THOUGHTS?

[EdKaz]

  As some of you already know, I just recently started my fishroom back up. Bought a few pairs and some juvies.

Did a big water change in the 80gal long tank yesterday that I have 16 of the bigger Juvies in.

An hour later a smokey pinoy and one of the pb smokey leopards started cleaning a slate. Pulled em stuck em in a 20 and a few hours later, she laid....he went through the motions of fertilizing....they took a break..........than ate the eggs

This morning Im watching as two more pairs seem to be forming. The round belly girls are showing tubes, as are the boys with them. meanwhile the left behinds or left outs are being brutally chased from both ends of the tank by the new pairs.

Id be willing to bet these other pairs will also eat their eggs if/when they lay, but will probably pull the pairs and stick em in 20's of their own just to find out for sure.

On the other hand, Im also debating with myself that if I leave em in the big tank with the others....MAYBE  their protective instincts will keep em from eating their own eggs???

Either way, They seem a lil small/young to be spawning already so my thoughts were to take a 55, split it in 3 with dividers for the 3 pairs where seeing each other MAY keep em distracted from laying again too quickly,and so I can feed em REAL good and try to get em grown up some more before they lay again...and again.

My other concern is for the others in the tank, the chasing and beating on those "NOT involved" sure looks pretty brutal

YOUR THOUGHTS....SUGGESTIONS....IDEAS?

[Mugwump]

Myself, the initial pairings, and spawns..I like to leave with the parents...most times I'll let em for several spawns..then I move them and possibly pull a second spawn after they've been alone...they seem to bond better that way....toss a couple fake plants in the middle of the pair off tank...it'll provide a simple divider, which can most times cut the aggression quite a bit....and/or move the worst victims somewhere else temporarily..until you can move the pair(s)....

nice problem to have tho

[EdKaz]

 The fish are in that "odd" 80 LONG, with the gravel and LOTSO plants (some real even )  I have here. Plenty of room to hide for those that DONT want any involvement, but it seems MOST keep looking to get closer to either end and .......BAP! One or both of the two that hooked up at that particular end go at em like 6 million MPH torpedos......its getting UGLY!

My "plan" was to definitely leave the first couple spawns with the parents.....just not sure if leaving them in the pairing tank is in my OTHER fishes 'best interest" at this point.

   

[Mugwump]

The fish are in that "odd" 80 LONG, with the gravel and LOTSO plants (some real even )  I have here. Plenty of room to hide for those that DONT want any involvement, but it seems MOST keep looking to get closer to either end and .......BAP! One or both of the two that hooked up at that particular end go at em like 6 million MPH torpedos......its getting UGLY!

My "plan" was to definitely leave the first couple spawns with the parents.....just not sure if leaving them in the pairing tank is in my OTHER fishes 'best interest" at this point.

Yeah, I guess if it becomes a nasty battle, they'd be better served being separated...

[wsantia1]

I had two pairs in a divided 55g that took turns spawning and once or twice they both spawn at the same time. 

They did take good care of the spawns as their protective instinct kicked in.  As soon as the fry became free swimming they became history.