# Texas Cichlid laid eggs! Help!!!



## joker1535 (Apr 19, 2009)

My texas just laid about 500 eggs. What am i doing. Do i leave the fry? Wont they be eaten by other fish? Do i put divider in? This is the first time my fish buddies are having babies and i need the experts help! Greatly appreciated :-?


----------



## mncherie1 (Mar 27, 2009)

Divider- Yes (if nothing else it will protect your other fish, trust me they will need it. Put some panty hose over it so the fry does not squeeze through the little holes (mine did and I lost a bunch))

I did not remove my parents, (Jewel cichlids), and they were wonderful to watch. Keep in mind that once they start laying eggs, they will continue, so even if you lose a batch there will be more!!!

Put some pantyhose around your filter intake to prevent the lillâ€™ ones to be sucked up.

Once free swimming I feed them first bites http://www.hikari.info/tropical/t_13.html but you can also grind up some food (I used a coffee grinder =o)) :fish:

Feed them about 5 times a day in small quantities if you can

Or you could just leave it up to mother nature and see what happens....if you don't be prepared to have a ton of babies. (I do)

They are a hoot to watch opcorn:

Now that they are about 2 months they have started to eat frozen brine shrimp


----------



## joker1535 (Apr 19, 2009)

Yeah i will try that. I also set up a small tank to raise a few separate for the fish. Do the babies grow fast?


----------



## mncherie1 (Mar 27, 2009)

Mine are about the size of neons now, except one of them...I named him Fat Boy...he's about the size of a flame tetra and that at 2 months. :lol: 
I tried the separate tank and put 10 in to try and they all died within 2 days. Don't know why, same water perimeters, temp, ect. :-?

My fry ate about 3 batches of newly laid eggs and since the parents did not mind, neither did I. I think the extra protein helped.

Not a great pic, but you can see fatboy in the middle


----------



## joker1535 (Apr 19, 2009)

I had some many texas cichlid eggs for about 4 days. But this morning the parents left the breeding site and the pleco had a feast. They didnt seem to care, the male came back and didnt even touch the pleco. Could some of the eggs been moved? Or did the parents just give up?


----------



## mncherie1 (Mar 27, 2009)

I take it you did not use a divider. Pleco's love eggs and he may very well have eaten them all at night. Check where the parents hang out and then examine your gravel for little vibrating "fleas". Mine moved them a few times, but without a divider they only stand a small chance. Keep me posted.


----------



## joker1535 (Apr 19, 2009)

The reason i didnt use a divider is because i couldnt find one for my tank. I've got a 150 gallon fishtank, so its pretty wide and high. About 20 wide and 23 high i think. Better luck next time. Do you know anything about yellow lab african cichlids? They are mouthbrooders. *** got many pregnant but i keep losing the fry. Even when i seperate them they wont let go of the fry and eventually they all die. There is something as stripping the fish from the babies. Anybody knows how to do it?


----------



## lam man48 (Jan 14, 2007)

yeah i do you could go to the videos on here and look they have a good one but all you really got to do is after 20 or 28 days seperate her and take a tooth pick hold her with your hand gently and pry her mouth open gently and let the babies swim out


----------



## joker1535 (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks. I tried it and i got about 20 healthy fry out her. I feed them first bites in small breeding tank. Cheers


----------

