When their eggs were taken away for a prolonged period, the females of a cichlid fish species ate both their own eggs and foreign eggs. In contrast, filial cannibalism in species with biparental caring systems, i. The fertilized eggs will appear a brownish color. If they are guarding and fanning then the eggs are fertilized.
The white ones are eggs that aren't fertilized. Convicts are good parents and will usually remove eggs that turn white. While " holding " the eggs , the mother does not eat, which can be very taxing on her, especially if she and the male are still in the same tank, as he will chase her, trying to mate with her yet again.
Most male Cichlids and even some females have " egg spots" on their anal fin. Lip locking is a fairly normal part of cichlid life unfortunately, and it is incredibly unnerving to watch when you don't know what it is. It is a sign for a struggle for dominance - not a mating ritual. As you say they are realistically too big and as such it may well be symptomatic of them needing more territories.
There are fish that can lay eggs in their mouth. These fish , mostly female, will hold a few eggs in their mouth until they hatch. Fish carry eggs in their mouth as a means of protection. Mouth-brooding African cichlid mating occurs something like this: the male digs out a cave nest for the female and lures her in by doing this silly fin shaking dance there's also a disturbing "kissing" version. She lays her eggs in the nest and he fertilizes them.
A mature female will have up to 30 eggs. He will then fertilize the eggs in her mouth. This encircling process will continue for around an hour. After the mating, the female will have a mouthful of fertilized eggs. Her jaw will look very bloated and it is easy to tell that she is holding the term used to describe the process of a female carrying her eggs in her mouth. Once the mating process is complete, the male will continue to constantly harass the female -- this is a good time to remove the female to a separate tank because the male is no longer necessary.
Please refer to the article on general breeding for advice on setting up a fry tank. It will work the same for mouth-brooders only instead of just putting the fry in this new tank, you will remove the female and put her in there as well. Separating the female serves several purposes. Firstly, it allows the female to get away from the harassing male.
Secondly, it ensures that the fry will not be released into the main tank where they could be eaten. Lastly, it allows you to keep the female secluded for a week or so after she releases the fry. This is important because she will not eat while holding the eggs in her mouth. Therefore, she may go weeks with no food and will obviously become very weak during this time. This extra week of seclusion allows her to regain her strength before being reintroduced into the main tank.
It is usually a good idea to provide a couple of flakes every once in a while to the separated female. She will sometimes eat these flakes if they are small enough that she can do so without swallowing her fry.
Typically, drop the flake in there and give her a little while to eat it. If she does not eat it, take the food out so it does not cloud the water. Also, she may eat some flakes during the last week of keeping the fry in her mouth. Some people have speculated that she is actually feeding the fry with these flakes. If you do not remove the female, she will often go into hiding. Obviously, the quicker this process, the better. After the stripping, make sure she is eating after a day or so.
Not to worry — as the fry will be raised in a safe, control environment, they will develop fine. The most common food is crushed flake, so that the fry can fit the small food in their mouths. Parameters should be aimed at the same as the adult tank. A few extra notes:. Email This BlogThis!
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