Atta boy.....................KINDA

[EdKaz]

 So I have a young pair of pb smokey leopards that have laid 3-4 times so far. Each time they go through the motions.........lay the eggs, fertilize, fan for a few minutes when done laying.....................Than Slurp em all up.

Also have a pair of the HE fish that have been outstanding parent raising fish.........so I figured lets see what happens

Stuck the HE male in with the young female who started laying Sat Morning...............and tried eating the eggs almost as quick as she was laying them. She got a bunch, but the male kept letting her know she was screwing up in eating them, and he would shove her aside after each pass she made.

She would slide back over to the slate and sometimes try to pick off a few more eggs, and the male would push her aside again. Every once in a while she would slide over to the slate to lay another pass................and the Male would watch intently waiting to push her off again if/when she tryed to munch after making a laying pass.

I watched the pair for an hour or so as he did all he could to CONSTANTLY keep her from eating the eggs she was laying. If I got too close he would come to the front of the tank as if to bitch at me........and she would sneak back to the slate behind him, and slurp up a few more eggs. As soon as he noticed her near the slate and NOT LAYING, he would shove her aside.

HE fanned and guarded those eggs, keeping her in a far corner of the 29 since Saturday.

He protected those eggs, and HOPEFULLY taught the young lady that her eggs were NOT food.................problem is, in all the guarding he was doing..............HE FORGOT TO FERTILIZE MOST OF THEM.

He is still guarding and fanning the slate of a few hundred DEAD eggs..............and 6  wigglers

Im sitting here kinda laughing at myself......As hard as he worked to keep em safe, Im having a hard time bringing myself to pull the slate out to wash it all off, and stick it back in for their next try/lesson.

[LizStreithorst]

That's a great story.  Don't wait until the wigglers free swim.  Do the deed soon.  Let's hope that the mute taught his fancy lady a lesson.  I sure look forward to seeing what they produce.  The HE's fascinate me.

[Mugwump]

Ah, tutoring in progress... ....and he gets an 'A' for effort....good for him....

That's an interesting project that you have going on there....especially with a male doing the tutoring....you'd think the female's would carry more of the instinctive characteristics for spawn survival...??

[LizStreithorst]

With Angels it's generally the female that protects the eggs.  With Discus it's always the male that is the all 'round better parent.  Ed's lucky to have such a fine male.  When the genetics are all mixed up, unexpected things appear.  Ed got real lucky with selecting a male with great protective and parenting instincts.  What is his phenotype?

[EdKaz]

Don't wait until the wigglers free swim.  Do the deed soon.  Let's hope that the mute taught his fancy lady a lesson.

I stuck THESE two together for nothing more than hopes of HIM teaching her NOT TO SLURP UP HER EGGS.
At this point I didnt want any fry from THIS pair. I have other plans and mate hopefuls for her..........IF The He male can teach her to be a parent FIRST.

Ill give her a few more trys under his guidance to see what happens. If she smartens up GREAT, If she cant get it together and parent raise with him.............as pretty as she is.............OUT SHE LIKELY GOES.

I want my breeders/pairs to parent raise. My Hope or the experiment in this is to see if a 'dumb" fish can be "taught"...........or if once that instinct is gone in a line its gone for good.


 

With Angels it's generally the female that protects the eggs.

Agreed.............thats what makes THIS pairing so interesting to watch as it HOPEFULLY progresses......... for me anyways.

[EdKaz]

What is his phenotype?

He is one of the infamous HE fish..............Het for EVERYTHING

[LizStreithorst]

I want to know what he looks like.  I know he's a HE.

[BallAquatics]

I know he's a HE.

Huh.....  Did someone spike my coffee.....      You're a real gem Liz!

Dennis

[LizStreithorst]

I know he's a HE.

Huh.....  Did someone spike my coffee.....      You're a real gem Liz!

Dennis

Oh my, what have I said wrong now?

[BallAquatics]

I'm just being facetious.

Dennis

[EdKaz]

The he, HE fish has the outward appearance of a plain ole Ghost.....LOADED with all kinds of "greek lettering" combinations  inside

[LizStreithorst]

But you don't want to grow a batch out to see what you get from him and your pb smokey leopard?  I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation.  It's why I won't allow myself to own an HE

[EdKaz]

But you don't want to grow a batch out to see what you get from him and your pb smokey leopard?

Yes....................and NO

THATS exactly how I got in the  predicament Im in right now as far as tank space.....curiosity FILLED my tanks.............FAST
Some time in the future I might keep a batch just to see what pops out, but for now this pair is all about an experiment /training.............and it SEEMS to be working.

She laid again yesterday.....I reached in with a hose to clean up the bottom this morning........SHE HAMMERED me. ( 6 foot tall, and I STILL jump like a school girl every time I get smacked by them lil fish)

LOTS of eggs left today......... and SHE is keeping Him away from the slate.
I AM curious to see what she does when them lil round balls on the slate  all start to wigglin in her face.

[Mugwump]

But you don't want to grow a batch out to see what you get from him and your pb smokey leopard?

Yes....................and NO

THATS exactly how I got in the  predicament Im in right now as far as tank space.....curiosity FILLED my tanks.............FAST
Some time in the future I might keep a batch just to see what pops out, but for now this pair is all about an experiment /training.............and it SEEMS to be working.

She laid again yesterday.....I reached in with a hose to clean up the bottom this morning........SHE HAMMERED me. ( 6 foot tall, and I STILL jump like a school girl every time I get smacked by them lil fish)

LOTS of eggs left today......... and SHE is keeping Him away from the slate.
I AM curious to see what she does when them lil round balls on the slate  all start to wigglin in her face.

LOL....... ...more tanks, Ed....just more tanks 

[EdKaz]

LOL....... ...more tanks, Ed....just more tanks 

Not just NO.................but HELL NO!!!!

If you remember, last winter I was only going to start up a FEW tanks.

  Im flirting with 2000 gallons now..............any more water weight in the basement and Im liable will sink the  house