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L. curviceps spawn
Is Laetacara an acceptable subject for this list? Well, I hope so. If
not, please let me know and I will forward my apologies.
I have a wild-caught pair in a moderately planted 10 gal, with 6-7
rummynose tetras as dither fish. I am having a difficult moment with my
tanks, since about three weeks ago a very virulent epidemic of skin and
gill disease presumably due to ciliates has swept across several of
them. It probably arrived with some plants which I placed in two tanks,
and then it spread to another two. The most painful casualties were a
discus a beautiful pair of A. cacatuoides with all twenty of their
two-week old fry (they all died within 24 hours from onset of the first
symptoms).
Anyway, on July 4 the curviceps decided to spawn for the first time in
more than a year while their tank was being preventively treated with
formalin+malachite green (which I am simultaneously using in all the
others as well). I discontinued the treatment, thinking however that the
eggs would not have survived. Instead they did, and I have now the
following questions and observations:
1) A few minutes after spawning the female viciously attacked and chased
away the male (who is now safe behind a divider, although quite battered
and with frayed fins). The Tetra book on dwarf cichlids says that L.
curviceps is a bi-parental custodian, with both parents guarding the
brood, although the female is more active. Does anybody know if what I
observed is a common problem? Maybe the size of the tank is a factor
here.
2) According to the above-mentioned book, eggs should hatch in 48 hours,
and fry should be free swimming in another 5 days or so. Well, since
yesterday there are a few fry already making quite uncoordinated
swimming attempts. Two or three of them make fast and jerky jumps from
the pit in the sand bottom where their mother placed them, but they
immediately fall back down. This is 4-5 days earlier than what it should
be. Temperature is 81 deg. F. Any comment on this?
I hope no malformations were induced by the medication in the water. We
will see.
Dionigi