[Mr Mbuna]

My wc black Calvus now seem to have bred maybe 3 times. There is the flirting, the female vanishing into her shell for two weeks whilst the male guards and yet I never get to see the fry. Suddenly the female just leaves the shell for a few weeks and then the cycle starts again. With my comps, I saw the fry at the shell entrance and then removed the shell with much success but either the fish are eating the fry or they are not surviving. They are in a 72" with 3 furcifers, 6 wc kilesa and 4 juvenile L. tanganicanus.
Any suggestions?

 

[starplayer]

I suppose the obvious reply would be either the calvus are eating the eggs / fry ,or they are being eaten by other tankmates. If your goal is to raise fry then can you put the calvus in their own tank? This would give you the answer.

 

[Mr Mbuna]

I raised comps in the same tank with no problems, but I'm not even seeing any fry from these Calvus.

 

[mokujin22]

I've only raised one brood of gold-head Comps and one brood of black Comps. Both times I just pulled the ceramic "Cichlid Cave" or the calvus cave and dumped the whole thing into a large collection cup (mother and all). Threw the mom back into the tank and put the wigglers into a tumbler.

Probably not the orthodox method, but worked for me. With a shell it may be more difficult, but it's worth a shot.

Good luck.

 

[tirzo13]

I pull them right about a day before i think they are going to swim around outside of the shell.
If i wait till they start to come out, they will get picked off by other fish.
I raise mine with Victorians.

So maybe the mom is eating them or other fish, id give them their own tank.

 

[Mr Mbuna]

Just thought I'd give an update here. After a few more failed spawns I watched carefully for when the females belly lost its plumpness. I waited about 13 days then emptied the shell into a breeding net, with the male madly attacking my hand as I did so. Result! :thumb: I now have about 80 F1 fry. They still had a little egg sac but were just about free swimming. and they are now taking newly hatched brine shrimp quite readily. So basically what tirzo13 said - pull them out just before they are free swimming at the entrance.

My comp fry are just getting to saleable size now and they were spawned in February so I have another long haul of fry feeding ahead I guess, (probably to find absolutely no market for them).

 

[Razzo]

Just thought I'd give an update here. After a few more failed spawns I watched carefully for when the females belly lost its plumpness. I waited about 13 days then emptied the shell into a breeding net, with the male madly attacking my hand as I did so. Result! :thumb: I now have about 80 F1 fry. Th still had a little egg sac but were just about free swimming. and they are now taking newly hatched brine shrimp quite readily. So basically what tirzo13 said - pull them out just before they are free swimming at the entrance.

My comp fry are just getting to saleable size now and they were spawned in February so I have another long haul of fry feeding ahead I guess, (probably to find absolutely no market for them).

Congrats on the spawn Mr Mbuna! 80, that's a nice haul!

 

[sunnee1]

Way to go, congrats

 

[Anthraxx8500]

glad u finally seeing results. sometimes the broods just dont take. if anything just let em figure it out like u were doing. i prefer to let nature take its course but either way grats on the spawn!! hope u end up with a lot of babies. keep em on that BBS for quite awhile. should get better growth rates outta them. early on at least. again grats on the spawn