New to African Cichlids breeding PLEASE Help

[reefermadness52]

Hello, and thanks in advance for ANY advice.

So yesterday my E.B. Johanni and my Petsmart African Cichlid Peacock got together and she, the Peacock, laid about 20 or so eggs and scooped them up while my E.B. Johanni fertilized them. It was fascinating to watch the process!

I learned from Bolly 12345 on You Tube to make a fry trap (see pic). She is holding, and appears calm in this separation cage.

Questions :

1- How long until I can expect baby fry?

2- Do I remove her immediately once they do?

3- What do I feed the fry and how often?

By the way. The beautiful blue and black E.B. Johanni is the daddy!

Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Tieberion]

If they were fertilized shouldn't be too long at all, and most make great parents, you just have to keep the others away, or they may kill the fry/get beat up on by mom/dad. Make sure you have plenty of small food ready for the little ones!

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

It can take awhile for the mom to spit the fry out. If you leave them all in the tank with others you can guarantee none of them surviving. Feed them ground up flakes or other small foods. Since they are going to be hybrids don't plan on being able to sell them. Either male room for them or cull them when they come out

 

[reefermadness52]

Thank you, I bought some "fry food" from my LFS today, I won't be selling them anyway, looking forward to what they come out to look like.

 

[Dirt Diggler]

I thought the Johanni was a mbuna. Mbunas and peacocks will hybridize?

 

[bmarine]

It'll most likely be about 3-4 weeks. Mine hold the fry for 3.5 weeks on the dot.

 

[CameronCade]

How did you make that home made holding cage?

 

[reefermadness52]

Yeah, I know weird huh? Mbuna and a Peacock. But my LFS guy who knows a lot about Africans says it happens, we'll see. She is definitely holding though.

 

[reefermadness52]

The home made holding cage is actually a dog biscuit container that I drilled about a hundred tiny holes through for water circulation. I then cut styrofoam type pipe insulation to pop over the top to form a tight fitting "raft" so it will float. I got the the idea from Bolly 12345 on You Tube, he's the Englishman African Cichlid Guru! It works just fine so far.

 

[CameronCade]

Oh yeah I follow him for some time lol but that's a good idea. I might have to try that. I just have a hard time catching them to put them holding.. They usually get stress and spit the eggs :/