# cackatoo fry!!!!!!!(:



## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Well saturday night i found myself watching my cackatoo cichlids lay eggs! And today while i was out they hatched!! Thers a lot of them too. I estimate around around 30to 40... So my question is what do i feed them once they are free swimming??


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

congrats! I don't know anything about cackatoo cichlids, but I would think that baby brine shrimp would be okay. If not baby brine shrimp, egg yolk.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

microworms, baby brine shrimp (live or frozen), daphia (live or frozen or freeze dried), scrunge off sponge filters, let them clean java moss, very fine powdered foods. if you use powder, be careful with quantity, clean up if you overfeed.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

If you don't have a sponge filter, get one. Or you could get a sponge filter cartridge. That has worked for me.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Thanks guys i plan to have them in a ten i guess ill buy a sponge filter also.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Make sure you cover the intakes now. Little fry can get sucked up there. Cover the ends with panty hose pulled tight.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Thats awesome. if you can keep the fry alive they will sell


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Grogan, yeah i know. My lfs says they'll give me alot for them.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Alright, i feel the need for an update. Well the first batch of fry did not make it. I got to see them on their first day free swimming but it was also their last. The male was kinda stupid and put them for every fish to see.....:/ But a couple days ago i noticed my females were BOTH looking plump...with eggs. One more than the other. Today one of them was doing the whole thing they do before spawning. (flips on side press up against male) So i took a peice of a pot plate that flower pots sit in, broke it in half, and placed it in the tank. Not five minutes after puting it in they started spawning. I watched her lay the eggs too!(extremely cool to see) there was um...12 id like to say, before they randomly disappeared. then a couple hours later theres TONS more on the roof of the “cave”. The other keeps trying to get in and lay her eggs...kinda funny. Hoping maybe this spawn will do better than the last.  Any advice to saving the fry appreciated. I was too scared to seperate the last batch because of dang small they are. But i do have a tiny half gallon tank and a 1 gallon tank i could throw them in....Anyway, this is an amazing process to watch and the fish are worth the buy!!!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Best yields are usually from species tanks, but you can take eggs and hatch them in the same way you would with angels.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

you mean like taking the cave out with the eggs and put them in a tank alone? Im just afraid of upsetting the mother...


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## julem35 (Dec 22, 2010)

I am so jealous!! Congrats, they are beautiful fish and I wish you the best of luck.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Yes, you can take the cave, put methylene blue and an airstone and sponge filter in a small container and hatch the fry yourself. And yes, there is a chance you'll make the mom mad. Which can be deadly for dad if mom blames him. IME, these fish are more prone to female on male violence than the other way round.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

emc7 said:


> Yes, you can take the cave, put methylene blue and an airstone and sponge filter in a small container and hatch the fry yourself. And yes, there is a chance you'll make the mom mad. Which can be deadly for dad if mom blames him. IME, these fish are more prone to female on male violence than the other way round.


Well i dont think ill do it this time. Theres like 8 eggs left. This was the moms very first spawn, so shell get it in time. But maybe with a bigger spawn after I remoldle the tank. if any eggs hatch itle be tomorrow.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

ZD.....PM me your address...i will send you some foods for the fry...
see if you can set up a 10 or 15 gallon tank for the pair or trio of apistos...it can be a bare tank except for a couple of caves and flat rocks..maybe some floating and potted plants and a piece of driftwood...use a fine pore sponge filter....


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Update.
all eggs were eaten by the mother before they could hatch. But im not worried sense that was only her first time. She was a bit stressed. But the other female has spawned again and i found her fry in the same place as before. This time there are tons more. Around 40-50. Shes doing a fantastic job too.

lohachata- Sure ill do that in a couple minutes. Id like to breed them sense im having so much success.


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

update: I have four fry in a net in the main tank right now. They are around 3 weeks old. They have definitely grown, two of them more than the others. They're really dark too. Still tiny, but cute. No signs of any more spawns yet, but hopefully they will again soon. I plan on saving them all this time.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

hope this works out for you. they are really cool fish


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Update
I have eggs again finally! They were laid in an odd place in the driftwood, but mom wont let anyone near. Theres wayyyyy more than any other time too. So im really excited. I will save as many as possible and put them with my other three, who BTW are growing very big and getting active. Im getting very attached to them, so i may keep them. All others will be taken to my lfs for store credit, or sold locally. Pictures to come!


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

when they are about 2-3 months old i would like to get some from you....yes ; i know ; they would have to be shipped...i will teach you how and help with some of the supplies..
that is if it is ok with you and your parents..


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

I was looking at them on the web and found this: http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile74.html
"As far as breeding is concerned, they are prolific, but usually are bad parents so fry usually don't make it unless the owners get involved. In my experience the female will loose her zeal for guarding her fry and in a few weeks she wont protect them at all, but will allow them to stay in her breeding ground. This fish is very social and the female I have now lays eggs and once they hatch she passes the responsibility of raising them to her three oldest daughters. It is a crazy thing to watch. The males are the passive ones here and as long as he doesn't haunt the female he should stay healthy."
And
"One of the harder fish to breed as their eggs are prone to fungus and are also sensitive to anti-fungal treatments"


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## ZebraDanio12 (Jun 17, 2011)

Lohachata; If you explain to me how, I'll be willing to ship them to you. How many would you be interested in?
Iheartfish: Thanks for that I plan to save all but atleast 5, so the parents dont get to mad....I can see they are just about ready to hatch. Must have been lain Saturday, was gone all weekend.


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