# deformed tails on fry



## chiroken (Sep 25, 2007)

Didn't find a lot on this topic. I'm growing out several groups of peacocks/haps and I've had 2 female Protomelas sp. firefish hold that I've stripped. A third female is holding and she spawned with the male, not another species male. I can only assume the 1st too females spawned with the same male.

With both batches there are fry with deformed/short/curled tails. With the first batch (4 of 19) they did not grow properly or uncurl so they lasted seconds once released into the main grow out tank (fry in floating breeding trap). Similar with the 2nd group of fry, different female.

Wondering if this is typical with fry? I've had Africans for several years but always spawnings have been natural so to speak (released in main tank) so I would never had seen deformed fry.

Due to the females being young? I was shocked to see female Protomelas sp. holding at 2 1/4".

Genetically defective male? As mentioned, I assume he is Dad to both groups due to him spawning with the 3rd female. If they are from different males then then what's up as that makes different males and females for both spawns.

Thx.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

I would be concerned about the genetics of one or more of your fish. Deformities do happen, but when they occur with clear regularity, it's probably best not to save fry from the fish causing the issue, whether male or female.

If you can grab another male and experiment a bit to see who the culprit is, that is where I would start.

Did you get the fish from someone you trust to have kept or be selling clean lines, etc.? Young females shouldn't have an issue with producing proper fry... If they hold them long enough, that is.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Deformities can come from toxins in the water or genes. Assuming your nitrates are low I'd pull the parent fish from your breeding program.


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