we have newborn babies in the house! *pics*

[ZooCrew]

Alot of cichlids are mouth brooders, which is pretty cool.

I have 5 baby auratus (sp?) cichlids right now.  I got them free at work, and will trade them into a fish shop for store credit for my sis (I buy my stuff at work, she goes to specialty shops).  They are just getting to the point where they will come up to the surface to eat.  Before they waited until it sank to the bottom.  Since my 5 gallon is full of other fishes, I have them in a 5 gallon bucket I had previously used for growing algae so it already had a filter, just needed an extra heater.

We also have had baby red zebras and have one right now.  Overall, besides the auratus, I've gotten 3 baby guppies and a marigold variatus for free.  Am waiting to get 1 more guppy.  Since we can't sell the baby's (can't give a "guarantee" on their health b/c it wasn't thru our supplier) whoever wants them can have them.

I love how the babies are carbon copies of the adults.  Very cool, I'd love to try my hand at breeding my own.  Will have to wait until I have a bigger tank though.

[schelmischekitty]

how cool!  how many babies did your fish have?  we're moving mom into another tank now, since her babies are already free swimming (no egg sacs or anything, she's been hiding them for a while and only letting them out when we're asleep i guess).  she needs to eat and recoup since she hasn't eaten in 5 weeks.  we offered her food every few days, but she was so darn stubborn she refused to let her babies out!

[kathryn]

How cool is that?  The pics of the fry in the mom's mouth is so cool.  I have to attach this pic of a fry from a Lake Victoria cichlid that we had at work.  The fry didn't make it but the pic is so cool.  Hope you like it.

I used to have cichlids in my tanks at home but I decided I needed a challenge so I've been trying to keep a community tank.  Yeah, it's not working.  I can keep cichlids, a predator tank of all catfish, and harder fish alive but I can't keep the "easy keeper" fish like tetras and live bearers alive.  So it's time to start again plus I'm trying live plants at home. 

[schelmischekitty]

i have this female who had her babies, and also i have a peacock that is holding also (they'll be hybrids with an ob peacock dad), so i guess it's love!  i may end up separating our two kenyi's because i caught them dancing about 15 minutes after i put her back in!  if they continue to do it tomorrow also i'll separate them to give her a break.  how old will they be before they start responding?  also, how long until they come to the top to eat, will they just get it when it sinks for now?

[ZooCrew]

They should just get it when it sinks.  They are opportunistic feeders at this stage.  Most cichlids once free swimming from the parents know to hide under rocks and debris and only come out quickly to grab a bite.

I'm trying to remember, my auratus are about 1 or 1.5 months old right now and are just starting to come up to the surface to feed.  But only 2 or 3, the other 2 still wait midrange until the food falls w/i reach.

[schelmischekitty]

thanks!  we're going tomorrow to get some food for the babies, because right now we feed the adults sinking food that's half their size!  i was told to put flakes in there, but they just aren't going after it.  again, thanks for the help!

[schelmischekitty]

it doesn't sink then    i tried that already