Bolivian Ram guarding eggs

[Riss]

Ok I dont even know if I should post this in here or not...but since you are all cichlid experts Ill ask anyway.

Came home today to find my two bolivian rams guaring eggs on a piece of slate. I was watching them and one was still laying eggs.

SO anyway...what should I do now. I would like ot try to raise them if I could. Does anyone really know how bolivians are at raising fry???

Any info would be fantastic, as I'm sure this probably wont happen again.

THanx

 

[depthC]

Well what other tank mates are there and what is the tanks size? Now when you say one was still laying eggs what was the other one doing? It should of been fertalizing them. It is possible that you have 2 females, or you have a pair that has just matured.

Why do you believe this wont occur again? This could be the start for a series of spawnings.

As for raising them the rams should raise them, but sometimes they arnt experienced enough to do so. It is possible also for the eggs to fungus and if they do the parents will just eat them. So if you will answer the questions i asked and I could possibly help you more if the eggs werent devoured already.

- depthC

 

[Riss]

ok...i went to check on them this morning and the eggs were gone. I have 2 4" catfish that I think were the ones that ate them.

The tank is 75g long (5ft) other fish include:
2 bristlenose cats
5 gouramis
2 bala sharks
3 angelfish
9 neons
2 swordtails

Ok well I was watching them for a while...and only one was laying and the other one was just hovering over the other eggs. Do both male and female have that little duct thing on the underside??? Because both have them....so they could both be females.

As for me not thinking they will do this again, I have had them for nearly 9 months with nothing and its the first i've ever seen this happen.

Thanx

 

[wethead]

A 20 long would be an ideal tank for your rams, there are all sorts of fish in your tank who could have eaten the eggs, not your cats , who really prefer algae & veggys. Not least of them is the parents if they thought another had made an attempt at the eggs.
The male & female both have breeding tubes but the males is slimmer. Your fish might have been immature, or it just took them that long to get used to your tank. This is thier first attempt so don't be discouraged even if they ate the eggs, i personally would get a tank of thier own for them if you could. You would enjoy the experience of cichlid parental behavior so much...Rich

 

[Riss]

Thanx for the information....very usefull...I might look into getting their own tank.