Bigamy Breeding Angelfish Trio

I have had cichlids - angelfish and others (Electric Blue Acaras) where one male would alternately fertilize eggs laid by two different females - female x one week and then female y the next. Same thing with angels. However never anything like what was going on yesterday afternoon. What I witnessed was a trio of Koi angelfish spawning - two females and one male, all from the same clutch of eggs from 9 months ago, spawning on an anubias leaf. Now this particularly testosterone heavy male who had just fertilized eggs on an uplift tube with another tankmate, that one is a marble from a different spawn and different parents back in May, 2021. The fertilization rate from that spawn was not great, maybe only about 25 viable wigglers. That's what you get when you try to fertilize eggs laid on an uplift tube with a strong downward water flow above you.

In any event he decided to ignore that marble female and hook up with two of his Koi sisters. He had been fending them off a few days ago when fertilizing the eggs laid by the marble angelfish, but now his eyes were on his two Koi sisters. The 3 of them were working together to keep the other fish away - 2 blacks and 6 marbles. All in the same crowded tank. I know, I know, it is too crowded! But my water changes are about 25% twice a week in this 29 gallon tank and everyone is doing well except for the mating spawning site protection aggression going on. Love to see those fast frontal defensive attacks with the angels advancing sideways thru the tank! Between the 2 females and one very ready to go male they really filled up an anubias leaf!

I know that overnight a lot of eggs would disappear despite all attempts by the trio of parents to protect the eggs from the two bristlenose plecos, 2 small (2") clown loaches, and 9 small (2") electric blue acaras. I know, I know, the tank is way too crowded.....and the tank is less crowded now as I snipped off the anubias leaf and put it in a 2 gallon goldfish bowl with 2 gallons of water from the 29 gallon tank. Additionally the breeding trio have now been removed too and are settling into their private honeymoon aquarium. The goldfish bowl with the eggs on the anubias leaf has been appropriately treated with Rid-Ich Plus as a fungus preventative (I like this stuff better for this purpose than methylene blue.) For me Rid-Ich Plus has always worked quite well plus it does not stain silicone tank sealer or anything else. The anubias leaf has it's stem pinned with a small plastic clamp (Harbor Freight) to the top rim of the bowl. The surface where the eggs are is facing down and near but not directly over an air stone. I also have a small heater on the bowl keeping the temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The eggs were laid about 24 hours ago and very few are now white. Another 24 hours and I should see a few wigglers. About 5 days after that and I should have a bowl full of free swimmers. Since both parents (or should I say all 3 parents are Koi angels and both of their parents were Koi angels, this entire spawn should be Klingon, ah, I mean Koi! Will post updates. Please ask questions if there are any.

Barry Simon

 

Interesting. I have seen similar behaviour with some Laetacara araguaiae, not mine, which have always bred in pairs, but at the lfs where I got mine they kept a few and two females and one male were together defending a batch of fry from the other fish on the tank. I don’t know if both females spawned or just one, but both were definitely cooperating with brood care.

 

Many decades ago, a friend of mine had a long 40 full of angels, way more crowded than your tank. Her fish started spawning in groups, several females and multiple males. There were so many eggs that they were laid on top of one another. Unfortunately, these mass spawnings did not produce any young, even when she pulled the eggs.

I've seen reports of group spawnings occasionally since then. Yours is the first in quite a while.

 

Ok, the koi angelfish spawn are now wigglers (or is it wrigglers, I have seen it referenced both ways). Some small hints of movement last night but the whole mass of eggs have wiggling tails today (early morning). Timing is pretty good as I will be out of town for a wedding starting tomorrow am and back Sunday am. Much better that they are just in the wiggling stage than just in the free swimming stage. Should be able to take newly hatched brine shrimp by Tuesday or Wednesday after maybe some First Bites on Monday or Tuesday. I generally find that for angelfish, newly hatched brine shrimp can be a little big. First Bites tends to be a bit smaller.

Counting the wigglers I now have 5 spawns of angels in various stages right now up to about 6 weeks of age. They are:

1) Koi male with a Koi "pearl scale" female - parents are unrelated, eggs laid 1/15, about 80
2) Koi male with a marble female - parents are unrelated - father is now dead due to a unable to identify neurological disease, eggs laid 1/19, saved about 25 on plastic strip, Young severum got the rest.
3) Same parents as above, save all by moving laying strip. looks like all are dark maybe all marbles. Eggs laid on 1/29. At least 200
4) Same parents as above, saved all. Eggs laid on 2/11. Maybe 150.
5) Koi Male and a Marble Female that is Koi recessive. Only about 25 saved. Eggs laid 3/3. Free swimming on 3/10.
6) Koi male plus 2 Koi females. All of these 3 are from the same spawn, so all hatchlings should be Koi. Looks like somewhere between 250 and 350. Eggs laid on 3/7 and wiggling on 3/10.

Can short videos be posted?

Barry Simon

Come on guys and gals, slow down, I am short of space.

C

 

Ok, free swimming yesterday and my tank space is limited. They are now in a 2 gallon bowl with an air stone and heater. I am clearing out a 15 gallon tank tomorrow morning which is currently housing approximately 150 koi/marble mix angels which are approximately 45 days old. They are going to a TFS that will be able to house them in a larger tank for grow out. Getting 50 cents each for them. Willing to do that because I need the space for this batch of pure Koi angels. I should also be able to clear out my 38 gallon within another few weeks or so. Hopefully in no more than 3 weeks I will be able to move this large Koi batch into there. What I really need is a garage with about eight 30 gallon longs set up with about another four 55's.

Barry Simon

 

Moved to a 5.5 gal this morning with fine gravel, a small (foam screening) HOB filter. This is a Cascade 20 which is perfect for small tanks. The tank also has a stick on the back wall sponge filter. Water was well aged and cycled (pulled other fish out 1st) and the fry were acclimated first. The mulm and uneaten food was building up too fast in the bowl. This is an intermediate step. I hope to move these babies again to my 38 gallon tank in about 2 to 3 weeks.

The parents apparently spawned again late last night, probably just as the lights were going on (on a timer). This was just 9 days after the previous spawning and as the lights went out the male did not really do a good job (or any job) in fertilizing the eggs. All were white when I discovered them. Just as well, I do not have any more space right now for additional angelfish fry.

Barry Simon