[pdub]

Ok. So it looks like I've decided on what the long term plan is for my tank.

I think I'm going to restock with Demasoni, Acei, Yellow Labs and either Met. Callianos or Socolofi's.

But, I don't want to become a breeder. I think I'll get burned out cacthing and transferring mother and fry to growout/isolation/quarantine tanks etc.

My questions are:

If I just left holding mothers and eventually fry in my main tank, will I still have to eventually pull the growing fry out of the tank? Or will nature take its course (sorry, what I'm getting at is will they get eaten) and they wont survive?

I just don't want to go through the continual process of moving rocks around, etc., trying to catch 10 new Demasoni, Acei or Yellow Labs that have grown to 1" etc.

Thanks.

 

[DNK]

If you've got a fair amount of rock work etc in the tank, you might get least 1 of each batch of fry making it.
You could get a few synodontis that will generally stay along the bottom and will pick off new fry to assist in keeping the numbers down.

 

[pdub]

DNK, would my BN pleco's help control the issue like you suggested the Synodontis might?

Thanks.

 

[Jedu]

Hey, I've got a few bristle nose in my tank, and they dont even look twice at the fry, however they are still on the small side. So I dont think that it would be a good solution.

 

[TheeMon]

just leave them be and let nature take its course... some may survive, just leave them be. if they reach adult hood just think of it as a free fish. if you get wayy to many living just leave them in there untill they get crowded(say every 6 months) and scoop a bunch out and sell them

 

[pdub]

If I leave them be as TheeMon suggested, will the holding mothers that I leave in the main tank get picked on too much?

 

[bma57]

If I leave them be as TheeMon suggested, will the holding mothers that I leave in the main tank get picked on too much?

I've heard reports of that problem, but I have never had it myself. I've never separated a holding female. All of the fry I have saved have been spit in the tank and have been sucked into my overflow chambers. My females (acei, estherae, and yellow labs) all seem to do fine. I did have one lab get a little picked on during one hold, but she came through it fine. I guess it depends on the tank size, hiding spots, species mix, male/female ratio, etc.

 

[cichlidaholic]

If I leave them be as TheeMon suggested, will the holding mothers that I leave in the main tank get picked on too much?

What size tank is this?

If your female to male ratios are high enough so that one female isn't overly picked on, they should be fine, if you have the space to make the ratios high enough!

 

[Guest]

Eventually, here is your tank......................... :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: ...................LOL!

 

[pdub]

cichlidaholic, my tank is a rectangular 75g.

That's funny LC5860.

 

[cichlidaholic]

I would go with 3 species, in that case.

I think the demasoni, yellow labs and Cobalts would look great. I like the look of Cobalts more than acei, and the blue of the Cobalts would be a nicer contrast against the blue of the demasoni.

 

[pdub]

cichlidholic,

Can you think of any patterned fish that might compliment the Yellow Labs and Dem's?

I was hoping to find another fish with a nice pattern to it.

Thanks!

 

[cichlidaholic]

How about a group of OB L. fuelleborni? You'd only want one male, but they are very nice looking blotched fish, especially the Katales. They'd look great!

 

[Guest]

Thank you

 

[DJRansome]

Or everyone's favorite...Cynotilapia sp hara Gallireya Reef. The males are light blue with narrow black bars...like Demasoni are the "photo" and Cynotilapia are the "negative".

And the females have similar coloration to Acei only a little darker blue and no irridescence.