Firemouths nesting

[DragonFish71]

So last night when I was cleaning the 120 I noticed someone had dug out the sand in an area beside a big black vertical rock. Not thinking anything of it since our pleco likes to "shimmy" in the sand I filled the depression back in and finished cleaning. As I finished I noticed our firemouth pair, B^tch and B^st^rd, were highly agitated. Again, I thought nothing of it since these two are always a bit agitated. A little later when I came down to do laundry I looked in the tank and noticed the female scooping sand with her mouth then spitting it off to the side. The male was circling the area and nudging anyone who came close. After each scoop the female would settle in the depression for a few seconds and circle with the male circling a few inches above her.


Me thinks our firemouths are starting a nest for spawning!


From what I understand they spawn on a rock then move the wigglers to nests in the sand or gravel. They will dig the nests out first so they are ready.


This pair is about a year old, both in full, beautiful color, and very well fed. Since moving them we have noticed the aggression level has risen, so maybe this is why.

I'll post more as we see new developments.

 

[DragonFish71]

On further examination, we have wigglers!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

pictures?

 

[DragonFish71]

None yet. They're hard enough to see just looking. The depression is behind the huge branchy piece of wood on the right side of the tank then off to the right of the rock (if you look at the pics in my album). They picked a good spot for sure. We can hardly make them out. I need to read up more on how long before they become free swimmers.

 

[dkpate]

Exciting!!!!

 

[DragonFish71]

Very!

I've had firemouths before and never had them spawn. We keep looking in on them. They have the wigglers bunched up under roots of a jungle val plant. I'd love to post pics but they blend so well with the sand. You have to stare at them then you see them move. It's way cool! Amazing that in a tank with 4 other cichlids, 4 different catfish, a pleco, 2 crayfish and 24 giant danios that they haven't been eaten. These guys are great parents.

 

[Aquarium1]

Do you have a super macro setting on your camera? Usually it's available under the manual functions (at least it is on my point and shoot lol). That may bring them out better.

 

[DragonFish71]

Yeah we do. The biggest problem is the angle for where they had the nest. We get a crik' in our necks just trying to see.

 

[DragonFish71]

Okies, they have moved the nest to a better place overnight. Hopefully we can get some pics.

The wigglers are jumping wigglers this morning.

I never knew that these guys took stuff from around the tank to make a nest for the wigglers. No research has mentioned that. They've moved fish poo and pieces of shrimp pellets into their new nest spot. Maybe it's to camo the wigglers. No idea, but it's kind of cool watching this happen.

 

[DragonFish71]

Ugh! And mama moved them again. Now they are back to behind the rock. *Grumbles*

 

[dkpate]

Sounds like a mother cat when you wanna go see her babies! HAHA!

 

[DragonFish71]

Yeah it does. *lol*

She's keeping them just behind the rocks so we barely see them.

Now I need to find out when we should strip them. I would think when they're free swimming so they can feed themselves, plus the egg sack should be gone.

 

[dkpate]

I can't wait!!!

 

[DragonFish71]

mama and daddy guarding the fry

Here's mama and daddy guarding their fry.

 

[DragonFish71]

fry

These are the fry after we stripped them into a 10.

 

[DragonFish71]

That's about half of the fry. It is not easy getting pics of them lil wigglers.

 

[Aquarium1]

They look like miniature shrimp lol. Awesome!!! congrats

 

[DragonFish71]

*lol* yeah they do kinda look like baby shrimp.

Thanks

 

[dkpate]

AWWW! Yayy!!! They're so cute and little!

 

[DragonFish71]

Makes you crossed eyed watching them. *lol*