Cichlid Fish Forum banner

Whoa, my Jewel Cichlids just had babies, help

5K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  grande_C 
#1 ·
Totally unexpected

Just a couple of Jewel Cichlids I have in a small tank in my room for the heck of it, I walk in there today and theres a ton of tinny little fry swimming all over.

I'm trying to research right now what I need to do for them, never had fish have babies before.

I freaked out thinking the little guys were gonna get sucked into the filter so I turned it off, was that wise? Now im concerned the water quality will degrade.

Should I turn it back on?

any help is appreciated
 
#7 ·
Congrats grande_C! From what I have read, Jewels are terrible to other fish when they breed, just so you know. O, and I wouldn't turn the filter off. Just like was suggested, put a sponge over it. When my convicts breed, I go to my LFS and buy Fluval pre-filter sponges to put over the intake.
 
#8 ·
well this sucks

Left for a few hours this afternoon, I get back and out of the original cloud of little fry (had to be near 200 of them), there were maybe 30

spent the next 20 minutes watching as the two Jewels just ate them off one by one

Now I dont see any, might be one or two hiding in a crevice somewhere but I dont see them

what gives? Everything I've ever heard about cichlids is that they're great parents, and these two go from fanning water over them one hour, to eating them the next?

dug out an old 20 gallon and everything, was gonna get it ready to transfer the fry when necessary.

the highs and lows of keeping fish :(
 
#9 ·
My jewels spend a lot of their time rounding up the babies and putting them back in the log I have in the tank. So if you have some good hiding areas it could be they didn't eat the fry. But then again they just might have. Jewels are a bit strange like that. Have no fear though with clean water they will probably spawn again in a few weeks. Good luck.
 
#10 ·
Each cichlid has it's own behavior...mbuna hold the fry in their mouths for 28 days (great parents) but then if kept with the babies 48 hours after spitting them out, they will eat them.

Some of the Tangs are better parents.

I've heard both about Jewels.
 
#11 ·
well good news, I awoke to find the babies have not been eaten

at least not all of them

must have found a real good hiding spot and all clustered in there, because I didnt see a one of them before I went to bed last night.

hard to tell how many exactly but there are still a lot of them, maybe 100 or more.

Maybe its like you say Kerricko, and the parents are just rounding them up and not eating them, but they're certianly snatching them up with their mouths.

anyway, false alarm, the fry seem to be doing well. haha
 
#16 ·
so when is the typical time to move the babies from the parent's tank into their own?

the parents are still protective of them and not eating them or anything, not being aggressive to eachother either

they seem to be doing well, their numbers have dwindled a bit but theres still around 80-100 of them
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top