Phyllonemus typus spawning help

[TheCichlidKid15]

Anyone got any info on breeding these cats? Looks like I got 2 pairs, i have been feeding them earthworm pellets and they gobble them up. Im doing water changes once every two weeks, I'm a little hesitant to feed them live food because the only thing I could buy are the small guppies at the pet store and I know some of them could be loaded with parasites and diseases. Maybe some live bloodworms? Anyway any info from anyone who has bred them would help, thanks guys!

[Birger]

Did you look up the COTM on these, some info there and a forum search will bring more too.

I started with these feeding NLS pettets and bloodworms...they did not even get out of quarantine and they had spawned. I just gave live food when I had extra young from other fish that I had bred myself.

With these it is important to give many caves...more than the amount of fish you have...and space them out well. Pairs will split up if not breeding.

Check out the above info and then come back with any questions.


Birger

[TheCichlidKid15]

ok thank you.

[verbal]

Did you look up the COTM on these, some info there and a forum search will bring more too.

I started with these feeding NLS pettets and bloodworms...they did not even get out of quarantine and they had spawned. I just gave live food when I had extra young from other fish that I had bred myself.

With these it is important to give many caves...more than the amount of fish you have...and space them out well. Pairs will split up if not breeding.

Check out the above info and then come back with any questions.


Birger

What size tank?

[TheCichlidKid15]

Got 2 pairs in a 20 long with a lot of hiding places

[Taratron]

How often do the parents spawn? Mine are always hiding so I never know if they are brooding or not. I DID find a few fry, but since I read that the parents will eat them, I moved them to my pleco fry tank. Haven't seen them since.

[Birger]

I couldn't really give a definite length of time...the best is too watch for when two take up residence together...then you know breeding could be imminent. You have to find a way so you can keep track of when they hole up together or flip the caves to check...they are good parents so disturbing them was not so bad IMO...young ones maybe not so.

Birger

[Taratron]

Lost the last batch of fry, they started spiraling in the tank? Anyone else had this issue? Doing fast jerky swim spirals and then dying.

[Birger]

Sorry, I can not say I saw this at all, or heard of it from others.

Would need more info on how the fry are being raised.


Birger

[TheCichlidKid15]

I lost fry twice so far, I have to strip the next time I see them holding

[Taratron]

I tossed the fry into my pleco fry tank. Same water parameters. No sign of them. I did get some golden pearls for the next batch....I hope there is one!

[Taratron]

Another spawn lost. What am I doing wrong?

As soon as I see the fry (they are almost always in the upper corner of the tank near a sponge filter) I scoop them out with a fine net and put them in a gallon container, filled with water from the parent tank. Toss in a sponge filter from the tank as well, or an air stone and lots of duckweed and hiding places. I offer golden pearls, scuds, and some crushed flake or pellet, but within a day I see the babies floating in the duckweed, sometimes upside down.

So can anyone show or tell me their fry setup? This is getting frustrating, getting fry and losing them all!

[Birger]

I put them in a box net hanging inside the tank...I had good success (not losing fry) using mostly chopped bloodworms(this is what I started with and I just kept it going)I would drop it more or less over them, and nls pellets added later after maybe two weeks. ...give them something to hide under.

When they are a bit bigger maybe 3/4 of an inch, more of a variety would be better I am sure, and they could be moved to a tank...I used snail shells(mystery snails) for them as cover...I never fed them flake at all...fry or adults.

I also raised eggs I pulled from the parents...they hatched fine just hanging them in a smaller net inside the box net...then I could spot feed them well and they would all be together....again just using chopped bloodworm to start.

Birger

[Taratron]

No baby brine? Frozen bloodworms? And what size box net?

[Birger]

No baby brine? Frozen bloodworms?

Yep, that is what worked for me, so I went with it. Of course better to feed many times then one or two big feedings.

And what size box net?

I sometimes even just use a big fine mesh net in a pinch

I always keep a couple of these around

These would work too I am sure, did not have these boxes when I had the P. typus

Birger