parents eating eggs

[jim from sydney]

Hi all
the parents are eating their eggs about 18 hours after spawning. I guess it is part of becoming responsible parents. Is there anyway to assist them not to eat the eggs?.
Parents are in their own 3 ft tank, bare btm. and no plants .....Jim.

[Merrilyn]

Jim it's usually a sign that they are young fish.

The best advice I can offer you is to give them time. It took 10 times before my Marlboro Reds successfully raised a spawn.

Give them a few more months, and if the egg eating persists, then try a cage over the cone so the parents can still see the eggs, but can't get to them.

[jim from sydney]

Merrilyn

in your last life .......what were you???????.......LOL......Jim.

[jim from sydney]

Merrilyn.....at what sort of intervals do these young ones lay eggs????? with the 10 times you mentioned over what kind of period could i expect that roughly to be?????Jim

[Merrilyn]

HAHA Jim, in my last life, I think I must have been a fish.

These Marlboro reds were a young pair that seemed to take forever to get their act together. At first, they layed the eggs and ate them immediately after, then they allowed them to get to 25 hours and would eat them. Finally they allowed wrigglers to hatch, and of course ate them. Shortly after they allowed the wrigglers to free swim, but kept trying to put them back onto the cone, finally eating them all in frustration.

After lots of tries, they finally managed to successfully raise a brood of about 40 fry, and they are now about 5 weeks old.

They seemed to lay eggs around every two weeks, sometimes a little longer, sometimes as quickly as 7 days after the last batch.

Hope that helps Jim. Don't give up, just when you think they'll never get it right, they'll manage to surprise you.

[jim from sydney]

HAHA Jim, in my last life, I think I must have been a fish.



Hope that helps Jim. Don't give up, just when you think they'll never get it right, they'll manage to surprise you.

Merrilyn....i thought you would say that......you are right i am sure....

is it also usual for the parents not to eat as much as normal during these times??????...they appear to rest a lot......regards....Jim.

ps made up a beaut cage from chopsticks and green garden twist wire...real great idea...thanks.

[Merrilyn]

They do seem to lose interest in food when brooding eggs. Cut down on the amount of food you offer them. I still like to offer food. Don't want them to suddenly decide one day that they're ravenous and the only food available is their eggs

[jim from sydney]

Merrilyn
Thanks Jim