Sorry my question is: Can anyone give me information on amazon cichlids?

Question

I have a pair of Amazon Cichlids that are breeding but they kill most of the fry off after they hatch. Just after they start swimming on their own. just need more info on the proper time to remove them so I don't kill them.

Answer 1

U can try adding a couple of dither fish to the tank. This would be a non-related, fast moving species, too big for the parents the eat.

The presence of these dithers may stimulate the parents into defending their young instead of eating them.

Then again, as several others already mentioned, if your cichlid pair is fairly young and inexeperienced then eating the first couple of broods is not at all unusual.

What kind of cichlid specifically are you dealing with? Amazon cichlid a very broad category and not a name I am familiar with.

Answer 2

I'm guessing your parent fish might still be pretty young yet. They often take a few tries to get things right as far as parental responsibilities. It might help to know which of the cichlid species you have.

If you want to raise the fry separately, it would be better to remove the adults about 24-48 hrs after the eggs have been laid, that way you're sure the eggs have been fertilized, and the parents do most of the work fanning the eggs for water circulation. This should work as long as it's only the fry the fish are eating.

Are you conditioning the parents well between spawnings? This might be a reason the parents are eating the fry. Try giving the adults frozen (not freeze dried) bloodworms and enriched brine shrimp, along with their regular food. If they aren't getting enough nutrients to repeatedly produce sperm and eggs and care for the young (this takes a lot of resources and energy on thier part!) they may be eating the young as a way of conserving their energy.

Answer 3

You really need to be more specific as to what type of cichlids you have. I am assuming that they are South American, since you said the eggs hatched and not mouthbrooded. I have raised both S.A. cichlids and Africans, and I can tell you that the S.A. cichlids will often eat their young, especially when they are young themselves. Are there any other fish in the tank? If so, those fish are probably picking the babies off one by one. Even if the parents are keeping the others away, the stress from the other fish will induce the eating of their babies. Reduce stress, and you will have a much better spawning.

Answer 4

I do not know what an "amazon cichlid" is. There are literally hundreds of species of cichlids found in the amazon.

This is the problem with "common" names. The first thing you need to do is find out what the actual species of fish is. Then you can research it properly to find out the information you need.

Try going through the fish profiles at FishGeeks and seeing if you can identify your fish through the photos in the species.

Answer 5

I thought you wrote African Cichlids! They are super good parents and mouth brood to protect the babies. Amazons are more aggressive.

Try this site for starters:
http://www.versaquatics.com/southamericancichlids.htm

Rams and Geophagis are more dependable and less aggressive.