Probs Keeping Texas Cuchlid Eggs

RandallW20

So I have a pair of cichlids that can't grasp the concept of keeping their eggs. They keep eating them. They've done this four times already. I understand they may do this the first time but I wouldn't think time after time they'd do it. And I believe both are at fault, the male and female.
They laid them on a piece of wood this time. I tried pushing the eggs off into a brooding net but they are stuck on pretty good and I didn't want to risk crushing them.
And how do I know if they have been fertilized? The fish seem pretty good at hiding their breeding from us. The tank is in the living room and they literally stop what they are doing if we happen to look over at the tank.
What do I do to try and preserve these eggs?

Thanks All!

1077

Could be possible that the fish are eating unfertilized eggs or egss which have fungused. Fertile eggs should be clear to slightly brown colored while fungused eggs will turn white. It has been observed that even viable eggs are often eaten by the adults and some fish never seem to stop eating eggs fertile or otherwise. Options are ..ensure that water parameters are ideal =zero for ammonia and nitrites,and nitrAtes under twenty or remove the object that eggss are laid on and place it in a cycled tank with same water conditions as main tank =ideal,, and place a small airstone under the object and add a little methylene blue to help ward off fungus. If and when eggs hatch ,, frequent small water changes and proper fry foods will be needed for young fish to survive first few critical weeks.

RandallW20

The eggs are white when she lays them. Could they be fungused that quickly?
My water parameters are A+
How could I scrape the eggs off onto or into something without damaging them? They always lay them on something too big to fit in my quarantine tank.

Thanks!

1077

Perhaps a divider .

cerianthus

Texas Cichlid should be pretty easy to breed and raise. Dont know how long you had them (age) or how many clutches they had so far but how about just leaving them alone and let them do their thing. I dont recall doing anything when bred Texan about 30 yrs ago.

They can eat their clutch when under constant threat by tankmates or by your hand/vacuum tubes.

Could it be possibel, just maybe, two females like two female angels laying unfertilized eggs?

I usually movd a breeding pair/mated pair to their own tank after first failure or remove other tankmates to other tank giving the breeding pair all the space for them.

Hope all goes well and be prepared to have large rearing tank(S) as they will produce hudreds/thousands of frys, provided they are male/female.

RandallW20

They are on their 5th clutch today. I've had them since feb, and I'm guessing they were around 6 months when I got them as they were from 2-3".
I'm sure it's a male and female pair, I've seen which one lays the eggs and the other has displayed the male breeding pattern. (white head / black tail)

1077

Cerianthus makes a couple very good points. If cichlids feel that conditions are unsuitable for raising young, they will continue to eat the eggs.Anthing that disturbs the fish from maint inside the tank,tankmates that pose a threat either real, or imagined, water that is not suitable,and or bright lights and faces pressed against the glass too frequently can all discourage the fish. And as also mentioned,,some cichlids will continue to eat eggs for reasons known only to them.

cerianthus

My breeding pairs of any cichlids usulally bite the heck out of anything which came near the nest.

Any pics of fish when spawning, or before and after. I never had a mated any cichlids, including rare dwarf specimen which continuously ate their clutch.

Out off curiosity what is pH of your tank water? Texas Cichlid is very tough cookies and should be able to tolerate/breeding in wide range of pH. If memory serves, male texan bred with very closely related female carpintis resulting in various colorsw and patterns. This of course was in 70's.
I cant forget my first brood of Geophagus steindacneri which I obtained as common fish (70's) only to find out how beautiful fish they were. I am sure they still are gorgeous.

Dont give up yet. How about slight reaquascaping giving them more secluded area where they feel more comfortable.
I know we all want to see what's going on in the tank but how about giving them some privacy until they are more mature/relaxed/experienced with brroding/raising their young.

Good Luck!

RandallW20

I believe I may have a pic of the male in his spawning colors from his second batch of eggs.
I'll try to post it when I get home if I still have it.
My pH is about 7.8 in that tank.

I have the pair divided off into 1/3 of the tank so the catfish and algae eaters won't disturb them.
I'm wondering if I put some dark colored posterboard around the tank there so that we won't be disturbing them may help them feel more at ease. What would y'all think?