Saw My Peacocks Spawn!!

[Beth777]

This morning for the first time ever I got to watch my fish spawn!! It was so exciting I must've sounded like a giggling school girl. I don't know how long they had been spawning before I saw them, but I saw her pick up about 24 eggs. It's the first time I've ever seen my boy get aggressive with the other fish. I won't try to save the fry but it was an exciting thing to watch.

[ptran]

Which one?

[Beth777]

I have the one male and 5 females that I had saved from an OB spawn. The boy looks like a red shoulder and 4 of the girls look OB. The 5th girl is interesting looking. This is the 4th time he spawned. I didn't tell you guys that last week I had seen one of the girls spit eggs. Another thing I've never seen happen in my tanks before. Today they spawned in a big pot that was right up front. It was really neat to witness.

[ptran]

Hmm, you might want to save some fry to see how they look like.

[morpheus]

i am looking to get more into a mix african tank. will be getting a group of peacocks from ken b soon enough, and see what i can get to spawn.

i would keep some the fry if you can as well. never can tell what will come in terms of patterns

[Beth777]

I am curious, but I don't want to wind up with a bunch of females, and if I get another boy they're not going to like sharing the tank. Dad looks so pure it would be interesting to see what he produces. Maybe a more trained eye would look at him and know he's not, but when I look at pics of red shoulders he looks the same to me. I know there's different variations on how they look. He's young and still coloring up. I've noticed his fins getting more orange along with more of an orange color on his shoulders. Of course I think he's a pretty boy since he's the first offspring I ever tried to save and raised from an egg.

Hmm, you might want to save some fry to see how they look like.

[ptran]

You have a picture?

I never raised any from egg. I always strip the female at 14-20 days when the fry is all free swimming.

[Beth777]

If I did keep them they would have to go into the 10gal for now. I love my peacocks. I think I've kept them for I don't know...7-8yrs maybe????

I did have a thought this morning to transfer mom to the 10gal in a few weeks.

i am looking to get more into a mix african tank. will be getting a group of peacocks from ken b soon enough, and see what i can get to spawn.

i would keep some the fry if you can as well. never can tell what will come in terms of patterns

[Beth777]

You guys and your pictures. LOL Hubby is gone, if he comes home in a good mood I'll see if he will show me how to put pics on here. He's job hunting today so that's pretty iffy. :furious:

You have a picture?

I never raised any from egg. I always strip the female at 14-20 days when the fry is all free swimming.

[morpheus]

If I did keep them they would have to go into the 10gal for now. I love my peacocks. I think I've kept them for I don't know...7-8yrs maybe????

I did have a thought this morning to transfer mom to the 10gal in a few weeks.

i always loved their coloration, so will probably become a mix mbuna and peacock tank.

you can always move the fry to 10g for grow out, but a full grown female in a 10g will feel cramped IMO. sometimes their finnage breaks a bit with the confined areas

[Beth777]

I should've said I raised them from when they were eggs in momma's mouth. I didn't even pay attention to how long she had been holding when I scooped her out of the tank. When I pulled her out and put her in the breeder net she spit the fry. I took her and the wigglers to a 10gal and kept her with them for about a week and then put her back in the 75. it will probably be hard to get a pic of the boy. He spends almost all of his time in the back of the tank in his man cave. The others completely ignore him so I know he's not hiding. Maybe he's got wifi.

You have a picture?

I never raised any from egg. I always strip the female at 14-20 days when the fry is all free swimming.

[Beth777]

I swear you guys are so nice. Some cichlid people were very displeased with my mix of peacocks and mbuna, but it's not like my peacocks are with aratus.

I would wait a bit before I moved my girl and I wouldn't keep her in the 10gal for long. My girls are young moms and so far they've either spit or swallowed their eggs. This 'might' be her second time holding. I've seen that he has spawned with 3 different females so far.

i always loved their coloration, so will probably become a mix mbuna and peacock tank.

you can always move the fry to 10g for grow out, but a full grown female in a 10g will feel cramped IMO. sometimes their finnage breaks a bit with the confined areas

[morpheus]

I swear you guys are so nice. Some cichlid people were very displeased with my mix of peacocks and mbuna, but it's not like my peacocks are with aratus.

I would wait a bit before I moved my girl and I wouldn't keep her in the 10gal for long. My girls are young moms and so far they've either spit or swallowed their eggs. This 'might' be her second time holding. I've seen that he has spawned with 3 different females so far.

i am of the mind that it is my (your) tank, so feel free to do what you wish. it is not like you are force breeding fish just for the sake of creating a new species. if you like this fish and that fish, go ahead. you have said a few times, you normally are not aiming to save the fry.

i may phase my tank over to all peacocks over time as the mbuna pass away, but i am not trying to play God. cross breeding happens in the wild too.

[ptran]

i am of the mind that it is my (your) tank, so feel free to do what you wish. it is not like you are force breeding fish just for the sake of creating a new species. if you like this fish and that fish, go ahead. you have said a few times, you normally are not aiming to save the fry.

i may phase my tank over to all peacocks over time as the mbuna pass away, but i am not trying to play God. cross breeding happens in the wild too.

Well said! Most of the fry will become food anyway if she doesn't strip them.

[ptran]

You guys and your pictures. LOL Hubby is gone, if he comes home in a good mood I'll see if he will show me how to put pics on here. He's job hunting today so that's pretty iffy. :furious:

Yep, can't wait to see your fish LOL.
Can't get enough pictures here.