Geophagus winemilleri spawned

[Cirrus]

Just before going to bed last night I noticed a pair of my Geophagus winemilleri had spawned on some driftwood in my 300 gallon. I assumed my group of large clown loaches would eat the eggs overnight. Today the eggs are still there and the parents are standing stiff guard against all intruders. And now I seem to have another pair of winemilleri acting in breeding mode. My kids are excited, so I might just go through the trouble of getting set up to raise fry. I have never raised F1 fish before, so it would be something new.

 

[chen88]

Wow. Hope they get through!

 

[Cirrus]

I'd say there is a pretty slim chance of them making it this time around. I have someone taking my clown loaches soon, so once they are out of the picture the odds should go way up.

 

[exoticaquaria]

nice geos theo! looks like they are very well established!

 

[Cirrus]

Thanks Mike, yes these guys are well established I think. They have an interesting "breeding display" - lots of chasing, puffing up, and colouring like male peacock birds; beats TV.

 

[bluebasearoilove]

Congrats on the spawn theo...
Maybe i should keep some geos too...
Sadly.. i never breeded anything other than killi fish and guppies hahaha.....
maybe my rays will have a chance when they mature but no so sure if its possible in a tank of preds....
Congrats

 

[Graeme]

Nice.

I have always had very poor luck leaving the eggs with the parents I have had much better results pulling the eggs and raising them on there own.

The secret it Methaline blue lots of it.

I pull the eggs stick them in a 5- 10 gallon tank and dose with Methaline blue until you can barley see the eggs.
I add an airstone and adjust the air so that the eggs are being vibrated around but dont float away.
this prevents them from fungusing.

as soon as they hatch I do a large %75 water change then %50 daily water changes.

I always use water from the parents tank

Add a sponge filter once there is very little methaline blue left as it will kill the bio

on the third day or so when they are free swimming I start feeding them live baby brine shrimp.

good luck those things are real beauties

 

[Cirrus]

Thanks Bluebase, and thanks for the tips Graeme. A long time ago I raised baby oscars and angelfish using the exact technique you mentioned; though I used corner filters with charcoal to take out the methylene blue over 3-4 days (the time needed to hatch the eggs). I also used pieces of nylon stocking over the filter box to keep any fry from getting sucked in.

I now think that the clown loaches did not in fact eat the eggs; I think they hatched and the parents took them in their mouth at that time; I am feeding them crushed fish food now with a turkey baster, couple blasts per day. At this rate they will make an inch in a year. Since the parents are doing such a good job raising the fry right, I have decided to just let nature take its course. Next time I will try to raise them with baby brine shrimp, etc.

 

[Juice604]

super cool !@!@

 

[chen88]

that is awesome Theo!....I'm back in Vancouver but AGAIN freaking tied up in meetings all week...trying to get back home for my daughters birthday on Friday....but if not I'd stay friday for a visit!

 

[Graeme]

Awesome video thanks for sharing

 

[Cirrus]

The fry have gotten a bit bigger, but it is time for me to take them out of the 300 gallon and into a smaller tank to properly raise them up.

I am going to set up a 10 or 20 gallon tank tomorrow to transfer them into; my young son has pointed out the obvious question - "How are you going to catch them?" Anyone have any ideas? I am thinking I will have to net the parents and then try "stripping the eggs from them? That approach makes me nervous, but I can not think of another...

 

[Graeme]

I have stripped a few Geo's sometime you get luck and they will spit the fry out when you net them.