Is this Bolivian Ram spawning behavior?

[QCAquaholic]

Two of my rams are moving gravel around clearing out a sandy ditch of sorts, chasing anything away and then pecking at a certain rock near the ditch.

 

[Feohw]

Yeah. Sounds like they are digging a pit to place the wrigglers and cleaning the rock on which they plan to spawn.

 

[INeedHelpLol]

I agree with Fahn, mine did something similar, sadly it didn't get much further than that since the male died.

 

[QCAquaholic]

Looks like we have eggs!

 

[INeedHelpLol]

Congrats!

 

[QCAquaholic]

how long do the eggs usually take to hatch?

 

[INeedHelpLol]

Should be hatching in less than a week

 

[QCAquaholic]

Should be hatching in less than a week

I went by the office yesterday, and the eggs were no longer on the rock. I couldn't find any fry, but the parents were as aggressive as ever.

 

[jmaldo]

Congrats on the spawn.
Keep looking, the parents will move them continually from pit to pit during the egg/wiggler/swimmer stages. I remember my first spawn, I thought they were eating them, actually just moving them.

Good Luck!

 

[Dunk2]

If they didn’t move them as jmaldo suggested, don’t get discouraged. . .

I‘ve never kept Bolivians, but my GBR needed a couple practice runs before they stopped eating the eggs. Having the eggs reach wiggler stage is even more challenging if they are in a community tank.

 

[QCAquaholic]

I found the wigglers this morning. They're very well, strategically places in a crevice surrounded on three sides by rocks, and the other side is blocked by some AR mini. I had to use a flashlight to see them in there.

Hard to see anything from the picture

 

[jmaldo]

Congrats!
Welcome to one of the best parts of keeping "Wet Pets". I still remember when I stumbled into breeding. Here is a thread I posted, it has a ton of "Good" info.
I Have Wigglers Now Fry! Again Ram Cichlid | Ram Cichlid Forum | 318008

Good Luck!

 

[QCAquaholic]

Congrats!
Welcome to one of the best parts of keeping "Wet Pets". I still remember when I stumbled into breeding. Here is a thread I posted, it has a ton of "Good" info.
I Have Wigglers Now Fry! Again Ram Cichlid | Ram Cichlid Forum | 318008

Good Luck!

I actually came across your post when I Googled ram wigglers earlier today looking for advice.


I have an empty 10 gallon tank that I want to move them into at some point. I'll be taking a sponge filter from an existing tank and putting it in there. We have a RODI system in one of the classrooms that I will be getting their water from. Fry food from Aquarium Co-Op should be arriving today. Anything else I'm missing?

 

[jmaldo]

I have found for "Best" results, I leave them with the parents, along with feeding freshly hatched baby brine shrimp (3 feedings per day). It is a sight to see their bellies glowing orange filled with the BBS.
If going to move them get the tank setup sooner than later. Lastly, I did 2-3 water changes per week.
Had so many Bolivians at one point, after selling what I could, I was giving them away to some members here.
Never used RO water, so no advice there. coralbandit uses it, maybe he has some tips.

Good Luck!

 

[coralbandit]

Congrats on getting to enjoy the best part of fish keeping as Joe said .
Raising fry is the most fun and satisfying part to keeping fish .
If the eggs hatched your water is good enough.
I see no need to use RO.
Moving wigglers or free swimmers is difficult and often ends poorly .
Moving the other fish is the first step to having any chance .
You catch all fish parents last so they can defend and then remove the parents .
They can all go in a bucket for the short time it will take to safely / sanely remove the fry with a syphon hose ..
Any other type of attempt to remove free swimming fry or wigglers will quickly turn to chaos.
Once you have calmly and safely removed the fry you can return all fish ..
A sponge filter is what works best .Also having food for the fry is important .
You should be hatching BBS right about now ..

 

[QCAquaholic]

Congrats on getting to enjoy the best part of fish keeping as Joe said .
Raising fry is the most fun and satisfying part to keeping fish .
If the eggs hatched your water is good enough.
I see no need to use RO.
Moving wigglers or free swimmers is difficult and often ends poorly .
Moving the other fish is the first step to having any chance .
You catch all fish parents last so they can defend and then remove the parents .
They can all go in a bucket for the short time it will take to safely / sanely remove the fry with a syphon hose ..
Any other type of attempt to remove free swimming fry or wigglers will quickly turn to chaos.
Once you have calmly and safely removed the fry you can return all fish ..
A sponge filter is what works best .Also having food for the fry is important .
You should be hatching BBS right about now ..

Thanks for the tips! I ordered some fry food last week, and it was supposed to arrive two days ago but has been delayed. This is in a 40 gallon breeder shared with two other Bolivian Rams and three albino corydoras (3 died not too long ago). I'll be grabbing a sponge filter from an existing tank to put in the open 10 gallon.

They're free swimming now!

 

[QCAquaholic]

Well, catching any of the fish is pretty much out of the question unless I completely destroy the hardscape. I did manage to section off a portion of the tank for the parents and fry. So far the other fish haven't tried going in there.

 

[QCAquaholic]

It looks as though my sectioned of area worked. The parents and fry were still in there, and the other fish were outside. There is a backdoor way in, but the parents have taken up positions there. Sadly some of the fry were eaten between Wednesday and Thursday, maybe half.

 

[jmaldo]

You have continued "Success" with the barrier. I tried one awhile back, similar to this one.



It worked initially but... The fry eventually found a way through even the smallest gap. The other inhabitants were lined up ready for them on the other side. Ended up moving the pair to their own tank, within a week had another spawn.

Good Luck!

 

[QCAquaholic]

Mine's way more janky than yours. It's basically a mesh breeder box and a net blocking one side and hardscape with some plants blocking the other side.