Parrottfish Babies

Question
Hi, I have a 29 gallon aquarium.  In the tank I have 3 Parrot fish, 3 Cichlids and an algae eater.  Recently I noticed 2 of the Parrot Fish becoming extremely aggressive toward the other fish.  Upon looking closely into the tank I noticed that their seems to be a lot of eggs on a decorative ship in the tank where the 2 Parrot Fish are patroling.  The other parrot fish doesnt seem to be a problem and the cichlids are still somewhat small.  I have never had a fish that laid eggs before and I was wondering if there is anything that I need to do.  Should I try to move the eggs into a breeding net or remove the other fish from the tank or is their any special care to ensure that the eggs survive into babies?  I would love for them to make it and want to do whatever I need to but I am completely clueless as to what if anything I need to do.  Hope you are able to answer soon, as I also do not know how long they stay eggs before they hatch?  Thanks so much! Heather

Answer
Hi Heather;

Congratulations! Hopefully they will hatch and you see little wiggling tails soon. They take about 3 days to hatch.

Cichlids are excellent parents so leave them together. The parents will clean out any dead eggs with their mouths. They will move the babies around by taking them in their mouths after they hatch too. It would be best in the long run to move the other fish out though. Those parents will get more aggressive as the babies start to become mobile because there isn't much room. The tank is just barely big enough for just that pair to live in. For two parrots you need 30 gallons.

Have fun and good luck with those guys!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins