My Mikrogeophagus ramirezi spawned!

[trident]

Congrats, that is sure a lot of fries, looking good.

[yorky]

My German pair has laid hundreds of eggs..
Here's a picture of the female picking at them.

[illumnae]

wow very nice shot, and a beautiful fish as well can see the eggs are quite freshly laid since the female's belly is still sunken

[yorky]

Hi illumnae, thanks for the comments.
You are right, 1 day old eggs.

[celticfish]

yorky,
i think the rains are putting some "ommpf" into the fish tanks!

[Cacatuoides]

Hi Yorky, thats a very nice shot!!
Congrats on your spawn and hope to see a cloud of fries too!
Is that a piece of wood it spawned on?

[yorky]

Yes spawned on a driftwood right at the front middle of the tank.

The rainy 'oompf' has gotten them very voyeuristic indeed.. haha.

[shrimp999]

Hundreds of eggs
Nice shot there~! Congrate!

[mobile2007]

Nice shot, it's kinda of giving the impression that the mother fish is tenderly kissing the eggs.

[Puffer]

Ruisheng, hope you don't mind me digging up your old thread. It's about the same topic. You see, I got a pair of German Rams from C328 roughly 2 weeks ago. The pair spawned this morning. They laid eggs on the leaf of my anubias. This could be their first time so I'm trying not to get too excited about the free-swimming part (really trying). I just wish to find out, after making a search from this forum, on when I should transfer the eggs (at wrigglers stage?)? They are currently in a planted 3ft tank with 10 cardinals, 4 white cloud minnows, some yamatos and cherry shrimps, 1 large SAE, and 4 bristlenoses. I'm prepared to have the eggs gone this time, but not next. Do I also need to transfer the parents as well? I've got another 2ft tank thickly covered with java moss and housing some microrasboras. The temperature in this tank is some 2 degree lower. If this batch of eggs are gone, perhaps I should start a new 2ft tank just for the pair? What do you guys think? Ruisheng, how is your batch going? Hope you could share. Thank you.

[leeruisheng]

No problem. I didn't manage to raise up any. But if your intention is to breed them then definitely a tank by themselves would be ideal.

[celticfish]

Most people take the eggs before the wriggler stage.
If they have turned to wrigglers best to just leave them.
Also, as mentioned in another thread, if you take the eggs away someone has to continue being "daddy & mommie"!
The work would be fanning the eggs to remove dirt and removing bad eggs.
Fanning can be done with an airstone placed in front of the eggs.
Bad eggs are using handled by using menthylene blue, stains silicon.
The other is to target the bad egg with a pin or a syringe.

From the fauna in your tank, I suspect the White Cloud Minnows and SAE will account for the most fry.
Your other tank would be more suitable breeding tank.
I don't think you need to setup another tank yet.

IMHO I'd leave them in the current tank for this spawn.
Then move them to your 2ft as it seems better suited for spawning them.

[Puffer]

Hi Ruisheng, thanks for letting me continue with this thread. And sorry to hear about your loss in the ram fries. Is the pair still spawning and do you intend to breed them again?

Bro Celticfish, your advice suits my thinking. My sons are calling the SAE 'The Bad Guy' and it is often the one fish where the parent rams are chasing away. I don't think the pair will hold up longer than today fending off the intruders. I think I would most likely remove the microrasboras in my 2ft tank, tidy up a bit here and there, before transferring the pair into it. Anyone has better suggestions? I'll make a search to read up more about Mikrogeophagus ramirezi's habitat etc. Many thanks guys! Success or not doesn't matter, it's the process that excites me. Somewhat, it makes my day!

[Puffer]

Just an update...the pair's still guarding the eggs which have turned into ones like tadpoles (with black dots in the eggs), save a few eggs which are fungused. I hope to see them turn into free swimming fries in 2-3 days' time. Praying hard.

[celticfish]

Puffer,
Congratulations! The eggs have become wrigglers.
First, that means you have a fertile pair.
At this stage, if the other fish in the tank cannot overpower the parents, the parents are the greatest danger to the wrigglers.
For example, water parameters not "ideal" or the parents get spooked.
Otherwise they should get to the free swimming stage with ease.
I'll pray some for you too!

[Puffer]

Hi Celticfish, it's been heartwarming and encouraging to receive your response..Sometimes when I get closer to the tank, one of the parents would swim forward to 'face-off' with me - sort of like challenging me to a deal or what. Anyway, I got what you meant. If the eggs could get through to become free swimming fries, I foresee that they would become easier preys to other fauna - that's what worry me. I'm contemplating getting a small breeding tank (those tank with many tiny holes and suction cap) into the current tank and place the fries in it? In this way, the fries won't be food to the other fish and I get to feed them easier too. Would this be a good idea?

[benetay]

Puffer, those small enclosure might be a temporary solution, a breeding tank is still needed. The holes of the small breeding tank attached inside the wall of the main tank will clog up after awhile thus resulting in no water in flow.

A dedicated breeding tank will be useful if you are serious in breeding them more in future.

Congrats on your spawn.


Cheers!

[Puffer]

The eggs are gone

[benetay]

Don't worry, they spawn pretty quickly. Almost too quick for your tanks to handle.

Cheers!

[celticfish]

If they were wrigglers already you still have half a chance.
During this stage some cichlids or particular specimen like to move them around.
Ramirezi being an open spawner is likely to do this.
Look around the tank.

I'd suggest you use this first spawn as a learning one, if they get to free swimming stage.
Leave them in the tank and let "nature" runs its course.
Yes, they will be predated but you will find out which species in the culprit.
This will also be an opportunity for the pair to bond better.
btw you looking in on them and the fish challenging you is a good sign.
Instead of dither fish you're the "dither-face"!