blood parrots just laid eggs! dont know what to do

Question
QUESTION: i have a 55 gallon tank with 2 blood parrots, 9 tetras and an algea eater. i thought my bps were both males but just today they were huddling in the corner behind a big piece of wood decor and fighting. then i looked and found a bunch of eggs! im new to fish and have no idea what to do! and i dont know what to do about the fighting. please help!? and the smaller ones breeding tube is much bigger,is that the female,or male?

ANSWER: Hi Katie,
 The one with the larger breeding tube is most likely the female.  The good news is that you do not have to do anything.  They will take care of the eggs.  Be prepared, however, that eggs of blood parrots are often infertile so they may not hatch.   If they do hatch, the kids are fine on their own right up to the point at which they start free swimming. Prior to that, they feed off their yolk sac. After that (about 8-10 days after laying), consider feeding them frozen baby brine shrimp.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


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QUESTION: thanks 4 ur advice. i just wanted to know,if by chance they do hatch,am i going to have to worry about the tetras in the tank eating them or something?

Answer
Hi Katie,
 Actually, if they hatch, the parents will become very protective and I would worry more about the parents "removing" the tetras.  

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>