Severum Fry Feeding

[FriendlyPear]

A few weeks ago I re-installed my 530L SA cichlid community tank, and actually had to pour all fish into an uncycled tank with no filter (the cross-bar had broken and the fish were evacuated to a much smaller tank; then the pump was leaking after drying out, but putting the fish back was still the least bad option).

The fish doesn't seem to care about the non-optimal conditions. Within a week both rainbows and blue acaras had spawned; now two severums have followed suit. The severums are wild caught H. efasciatus from Rio Ucayali, so raising the fry could be worthwhile, so I hope you can help me with a few tips to help them survive : )

The eggs were laid two days ago so I expect it to last another 2-3 days until they hatch. Once the fry are swimming freely, what would be good food to feed them?

• Squash/cucumber?
• Catfish pellets?
• Small frozen food?
• Crushed flakes?

 

[TwoHedWlf]

A few weeks ago I re-installed my 530L SA cichlid community tank, and actually had to pour all fish into an uncycled tank with no filter (the cross-bar had broken and the fish were evacuated to a much smaller tank; then the pump was leaking after drying out, but putting the fish back was still the least bad option).

The fish doesn't seem to care about the non-optimal conditions. Within a week both rainbows and blue acaras had spawned; now two severums have followed suit. The severums are wild caught H. efasciatus from Rio Ucayali, so raising the fry could be worthwhile, so I hope you can help me with a few tips to help them survive : )

The eggs were laid two days ago so I expect it to last another 2-3 days until they hatch. Once the fry are swimming freely, what would be good food to feed them?

• Squash/cucumber?
• Catfish pellets?
• Small frozen food?
• Crushed flakes?

Ground up egg yolk is the classic fry food for a week or so, then brine shrimp and ground up flake after a week or so.

 

[FriendlyPear]

Thanks, I'll try that : )

Here is the nest:

 

[tlindsey]

Ground up egg yolk is the classic fry food for a week or so, then brine shrimp and ground up flake after a week or so.

Welcome aboard

 

[tlindsey]

Thanks, I'll try that : )

Here is the nest:View attachment 1315354

Congrats!

 

[ryansmith83]

I hatch baby brine shrimp for Heros fry. I've found they don't take prepared/dried foods as well as some other cichlid fry, and they sometimes run into weird growth issues if they're not getting proper nutrition.

 

[FriendlyPear]

Thank you all, I will experiement and see what works.

...the next time, that is, because this morning the eggs were gone (a smug looking loach was seen near the scene of the crime).

Will keeping some lights on over night help the parents guard the eggs better?

 

[TwoHedWlf]

More likely it was the severums that ate them if they were all gone.

Id expect leaving the lights on full time to just stress them out and make them even more likely to eat their eggs. But maybe dim light might help.

 

[FriendlyPear]

More likely it was the severums that ate them if they were all gone.

Id expect leaving the lights on full time to just stress them out and make them even more likely to eat their eggs. But maybe dim light might help.

All true.

I will see if they spawn again - it was their first time spawning and practice may help too.

I may also try setting up a night lamp in the room - also to avoid stressing the fish when light is suddenly turned on in a dark room during the night (the tank is in the living room, so there may be traffic through the room at all times.

 

[ryansmith83]

I leave the light on for mine. If you don’t, any nocturnal fish like plecos will come in and eat the eggs.