What to do when your fish spawn...

[JoeZ]

I have a few tanks set up with some different pairs of cichlids. I've read that at the time your fry can eat on their own, it is best to not only remove them from the aquarium, but to also separate the parents. This supposedly protects the female from being killed due to her resisting to spawn immediately after.

Is there any truth to this? If so, what kind of timeline are we talking about between all the above events?

 

[severum mama]

What species of cichlids do you keep?

 

[JoeZ]

I have a mated pair of salvini's - purchased from a store who accidentally had them sexed and bred. No activity of its kind has even remotely started since I took them home. LOL !!! I also have a second aquarium with juvenile salvani's....waiting to see what will develop. My other two pairs are in set up's with other fish, but ultimately will be separated. Striped and pink convicts (2 pairs) and Texas cichlids. I assume the same method would apply for each, although typically I have left convicts together without changing anything. The salvini's are acting extremely strange though.

PS - I had a pair of devils years back. They bred, took care of their fry. Upon removing the fry, the male killed the female within 24 hours of me removing the fry. Seems like a similar scenario occurring with my salvini.