[BioG]

Was watching a pair breeding amongst a group of 22 "Blue Flash" and had some questions and observations.

Questions first:
Why does the male repeat the "kissing" behavior of the female. When she was done collecting milt he would spin right around and kiss at her vent as if he were collecting as well?

Also, I watched them do an exact replica of the mating ritual without an egg released for an hour, took a bathroom break, when I came back her mouth was full of eggs. Do they always pretend to release, backup, and pick up invisible eggs for an hour and then do the real thing all at once?

Other unrelated thing is that some thing is killing them one by one. I know about "cyp slimming" but this is a different version of it I think. Only one slims, and I mean SLIMS, slowly and dies. Then, within a week another will start? They're still breeding but the slimming is only happening to females. I watch my tanks a lot and this group is very peaceful. Good male balance etc. no real harassment to speak of.

I have done the standard anti-cyp-slimming treatment of bathing Praziquantel and Metro for a week and have dosed the metro in the food for 2 weeks. Then I moved to Nitrofurazone in the food. No results still dying. They're reproducing faster than they die but still I'm irritated by the losses.

The wird things are that a.) only females are effected b.) The Melanogenys and Calvus tankmates are not effected. The Calvus are definitely not effected. The enants are actually not growing at all so maybe...

The only precursor I've noticed is what I thought was battle scars at first. I notice a couple of what look like bitten off scales, not a wound but just like a scale or two has been removed along the back or side. I'm not sure if the "scaled" cyps are the ones slimming but I will say that the males don't have the so called "battle scars" and of all you'd think they would if it were from fighting. Anyway....

 

[dkimtonf]

I've had cyp utinta females do the same thing. One of my friends who's an experienced fish keeper told me if I kept my pH sky high, like above 8.6 they wouldn't have problems feeding. I haven't been able to get my pH that high. I've noticed this happening to my females only also. I've always attributed it to them being spawned out. the females spend all their energy to make the eggs, then they fast for 3 weeks! After stripping a female, I'd always let her recuperate in my sump, getting NLS grow. Maybe at the first sign of poor feeding, you can separate out the wasting cyp and give private feedings of something small and high quality?

Funny story as an aside. I had a group of recuperating female cyps and fry I was growing out in my sump. all of a sudden one of the females started acting really aggressive, almost like a male cyp chasing everyone away from her. I'm wondering what's up with the PMSing, so I place her back in the main tank, and she instantly spawns with the alpha male! I don't think I had her recuperating for more than 3 weeks. But she was getting all she could eat NLS grow. The drive to reproduce is strong, even in females.

 

[Riverwater]

I don't have any answers, but I do wish there was more resources/articles/write ups on cyps especially on the different types. There are a few that provide a general overview, but nothing too detailed. After having little success with blue flash this year, I've switched to jumbo tri-colors and it is quite dynamic to see how the males interact with the females or how the males interact with each other.

 

[triscuit]

My cyp/paracyp/xeno wasting treatment is heavy daily doses of metro combined with Epsom salt and fasting. Of course, this is also the treatment I use for bloat. :roll: It works though, and females can hold during the treatment with no adverse effects for them or the fry.

I dose powdered metro at 250 mg per 10 gallons, twice a day, with 50% WC once a day. I maintain a dissolved Epsom salt level of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Do not feed, and continue this treatment for 4 days. On the 5th and 6th days, skip the metro and, do the water change, and feed very lightly.

I've heard varying theories on why this works (or doesn't) and I've come to the unproven hypothesis that there are bugs in cyp's intestines that get the better of them in captivity, and that the best way to get rid of them is to empty the gut completely (Epsom and fasting) while treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic (metro).

 

[BioG]

I've always attributed it to them being spawned out

That's what I was figuring too.

Tricuit:

Do you have to use that method often? Or does it flat out cure them so long as you don't add any new fish, outside contaminants?

These are Blue flash but I still may move them to a 6 foot tank. My reasoning will be that the females can recoup in the sump or in the bigger space available? I hate dealing with cyps and their fragility, however, I love cyps. If I didn't no any better I'd say All cyps were female due to the fact that they're IMPOSSible to understand, they're obsessed with being skinny, an they always seem to have the proverbial headache! LOL! :lol: Now I"m the one who needs Tylenol!

 

[BioG]

Also why is it that I never seem to have these probs with my Utinta group?