Convicts spawned, Tank cleaning?

Question

Now that my fish have eggs how should i go about cleaning my tank.

How do i clean my gravel now? I dont want to stress parents and sook up fry with the vac.

They have dug a huge hole in gravel at the other side of tank, is it ok to fill the hole back in now that they not nesting there.

Thanx for answering. I have kept various fish for a few years but never tried breeding them till now.

Answer 1

You should also be aware that the parents may eat the eggs or fry the first few times they spawn through no fault of yours - sometimes the parents are too young, or just not conditioned well enough to raise a brood.

Not cleaning the tank can do more harm to the parents and fry, since the nitrate levels can build.

You don't say how large the tank is, but you needen't clean all of it, just avoid the gravel in the area where the cichlids are. If would easiest to clean the tank now, while the eggs are present, so you won't have to worry about small fry. The parents may be a little stressed (and they might even try to attack the siphon if you get too close), but if you've had them for a while, they'll know the siphon doesn't present any danger to them (in fact, my convicts like to come and watch as I clean and try to peck at the particles moving up the tube). This will let you go a little longer after the eggs hatch until you need to clean again.

If you don't have one in your tank, try providing your convicts with a "cave" to spawn in. I use an unglazed clay flowerpot turned on its side. This should be just large enough for both parents to fit in and be able to turn around. The female will lay the eggs inside the pot in the future, and if you put it in now, the parents may still use it to herd the babies into when you clean. The parents seem to know the siphon can be harmful to the fry, so they will keep them away if you move the siphon slowly.

I wouldn't bother replacing the gravel - cichlids like to do tank rearranging, and will probably either make a new hole somewhere else, or fill the old one in themselves. If not, regular gravel will take care of it soon enough.

Answer 2

I would not clean you tank until, after the eggs have hatched, and the fish a freely swimming.
Good Luck

2N!$H

Answer 3

dont clean it until they are out...not a good idea...it cant be that dirty...