# how can you tell jewel cichlids are pairing off?



## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

ok I got 5 jewels in a large community tank 60 in total... :fish: :fish: How can you tell they are pairing up and should I move them to a other tank if I can figure it out? ( 20g just in case tank cycled) :dancing:


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

the male and female will hang around each other a lot and often they will fend off the rest of the tank but not go at each other... the male will get near her and flare and jerk around a bit and from time to time she will also respond with similar body movements..... some times the female will color change also to a bright red and the male will get dark (this is what mine did)


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

sweet thanks.... So should I move them to another tank before the eggs come Im housing them In a large community of 60 cichlids all under 3inches or there about. I would like to try to raise as many jewels as I can...................


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

i would as the other fish will stress them out as they try to defend the young.. and to be honest i am on my second brood in the main tank and losing them fast to the other fish eating them.. my new set up for the jewels will be up in about a week.. but yeah i would get them set in another tank if you want success...


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

Thank you very much you have been most help full......


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## Flippercon (Mar 5, 2011)

yeah my jewels get pretty aggressive when breeding. i would move them to another tank to keep everyone happy.


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

hey i am learning as i go as well and am happy to share what ever i can (i ask more than my fair share of questions LOL) keep us posted i want to see how everything goes and LOTS and LOTS of pix !!!!


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

ok got a 40 gallon cycled into my home the moment i went to move them out they laid eggs....Can I move the fish and eggs.... If I can what is the safest way to move them?
Son of a ...... lol


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

ok I think my tank may have ick I know fish will flash to remove scales or have itcy gills.....But i think I got ick can I add salt and turn up the heat or should I wait until the fry are hatched? I do run a high alkaline level my tank is very simular to lake malawi it comes out of the hard water tap that way here........................ Ahh i had my own daughter and this is way more stessful....lol   :fish: :dancing: :fish:


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

or can I just turn up the heat? or how about those desolving ick tablets....so many questions so many eggs Im looking at about 100+ eggs =D> =D>


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

if you can give me an email somehow with out others seeing it please do Bear
Mutual Respect Peace
Dude


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

ok i can do the email later .. but be aware that often i repost questions from PM's or email on the boards so that we can get as much input as possible from other members..unless of course its of a personal nature LOL....

ok so here i will take a few minutes to address your questions to the best i can....
1st and most important to me at this stage is to address the ICK issue this is the method i have used in the past to sure ick and have never had an issue with it (my general practice is to NEVER use medications!!!! unless no alternative)
to address ick in a fresh water tank.....
once you see actual signs of the infection (white spots not just flashing as this may be many things including water quality) start this process...DO NOT DO WATER CHANGES UNTIL COMPLETE
day 1 increase temp by 1-2 degrees
do this for as many days (actual 24 hours or more never less) as it takes to reach 89-91 degrees F
once at this temp leave it for 7days this temp will kill all ick in every form egg, larva, adult and after 7 days none will hatch..
after the 7 days lower the water temp by 1-2 degrees until back at your normal setting for your tank once at this temp for 24 hours perform a 50% water change vacuuming 50-75% of your substrate very well in 24 hours perform another 50% water change vacuuming the remaining substrate...
this is the med free solution...

next to move eggs (they most likely will not survive the ick treatment) from all i have read if you move the rock they are on keep it submerged at all times (put the transfer container into the tank and then place completely into new tank and never let them hit air) one issue is variance in water parameters from tank to tank.... best to take chances with the fry where they are and then move them after free swimming....


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

ok. the new 411.......I now think Ick is not there I got all my cichlids at a 1.5inches or less and they are losing scalles as they grow...
With that being said I have secessfully moved the mother and father cichlid with all eggs to another tank!
1st: I put a piece of glass down seperating the housing they had laid their eggs in. I have a empty folgers coffee can (plastic well cleaned) filled it slowly lowered it as the pair attacked my arm slowly picked up the egg house into the can not exposing it to air.

2nd: I put the coffee can and housing in a forty gallon tank I had a Talapia in until today sold it for 20$ as little dissapointed it was a great fish.

3rd: grabed ma and pa and tranfered them to the tank; now im not shure but I might have moved a couple out of and off the housing. Amazingly it appeares that they are gatheringup and put them back into the area that the rest are in. Just think if we as ppl showed this kind of parenting half the time.....

Now I watch and see if I have a terrorist in my tank

check out dudesands on you tube Ill upload the vid of them in the new tank I have my main tank on there but I think the USA cant watch it due to the music I have?? this one has no music

Canada differnt laws


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

sounds like things are going well!!!! i will look up the vid a bit later on (i am at work LOL) but i am glad its going so well..... my slef the last brood was again eaten (my fault) i can not get them into the new tank yet the darn filter wont fit and every modification i have tried failed......


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

so I have 5 jewels in total and two more have just paired off....I need another tank!!!!!

Filters can be such a *************** one little thing goes wrong and it all goes pete tong!!!!!


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

wow good deal on the second pair!!!!! working on tak filter issue this week end.. i am gonna post in the DIY with details soon so pop in if you have ideas.. i dont want to hijack your thread....


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

BTW i checked out your vid and they look great!! i would suggest a few more rocks and caves but other wise looking good my friend


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

yes I was going to add clay pots I have them soaking I like to for 48hrs.... :zz:

ok thinking ahead.....The fish have hatched now what do you think, I should look for and be aware of?

I figure I'll nip the panic now instead as I go along....
Once again thanks for the 411.................. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: 
respect
Dude


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

to be honest you dont do much as long as they are with the parents they will be free swimming in about 3-5 days then you will need to target feed them.... this is the hard part... most folks use Baby brine shrimp (bbs) but i have found that a product called baby bites works well also and most LFS sell it.. you will use very little and the ke again is to target feed (use an eye dropper or pipette with a solution of tank water and the baby bites and get it close to the fry [note: a piece of air line tubing will work as well be creative!!]) the parents will attack the object and any body parts that are to close to the fry to be ready for that nip!!! over time they will learn from the parents to swim to the top for food...

oh another option i have seen (not tried) was to let the fry do there thing for like a week and then put them in a breeder net or some such device anchored near the top so they are easier to feed....


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

explosion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a terrorist.................................... I left for about an hour tonight to go out and get myself some weekend entertainment; only to come home to the male eating all the eggs..............................managed to save about 25 out of the 100+.............................. 86 the male back to the community thought he might be aggressive going back.............no treated it like a easy on sumday morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Son of a................. I own a van now where close to a river!!!!!!!! Will my fry amount to jack squat???????????????????? Stay tuned :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :-? :fish:


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## bearwithfish (Dec 20, 2010)

either he is not sure how to act with them (1st timer?) or you grabbed the wrong male.... in time things will work out.. another option would be the eggs had something wrong with them from the transfer and he was just cleaning house... give him another try


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

ok so another pair has paired off got them into the tank no eggs yet,
also the first male has hooked up with the other female and I have them in another tank
I will keep you posted,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I will post more video and let you all know.


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## DudeDelMar (Mar 3, 2011)

check out dudesands on you tube.... i will update tri daily...... :thumb: :dancing: :fish: =D>


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