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Yay for the novice fish breeder!

Today I decided that my female dwarf gourami had to go, she was too rough for my other slower gouramis. I didn't want to take her back to the store so I set up a spare 10 gal for her with lots of hornwort, a DIY sponge filter that had been curing in another tank, and old water from the main tank. I decided I needed more fish in the tank so I took my school of 5 cherries (2 males, 3 females) out of the community tank. They were mature, beautiful, healthy fish but they got very stressed out while being chased all around the tank with the net. I was thinking that maybe I did more harm than good by taking them out. Anyway, the males always chased the females in the big tank but when I checked on them this evening they were spawning! It was my best male and one of the larger females. About 1-5 eggs per try and they are still going at it. I noticed the parents chomping some of the eggs as they floated down but lots are making it to safety in the plants and gravel.

I don't really want to remove the adults and the gourami as the tank was set up for them to live in, not as a breeding tank really. Still, I would love for some of the fry to make it. From what I have read, the fry will hatch in 24-48 hours. How long before I should start feeding them? What should I feed them? I'm going to get some java moss tomorrow so that eggs/fry will have more hiding places. The tank is at pH 7.6 and 75 degrees. Any help/suggestions appreciated!

Well, we got more eggs yesterday and still more today. As I type two pairs are spawning. How long will they keep it up? Seems like if I was breeding them for the purpose of raising fry I couldn't really remove the adults to protect the eggs because they are still laying more (do fish 'lay' eggs?).

I've been trying to feed the fish heavily to discourage egg munching but I doubt it is helping, they are greedy little things! They got bloodworms on the 15th and again today. This seems to trigger renewed spawning energy in the fish.

Two clumps of java moss went in yesterday along with a snail hitchhiker. Hope he won't eat the eggs. I didn't see him today so hopefully the barbs already got him. I have no idea how many eggs are actually making it. I can only see a few but there are probably more. They are so tiny, they are very hard to keep track of. Haven't seen any fry, but they won't be free swimming yet so I didn't really expect to. I really hope some fry make it!! If I do start to see babies I may be motivated to finally remove the adult fish. We will see how it goes.

One of the males was injured in the night. This morning he had some scales ripped up on the top of his head and he was hiding in a corner, wouldn't come out for breakfast. I thought for sure that I would have to move him out today but he seems to have come out of it. He ate his bloodworms and did some spawning today so I think he will be fine.

I suppose this will be my unofficial cherry barb breeding log. I am learning and hope for some input. Anyone who is interested in breeding fish for the first time should really consider the cherry barb. They are very easy and such beautiful and entertaining little fishies!

Pictures:

Male chasing female:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c348/super_cow82/cherries.jpg

Males displaying for each other (bad lighting, cool pic!):
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c348/super_cow82/cbmales.jpg

And just because she's so pretty..my female dwarf gourami:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c348/super_cow82/dwarf.jpg

You have to feed the fry some infusoria for the first few days & later on some microworms & live brineshrimp. To be honest, i don't think that the fry will survive, as there is a big percentage that they'll be eaten by the other fish, if they're not removed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com