FlowerHorn breeder

Question
QUESTION: Hey Ron,
I had a male and female flowerhorn in a 55 gallon tanks and I found out the female is laying eggs under flat surface and on rocks. I would like to know what should I do to keep those eggs safe please? And do i need to move the male to another tank? Please help ..Thanks in advance!

ANSWER: Hi Johnny,
  The male needs to be there to fertilize the eggs after they are laid or they won't develop.  

  There is really no need or reason to remove the male.  He will help care for the kids along with the female.  

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


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

QUESTION: Thank You Ron, but I heard lot ppl said the male will eat or kill the female, is it true? Guess what I did a dump thing before check ur advices, I saw the male eating those eggs and fight the female so I moved him to another tank :(
Now he seemed pale and weak when i put him back with his family :( Please help ..so frustrated . Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hi Johnny,
  The problems happen if one of the mates is ready to spawn and the other isn't.  Fighting is a normal part of cichlid courtship and if two fish fight and it doesn't go well then in the wild, one of them can swim away.  In a fish tank, there is no place to swim to and the fish cannot escape.  At that point, the other fish could easily kill the weaker fish (usually the female).  So, that is why you have to be very careful when trying to breed cichlids, particularly larger ones.  

  If the male was eating the eggs, then they wouldn't have been fertilized correctly in the first place.  

  When you put them back together, that is also a very sensitive time because they will often fight and one of them could easily be injured or killed.  

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