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Well after 8 days they hatched and disapeared into the river rock 55 gal set up. The tank has a lot of big round rocks so it took me 2 days to finally see one come up of hiding after the lights went out. The pictures are poor quality but I try to get better one if they will let me. On the 8th day you really see them in the egg then when I checked later there was nothing at first I thought they ate the eggs again. There is no cave just a over hang where the eggs where and after hatching they fall to the gravel.

Congratulations!

Please tell us a bit more about your fish and fry

Big Congratulations BigD - I took the oppurtunity to convert your links to images in your post. I hope you don't mind.

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Mats

Bigd,
Nicely done!!!!!!
Amanda

Day 5 and I am starting to still see more come out in the open. They still are hiding most of the day or staying in the big rock piles. I still don't know how many I have. They are starting to act like there parents do going from one rock to another just they are doing it with the large gravel that I used in the tank. I see them getting way between the gravel looking for food. I haven't noticed the parents harming the fry yet. I also found one cory fry in the tank, one day I put some cory eggs in the 55 gal because every other tank had something that would eat the eggs and the Chaetostoma also ate the eggs but looks like they missed one.

What are you feeding the fry? I think if Mats could pipe in here with some suggestions it would be helpful. This species is bio-film or Aufwuchs eaters. They will be looking to rasp on surfaces. I would think parboiled or microwaved squash, such as zucchini would be good(for the parents, too). Mats, would mashed peas, without the skins work here, too?
Amanda

So far the fry have been eating frozen baby brine and liquid fry food, Hikari first bites, ground up veggie flakes. I haven't seen them touch the zucchini yet. With the large gravel I have seen them pretty far down between the gravel eating something. The most I have seen out at a time was 12 at feeding time tonight. I saw 1 huge fry tonight maybe from the first batch?? that I thought was eaten. I saw no parent protection after the eggs hatch. Maybe since this species is from high current water the fry simply drift away?? I am feeding them 3 times a day and changing 10% of the water daily.

My general advice with feeding baby Loricariidae would be "same as the adults, but smaller and/or softer", so whatever the parents eat, but if it's chunky stuff, grind it up, and if it's hard stuff (such as raw vegetable), boil it for a minute or two.

Finding stuff between the stones in the substrate is definitely a good way to get some food... This matches natural Chaetostoma behaviour, as I see it.

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Mats

bigd,
Sounds like you may have had a survivor from that first group. Have you noticed the adults eating the zucchini(like sitting on it-taking possession of it)?Please keep observing and keep up the good work!
Amanda

The fry are now starting to eat some zucchini. I counted 21 last night I am going to move them to there own tank this week. They are growing slow but I have not seen any dead fry yet.

Since there are 21 fry, you may want to start to think about a grow-out tank. I see more frequent water changes for this 55 gallon tank in your future. Their waste output will grow along with them. And if the female is getting plump again...
Amanda