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Hi all

I was hoping some of you nice people would help me out, as I can't decide which is best.

My brichardis appear to have bred, which was unexpected by me and caught me somewhat unprepared. I am not sure which is the best plan; to separate out the babies and parents and try and sort them out a small tank for the fry to grow up in, or to try and catch the fry and put them in to a breeding trap? I can't just keep them in the tank that they are in at the moment as the parents can't continually keep fighting off the other cichlids...can they?

Whats your opinion?

thanks, Jon

the parents will keep the other tank mats away unti the fry are old enough to protect themselves.

if you are worried about the other member of the tank either move them or take the parents and fry into another tank. them once the fry have grown enough remove the parents and continue fry feeding until they accept what their parents eat.. then they will be prepared to go bck into the tank with their parents and those who tried to bully them as fry...


\\\\\\\"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure\\\\\\\"

Some more info can help, including;
the parent's size
the size of the other cichlids
the other cichlids species
the size of the tank

I'd keep them in the tank with the parents. If you actually keep them in there as they grow, the juveniles help raise subsequent batches of fry. It's a very cool trait of brichardis!

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In the long run you need to decide whether or not you want to keep and grow the fry on - if you want to keep them then its best and less stressful all round if you give them a tank of their own.
Brichardi parents will tolerate the fry until they are deemed a threat to a new batch then they will become lunch - if given enough room you can have at least 3-4 batches of fry growing up together in the same tank - usually the parents only eat the fry if there's not enough room for a new lot so when the fry get to about an inch remove them, or alternatively move the parents out to start again.

Please reply inkodinkomalinko questions & then you can get good answers to decide.

I had N.brichardi that bred on their own with some Yellow Labs. & they raised the fry.

I also have a tank with lots of N.brichardi of different sizes & the bigger fry will take care of the newly born ones.

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Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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