# Festae Breeding Log.



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Thought I'd start a thread since I haven't in a while... Last nite I got into the 1500 and an hour later came out with my male festae. He's 9 3/4" from tip to tip and is a rescue. He was brought here because he killed a female then went on a rampage in a 125 shredding fins. He was 6" then... Now, the same person that brought me him has a female and we're going to hook them up in the hopes of siome fry.

Here's the catch. I'm going to try and breed them in a 55 with a divider. The divider is made of egg crate wedged into place.

I'm not cutting a hole big enough for her to swim through, I'm going to see if she's smart enough to lay the eggs on the egg crate.

As it stands right now he's in the 55... pissed :lol: We're going to give him a few days to cool off then he's going to bring her over for some fun!

Pics coming soon!


----------



## leopartner123 (Jun 29, 2009)

Do we get pictures? opcorn:


----------



## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

I've never seen one lay on the egg crate, but I've seen several species successfully spawn on a piece of slate or a flowerpot placed near the divider. if the flow is in the right direction, the male can fertilize from several inches away. Back when most people thought a 55 was a big tank, a lot of Oscars were bred this way.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I've got pieces of flat rock under the gravel that they will find when they start to dig... We'll see what happens though... And yes, I'll get pics as soon as I'm done with my emails


----------



## Rigo (Aug 7, 2009)

sounds like a good idea, I just lost my female Festae to her male, right before their first spawn. He is about 6 inches she was about 4 they both grew up together. Anyone know somebody with a female they are trying to sell?


----------



## oldcatfish (May 27, 2009)

I've bred Festae in a 75g with a divider...just like Chromedome52 described.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

This tank already had gravel in it, so I move the gravel from the center and put the divider in. Then put down some large flatish rock to serve two purposes. one, if she decides to lay eggs on them then cool, but they're also holding the bottom of the divider... I've lost fish to not properly securing the divider...

Ok, sorry it took so long... Had an errund to run this afternoon which took all day.........Dumb....

Here's mr. grumpy pants:









And the tank he's in:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

The female has landed! Boy is she pretty...










I think the male hates me.....










The temperature in the tank is 76* at the moment.

The heat has been turned on.


----------



## Lancerlot (Feb 22, 2006)

lol that male is great.

male-"DON"T LOOK ME i HATES YOU!!!"


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

OK, Temps are up to 81* as of this morning, off to do a nice big water change


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Not that I would know but I'm guessing this Is what a **** feels like. Glad to hear your doing a water change. She's still washed out. Give her a couple days and she should look sweet. Maybe a plant or something on her side will brighten her up. When she laid eggs last she did so on the back of the tank on the hardy board . Maybe the divider may work. I'm sure of all places your place will get her to spawn. You certainly have something in your water.


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

They changed p I m p to guy. LOL


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yes. p.i.m.p. is a bad word you know......


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok, Never got a chance to do a water change yesterday on any of the tanks so they were done today.

I did a 50% change on the festae tank around 4:00 today. 
I also took the divider out to see what they would do. 
Initially she was all over him, nudging him and forcing lip locks and head tail slaps. "Heavy petting" if you will. 
They had the opportunity to court each other for about 4 1/2 hours. 
I just put the divider back in because it seemed as if she had enough for today. 
They're a pretty ballanced pair size wise. He's 9 7/8" and she's probably only and inch or so less. 
As i type I'm uploading 7 short videos of them courting. Every time I checked on them I just shot a short video. 
I'll add them to the thread in the early AM.
He kind of flipped out when I did the water change so there's a bunch of junk floating around.


----------



## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

They breed inside logs? :-?

:wink:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

If the log's big enough


----------



## joeyballz (Jul 1, 2008)

Cool I just got a male for my female. They are both about 6" with her being a hair bigger and twice as mean. Lately he's been taking less heat from her but he's still not interested in breeding.

Rigo if you want to get rid of your male let me know.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Update:

The divider is still in place and until I get a chance to sit and baby sit them I'm not taking it out again.

She's removed all of the gravel from the bottom of the pot and he's piled up all his gravel up next to the divider LOL Looks kind of funny really...

She is hanging out in the pot more often though 

No eggs.........


----------



## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

that is pretty funny. Typical married couple. :lol:


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Come on now. Are you moving them to the 1500? I was thinking that sounds like your giving up a little quick. Hey but what do I know?


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yes, I did move them to the 1500. They are still very flirtatious and never leave each others side. Her colors reallr poped in the 1500.

I'm going back to work full time and then some Monday so I will not have the time to baby sit them in the 55. That's why I moved them. I really didn't want to but since the female is Leviathans I didn't want to chance her getting killed by the male.

Incidently she measured 8" on the dot.


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

So this was just a ploy for you to get my fish. I should have known. Now that she's in the 1500 how could I possibly return to my meager 265? Your plan worked out flawlessly. There's only one thing you forgot. I now have time to come and get what I want and Lora would probably let me.  You probably would not even know if something was missing. Better count your fish. :thumb:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

:lol: I knew you were going to say that...... Sorry, fish room door is locked when I'm not home 

I just did a major warer change on the tank 50-60% so I'm hoping they do the deed... They've been paling around but it's all show... I might put them in a 125 divided and just give it time... but the only way I'm going to do that is if I drain the 1500 down to the deep end again. and that won't be for a couple of weeks from now...

I'm sorry, I thought for sure they'd do the deed much quicker... I think she might still be in shock exploring the tank... wondering why she had to be stuck with a guy like you in a tiny tank like yours :lol: 265 :lol: why even fill it with water? :lol:


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm am surprised that it holds water. 

I did not look in the 125 or 180 whatever it is but did you move them? 
I'm being patient and waiting for my fry you know.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Whatever, you said you didn't like fish anymore.

They are in the 125. There's a great amount of breaks in line of site in this tank. No divider needed. I'll try and shoot some video


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

ps, the tank stays constant at around 76* so I've got to get a heater but refiuse to shop at the LPS we often go to anymore :?


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

I have some extra heaters. I'll bring them out. Even on a getaway weekend I still find time for you. Chataqua is nice.


----------

