Rams spawned in community tank, what next?

[Zeaqua85]

Hi everyone! After just about a year of trying, I finally got my beloved Bolivian Rams to spawn. Right now, they’re in a multi-species breeding tank with Elegant cories, a juvenile apisto pair, and about 5 endler’s. I absolutely love this fish, and want as many of the fry to survive as possible. I don’t think I should remove the other fish, as I believe it would both stress them out, as well as the new parents. If anyone has any advice or suggestions, I’d really appreciate them. Thanks for reading!

 

[PeterFishKeepin]

If you have a spare setup tank could you move the parents and fry?

 

[Zeaqua85]

Unfortunately, apart from other community tanks, I don’t. I have a bare bottom shrimp tank, and I may be able to move the shrimp into something else, but I’d like to see if I have other options first.

 

[PeterFishKeepin]

Are you wanting to separate them so they don't get eaten? You could put a small tank divider, or a breeder net/cage on the top of your tank?

 

[StarGirl]

More than likely the parents may eat the eggs in a community tank. Rams like more of a species only tank or they feel threatened by other tank mates.

 

[TClare]

What size is the tank? Unless it’s very large and/or very heavily planted, I don’t think the parents have much chance of raising the fry, they may well eat the eggs and even if they don’t once the fry are free swimming it will be hard for them to defend them. What is more the cories are likely to get a very hard time from the parents. If there is a way to divide the tank you could try this (depending on tank size) otherwise the best hope would be to remove some of the fry and rear them separately. I don’t really think a “multi species breeding tank” is very feasible.

 

[Zeaqua85]

What size is the tank? Unless it’s very large and/or very heavily planted, I don’t think the parents have much chance of raising the fry, they may well eat the eggs and even if they don’t once the fry are free swimming it will be hard for them to defend them. What is more the cories are likely to get a very hard time from the parents. If there is a way to divide the tank you could try this (depending on tank size) otherwise the best hope would be to remove some of the fry and rear them separately. I don’t really think a “multi species breeding tank” is very feasible.

I had them in a 20 gallon after not having any success in a 40, but you’re probably right about the “multi species breeding tank.” I thought it might be an interesting experiment considering that I don’t have many tanks, but it definitely didn’t seem to work out.