cichild

Question
QUESTION: i have got cihilds one of the fishes has  laid eggs on the pump shes garding them do i put them in a breeding tank i went to the pet shop today to ask they told me to leave them to there own devies and i got told when they ached the female goes around with the babuys in her mouth and how long is it before they ached he laid them yesterday i made a note of the date when she laid them thank you alison



ANSWER: Hi Alison,
  Some cichlids lay their eggs on solid objects (we call them substrate spawners) while other species are mouthbrooders.  Your species is a substrate spawner.  They will remain eggs for about 3 days and then they will hatch.  However, they will only hatch if there was a male present at spawning to fertilize them.  Unfertilized eggs cannot hatch. Do you have a male of the same species?

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


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi just to let u know my childs has got lots of babys do i just leave them now they are 12 days old now
the mother is portecting tem and the dad is to .and my cousin has just started fishes can u tell me does black mollys eat small fishes he has had a couple of fishes gone missing and they ask me does plecs eat fish to thankyou

Answer
Hi Alison,
  I'm glad to hear that the kids are doing well.  

  Yes black mollies will eat small fishes.

  And yes, plecostomus catfishes will also eat small fishes.

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