kuba1992

Hey everyone i just bought a divider for my african cichlid tank its about 65-75 gallons. around there. i bought the divider because 2 of my african cichlids have fry and 1 has eggs. how much room should i leave for the fish that have babies and once they spit them out will the mother eat them? right now there in there mouth. mouth brooders i guess. im selling the fry when tyhey get older so i need to get as mcuh as i can. any ideas or tips? thjanks in advance everyone.

Shawnie

to have successful fry where you can sell and raise them properly, a grow out tank of 10-20 gals is better than a divider....that way you can keep the water prestine and change it regularly..yes the mouth brooder will eat her fry if she can catch them after spitting....

deathtroll

I would recommend at least another tank of you plan on selling them. The fry will also eat fry that are younger and smaller than them. so if you plan to raise all your fry from every spawn you will need a couple of tanks.

kuba1992

I have 2 10 gallon tanks is that good?

deathtroll

yeah that should get you started at least.

Angela_96

Yea the 10g tanks are great fror the first spat groups.
I have a 10g, 20l, and 36g that I am using as fry tanks. I put them in the 10g when they are first spit out until they get big enough to start coming to the top of the water for food, then I go to the 20 long and they stay in there until the tank has a few batches in it. Then its off to the big fry tank. When I sell my fry they come fromo the 36g (oh the fun of catching the fry and going through them picking out the different species to sell lol)

The mother will eat them if she can get to them, I would put a few rocks directly on the bottom of the tank, they will go under the rock and she wouldn't be able to fit. Then once she has spit let her eat some high quality flakes for a while and if she is looking good I wo uld go ahead and put her in the main tank.

I also have a habit of using a crayon to write on the side the frys dob, the mothers spawning date in the tank she is in. That way you can watch her closely on a certain 4 day strech (usually 21-25 days). I also have a reminder set on my phone if one needs some intervening if after 28 days. I have an afra holding right now that I will have to intervene with her holding (she pushes 28 days every time, I get them at 24).

kuba1992

thanks i had to strip mine last night. was pretty easy i think. you know your stuff wow. i have another question sorry lol. my orane fish i that i stripped had to dark fry also. one has stripes and the other one is like all black. can it be a mix or something? and one orange fry has no eyes.

Angela_96

Thanks
I would kull the orange fry with no eyes. I don't kull but maybe 2 fry a month, but if it needs done due to a severe abnomality I will.
I would have to see the fry, chances are they are hybrids.

kuba1992

So they will die? Hybrid fry usually don't survive and die? Some are black to. Two of them.

Angela_96

No, the fry can and prob will survive. However ones that have visual abnormalities (like no eyes) I would kull.

kuba1992

ok and they can interbreed right? cuz some are black from an orange fish.

Angela_96

They can if they are in deed hybrids though I woulldn't plan on getting any money for them from selling them.

kuba1992

but its cool to see what colors u can get ya know?