Has my cichlid lost her eggs?
Has my cichlid lost her eggs?
I just witnessed the most incredible thing this morning - my female and male peacock cichlid spawning. The male was shaking over the eggs, and the female would pick them up, her mouth completely full. I checked on her a couple of hours later and her mouth was empty, no more bulge. I'm really disappointed, and my son is heartbroken. Does anyone have any idea what might have happened? I do have another female holding eggs, and I was thinking of just letting things happen naturally, but now I'm not so sure - should I intervene and strip the eggs from her?
Re: Has my cichlid lost her eggs?
It's likely that she swallowed the eggs, which isn't uncommon with new mothers or those that were raised artificially after being stripped of their eggs as juveniles. Rearing cichlids by their parents is crucial for them to develop good parenting skills - when we intervene and take eggs from the mother, it can disrupt this process.
Re: Has my cichlid lost her eggs?
That's really disappointing. I'll probably just let my other female hold onto hers then. Putting her in a breeder box might be a good idea, I've read that some fish can harass the mom, causing her to drop or swallow the eggs by accident. I'm interested in raising some fry and eventually getting rid of the female peacocks - my goal is to have an all-male tank, now that I'm learning more about cichlids and how to achieve a vibrant color scheme. Unfortunately, I've ended up with at least four females so far.coltin wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2025 9:45 am It's likely that she swallowed the eggs, which isn't uncommon with new mothers or those that were raised artificially after being stripped of their eggs as juveniles. Rearing cichlids by their parents is crucial for them to develop good parenting skills - when we intervene and take eggs from the mother, it can disrupt this process.
My initial plan was to let nature take its course and have the mother care for the fry in the main tank, seeing how they'd survive. But now I'm not sure what's more stressful - stripping her of the eggs or relocating the fry to another tank for growth, or just leaving them in the main tank with the mom.