Re: fry eating mcmasteri

["Helen Burns" <helen.burns@bigwig.net>]

John,
Sorry you are having this problem as I found that McMasteri to be excellent
parents.  Capable of rearing three broods in the tank at the same time
without problems from either male or female, perhaps I have been lucky.  I
read with great interest your posting and it is the last sentence that
bothers me >They have eight baby cardinals for dithers<  Oh dear, I'd get
those out of the tank even although you say they are babies!  No doubt
others on the list will advice you differently.
Helen

> Any advice on how to deal with a mcmasteri pair in which the female (I'm
> presuming) eats the new fry?
>
> I've had this pair for about 18 months and both are large, healthy, happy
> looking fish. They spawn very regularly - about every three weeks. The
eggs
> appear to develop all right and then start to hatch. The female seems to
be
> collecting the fry in a depression inside the brood chamber. Then next
time
> I look, nothing. I have never noticed the male swooping in - he seems a
> gentle sort on the whole. But one or other must be taking them.
>
> I've left them to it hoping eventually they would start to raise fry but
am
> now wondering whether to experiment with removing male or both. Question
is
> whether to   go for removing both? Or is it likely just to be the male
that
> is the problem? And if I take out both, should I leave it until just
before
> the eggs hatch or will it make no difference? Finally, if I put the female
> back in after the fry are swimming about, would they inevitably get
snapped
> up or might she then adopt them?
>
> Other details: The pair were spawning in a community tank. Thinking it
might
> be the presence of too many other fish that were causing the problem, I
have
> had them in their own 15 gallon tank for past two spawns. Tank is well
> planted and furnished. They have eight baby cardinals for dithers, temp is
> 28 degrees C, pH is 6.5, water is RO and very soft.
> from John McCrone - Science Writer




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