Firemouths moving or eating wigglers??

[MSMenagerie]

I read about Firemouths moving their fry to gravel pockets.
Last night our little eggs were hatching when we went to bed. This morning their was one wiggler on the bottom of the pot. I chalked the loss up to the parents maybe ate the wigglers since they are used to some of the live foods I give them, but then I saw the mother spit one out onto the pot floor. She went out and about the tank and came back with another. The daddy is trying to show me away from looking in then went back to the pot where he proceeded to pick up one of the retrieved fry and I never saw him put it down anywhere. Could she be hiding them and him seeking?? Should I consider moving him out, which would be difficult at this time considering my other tanks are full and the fry tanks are all I have? This is only their second brood. I have gravel in their right now, but I think I am going to take it out before the next batch and either put coarse sand or go bare because I am worried about the wigglers getting lost in the crevices. Any recommendations??

 

[Menagerie]

[center:35a8f07f3b] Welcome to AA, MSMenagerie!! [/center:35a8f07f3b]

For the most part cichlids are protective parents. I have mouth brooding cichlids. Once the fry are free swimming, the mother will take them back into her mouth for protection.
It is possible the mother is trying to hide the young. With some cichlids both parents protect the young, but if he isn't putting them back down....
Since I don't know more about these guys, my suggestion is to let nature takes it's course this time and next time be prepared to remove one or both parents if necessary. You should also post on the cichlid-forum.com. They will have tons of advice for you