# Too many FRY!



## ravencrow (Oct 4, 2009)

I'm wondering what to do about all the demasoni fry i've been breeding lately. It's really getting out of control. At any one time there are guaranteed to be at least three female demasoni holding. Now i am sure i have at least 40 fry in the tank.

I do keep around 200lbs of river rock in the tank but i don't want to take any out as i think its one of coolest things and my fish seem so much more secure with it. Is there a certain fish that will eat the fry to the point of not getting any more or do i just have to remove the rock and net the holding female and remove her?(which would really be a pain)

Also i can't get any local fish shops to give me any form of anything in exchange for these beautiful fry and i don't think i should just donate in order for them to make a bunch of money for nothing!!!! Any tips and help would be greatly appreciated. If you live near Chippewa Falls WI and want some great looking demasoni pm me!!! 

By the way stocking : 2 yellow labs 
2 socolofi albino
3 metriaclima estherea
1 pseudotropheus acei yellow tail
and TOO many demasoni!!!!


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## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

You could add a group of Synodontis catfish. For the life of me, I can't remember which species is used for fry control, but I think it's either S. lucippinis or S. multipunctatus.

I might be PM'ing about those fry... 8)


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## justinf67 (Jul 19, 2009)

Thats ridiculous that the lfs would want u to donate them when they are prob the most popular fish out there. I am growing a bunch out myself and I have an understanding that I will be a partial supplier for him. Dems fetch a good price almost anywhere. I would try aquabid or craigslist for local pickups. Free is not an option with Dems.

oh, and multi's are the fry control one. the petricola will do so as well, but not as efficiently.


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## borohands8593 (Apr 15, 2009)

Well if u want fry control there is nothing like a few altos like the calvus, or some synos like petricola. I have both and have never seen a single fry survive in my tank. If I want fry I have to strip and put em separate.


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## ashilli48 (May 14, 2006)

calvus will do it! I had 5 breeding pairs of brichardi so there was a "cloud" of fry on a weekly basis....no one ever made it :roll:


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## ravencrow (Oct 4, 2009)

will the calvus be fine with my current stocking list? My tank is a 6ft 90 gal. I've always admired calvus but never thought the tangs would do well with the mbuna. Thanks for the replies :thumb:


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## ravencrow (Oct 4, 2009)

Yeah the lfs (there are four) in neighboring Eau Claire told me that there isn't enough of a demand for africans for them to offer me anything for them, when every single one of the chains or small shops HAVE african cichlids of some kind. I refuse to shop at pretty much all of them for that reason, i've also got a nimbochromis livingstonii that i got when i wasn't educated and misidentified him with the "help" of one pet store employee, no store will give me anything for him either. One places' owner even suggested if i don't want to donate him, then i should flush him!! :x Now i have him in a 29 by himself hoping someone will want him. I can't believe these places!


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## Melanochromis (Mar 30, 2005)

ravencrow said:


> will the calvus be fine with my current stocking list? My tank is a 6ft 90 gal. I've always admired calvus but never thought the tangs would do well with the mbuna. Thanks for the replies :thumb:


I would look at some Synodontis Catfish. Calvus can be pretty timid and could be intimidated by the mbuna.


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## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

Check out local fish clubs. Some may have auctions where you could sell the fish at.


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## shaguars7 (Apr 12, 2009)

I am also appauled in the fact that no lfs will give you anything for them. If you lived around me there is about 10 stores that would give you a minimum of 3 dollars a fish in store credit and also would thank you about 30 times minimum cause they would be selling them for 13.99....I would go on aquabid personally and you could sell breeding groups to people and getm more money for them....and then just grow out fry that are loose in the tank buying you time to get the synodontis multies.... you could even try to trade dems for multies around here both are crazy expensive so it may work.


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## justinf67 (Jul 19, 2009)

Seriously, I agree completely shaguars... My lfs charges 15 a pop for them. When he found out mine were breeding, he was down for taking them off my hands as soon as they get to size.


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## ravencrow (Oct 4, 2009)

thanks for the advise guys i'll look into getting some synodontis. Its odd how i have so many demasoni fry but my yellow labs and socolofi are mating pairs but none of their fry ever make it past very small before they apparently get eaten. maybe they just stand out more.


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## afr..cichlids (Feb 16, 2010)

That can be a real problem, one which I never thought about. That is a lot of fry, and I hope that I do not have the same problem. Well, I have heard that the synodontis I believe it is the Synodontis multipunctatus, in fact am sure of it, they will drop there fry with that of the demasoni fry and will act as a parasite to decimate the number of demasoni fry..

Take care. Good luck, bad but neat problem to have, am sure you will not have a problem getting buyers, especially if you price is better then the lfs..


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