PlanetCatfish.com

In this thread http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =5&t=22777 I was looking for an ID on a BN, ended up that it may be A Triradiatus. Anyway what I am wondering is the male was guarding eggs from at least the 10th June, could even be a day or two longer. The fry hatched fine and when I got a good look in about 5 or 6 days ago the fry were all coloured up and scampering around at the back of the cave. The male still has not let them out. He was backed out and spread he pec fins to totally block the enterence, even with a torch I can just barely see the fry now. At this stage they must be hungary. They are in a community tank but there is nothing that would touch the fry, should I release them? I have never seen other BN's keep the fry in for so long.

Daragh

I'd say he's just being a good father. The male appears to secrete a substance on the front of the head to supply the fry with nutrients (so I've read), so I don't think there's any risk the fry starves under the males care.

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Mats

I've only had Ancistrus sp.3 breed, and I've always left the fry with the father, but he's always kept them in the cave for at least 20 days. I've always been struck by how thin the fry are when they finally leave the cave though!

Thanks for the input. I decided to let them stay a few days more. They came out today

They were longer than regular BN fry, nearly an inch, but extremely skinny. They are eating cucumber and browsing on the plants now so hopefully they will be fine.

Thanks again for the advice.

Daragh

The male appears to secrete a substance on the front of the head to supply the fry with nutrients (so I've read)

Mats, just wondering, where did you read this?

They were longer than regular BN fry, nearly an inch, but extremely skinny.

That is quite big for just being released...interesting!

Birger

so in this case he held them for 20 days, and the eggs take like 5 days to hatch, and the yolk lasts how many days?? Can't last 20 days?? Amazing.

Can we see pics plz!!

My experience has been that bn spawned in my community tank are kept trapped longer than those in species tanks. In my case the fry do get eaten in the community tank and I think the dad tries to keep them in the cave longer to protect them. The bigger the fry when released, the better their chances of surviving and I think the dad somehow knows this.

Birger wrote:

The male appears to secrete a substance on the front of the head to supply the fry with nutrients (so I've read)

Mats, just wondering, where did you read this?

Can't remember if it was somewhere here on the forum or elsewhere. It is same place that explained that the males are smooth and females are rough on the snout, I think.

They were longer than regular BN fry, nearly an inch, but extremely skinny.

That is quite big for just being released...interesting!

Birger

Indeed, that is quite large.

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Mats