came out a decent size. Nothing like the second batch. I don't mind the babies because I have a lfs that will take them off my hands when they get to be about an inch to an inch and a half. The way that they are growing, that isn't too far off. I just dont' want any more babies until we get this batch out of there. They are SOOO cute. Bright blue in coloration.

 

[Puriti]

^___^ they sound cute! lol ..>_< i hate it when the mom's hold the babies...mind you I do'nt have ones that hold them in their mouth but they leave you in anticipation for both the babies and their overall health... DARN YOU FISHY MOMS! Making us human mom's feel bad ...lol

 

[jrp1588]

Well, I've always wanted cichlids, but I think it would be impossible for you to ship me some of the babies. If I lived in your area I'd love to take them off of your hands, lol.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

You know, Indiana isn't too far away from Marion, IL.

 

[jrp1588]

Eh...you think you'll have some babies around christmas? I may have an extra tank then...if I maneuver right...lol