Blue Rams have bred........what to do?

[Fish_Frenzy2005]

Hi all,

My blue ram pair have bred on the top surface of my internal power filter today and I was wondering how long the eggs take to hatch and what I should do with the eggs to prevent them being eaten?

Tankmates include 6 angels, 4 praecox rainbows, 2 surinamensis, 2 Geophagus Jurupari (Satanoperca), 3 bronze corys, and 1 bristlenose.

I have a spare 2 foot available if that is of any use?

Has anyone got any ideas or suggestions on how to ensure the eggs are not eaten and that the fry groq up healthy?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Major_Hero]

My Rams have bred in the past on powerheads, driftwood even in substrate pits. I have found that the eggs usually hatch in about 3 to 4 days if they are seperated from other tankmates and left to their own. They are very small so I would recommend not leavcing the powerhead 'ON' if you are hoping to grow them.

One thing I have noticed is that soon after the spawn, the male may guard the eggs from other predators, but will pick the eggs off one by one himself. The female I have noticed also does this but to a lesser degree. I am assuming that the male is now wanting to eliminate the fry to comence the courtship again, and the quicker he rids the tank of eggs and fry the faster this can begin.

I am no expert, but I would suggest to you that the eggs be moved to a another tank with the same water etc, and allow them to grow out on whatever surface they have been attached. I have done this with driftwood in a breeding pen but once hatched they are easy pickings for the adults in the tank. I would have more fry if I followed my own advice, but my peppermints have laid and I do not wish to disturb their environment at all presently.

I hope there is something in this content that may assist you with some direction.

Good luck. It's great to see them hatch and grow.

[Fish_Frenzy2005]

Unforetunately the eggs were eaten, my guess is that the briustlenose got to them as the other fish may come up that end of the tank but the male does a great job of defending the eggs even charging at the 15cm eartheaters (he is only about 5cm).

If the eggs were laid on driftwood it would have been much easier to remove them from the tank but as they were on the filter I had to leave them in the tank.

Thanks for your help it will be very useful next time they lay eggs!

[Alan Caboolture]

Every chance that your pair of rams chose the filter as the safest place to spawn because of the other fish in the tank.   Rams usually like to spawn low down on a suitable surface because once the eggs hatch the parents move the newly hached fry to a pit in the sand (Substrate) which they dig.

You have no chance of breeding or raising fry in a community tank!

If you are serious about breeding you need to go to species only tanks or take away oppertunistic spawns from a community tank and hatch them artificially..

Alan.

[Fish_Frenzy2005]

Yeh they have laid eggs three times now all to be eaten. They have laid twice on the powerhead of the filter and once on a secluded area of the tank on a piece of driftwood.

The problem with the bit of driftwood they breed on is that it is 4 feet long so I cant transfer it to the 2 foot tank, lol.