My Apistogramma cacatouides spawning?

[genes]

My female caca is acting strange today, flared at the male and seems to be guarding a cave entrance made by 2 pieces of driftwood. During feeding time, she rushes out to eat and will very quickly swim back to the cave. Eggs in the cave perhaps

I thought a spawning female is suppose to be fully yellowish? Mine is not exactly yellowish yet, just very slightly.

If there really are eggs, how long will it take for them to hatch and how many frys are expected?

Gene

[Wackytpt]

Love is in the air. haha. do have a cave or driftwood for the female to hide and lay eggs

[yorky]

Hatching about 3 - 6 days.
As for number of frys.. it varies.. on many factors like age of parents, nutrition, water parameters..

[kray]

Love is in the air. haha. do have a cave or driftwood for the female to hide and lay eggs

Or rather the other way, for the male to hide after the female has laid eggs..

[genes]

For the male to hide? Male dun do any parenting at all?

Ok, need to get some facts right... Female lays the eggs, male then fertilise them? Or the eggs are already fertilised when laid?

[benetay]

For the male to hide? Male dun do any parenting at all?

Ok, need to get some facts right... Female lays the eggs, male then fertilise them? Or the eggs are already fertilised when laid?

When the female is ready for spawning, the female will turn belly side ways to show that she is in heat & ready for spawning. Then the female will lead the male to her site and she will lay the eggs. Sometimes the entrace of the site is too small for the male to get in so he will have to wait outside.

Then when the female releases her eggs, the male will then release his sperm and with the fanning action of the fins, fertilise the eggs.

This normally takes up to a few hours.

When the whole process is done, the female will chase the male out bugging him to keep the area free from predators. The female zealously guards the egg and fan them with her mouth and fins.

After 3 days the eggs will hatch most of the eggs that were laid on the media will have drop or cling onto it. After 7 days the fish will be form. On day 9-11 thats where the fries start to accept bbs. They're free swimming by then. Herding can be seen as early as 9 days and as late as 13 days. Normally after 10 days if no herding seen, means it could meant that the brood didn't succeed.

Genes: Check the females blotch on the stomach, do u see one black dot ? Are the ventral fins fully black? Could be it has spawn. Congrats, update us.

[genes]

So interesting...pity i did not get to see any of those activities. The cave seems pretty small though, i cannot see the whole female with the plants and woods blocking, luckily have a small opening where i can peep into. But only can see part of the female. However, the male is not exactly guarding the area...just swims around everywhere.

Didn't get to see the black dot or the blotch. Ventral fins, is the fins below her? If so, yes, they are very black in colour

[kray]

For the male to hide? Male dun do any parenting at all?

Female will be guarding her eggs/fries zealously, so much so that she might attack the male whenever he is near the brood. I always removed my male once the fries are hatched.

[benetay]

For the male to hide? Male dun do any parenting at all?

Female will be guarding her eggs/fries zealously, so much so that she might attack the male whenever he is near the brood. I always removed my male once the fries are hatched.

That happens in capitivty, in the wild, the male will guard the area where the female had spawn. sometimes out tank is too small to be even considered an area for him to guard, what a shame we can only try to replicate nature but we're far from it.

[kray]

That happens in capitivty, in the wild, the male will guard the area where the female had spawn. sometimes out tank is too small to be even considered an area for him to guard, what a shame we can only try to replicate nature but we're far from it.

It should be different if the pair is kept in a big tank, with some tankmates. Perhaps 4 -5 footer? No such experience since my apistos are keep in small tanks on their own.

[benetay]

It should be different if the pair is kept in a big tank, with some tankmates. Perhaps 4 -5 footer? No such experience since my apistos are keep in small tanks on their own.

i had a 6footer last time, and the male shows agression but i believe it's not what it is like in the wild. Like i've said, we can only replicate so much of nature...but we're still far far from it.

Kray i think you have very good observation skills!

[genes]

Hi Guys

Update on my spawning caca. Saw 3 frys today with Buttercup if you remember who she is...
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=17931

She's keeping a close watch on her 3 frys. The frys are sooo tiny... Free swimming already. Hiding among the base of my branchy driftwoods. So it seems before Courtney (male caca) disappeared. He managed to fertilize the her eggs after all.

Some interesting behaviour i observe

When her frys stray too far away, she sucks them in her mouth and spit them out onto her safety area.

And buttercup fending off the new male and female caca i introduced in the tank after courtney disappeared. And any other fishes that comes to close to her comfort zone. The male now knowing she is there keeps going back to that area flaring, but only to be chased away eventually.