Young Parents

I have a 55G with a community of youngsters ... mostly some of the more peaceful cichlids. I have four small green and gold severums, one uaru, three electric blue acaras, three german rams, three albino threadfin geos, and a geo surinamensis, plus a couple corys and a pleco. I know the tank will be too small once the severums, the geos, and the uaru get a bit bigger, but it's fine for now. Or at least it was.

Everyone in the tank has been jumpy for the last few days. The pleco was splotchy and a couple of the sevs spent a lot of time huddled behind a rock. Water parameters were fine, but I did a big water change anyway. I also noticed that two of my acaras has a brownish grey bands on the tops of their heads, and were getting pretty agressive, terrorising the sevs which are much bigger. I wondered if they were spawning, but they're still pretty young and small, maybe 2.5 - 3". Well, now I know.

Attachment 130044

Yep they be spawning

Well done with the EB Acaras .
Until they get in breeding dress they one of the most difficult fish to sex IMO.
When ready to breed the female will turn more grey /white like their heads are in picture .
They are pretty tough parents and may cause some trouble with the other fish when they try to raise their fry .
Congrats !

Thanks Tom. I moved the pair and the rock with the eggs into another tank. They were making everyone else miserable.

I watched a YouTube video of your operation a while back, and as I recall, you know a thing or two about breeding EB Acaras :D
What do you think the chances of success are with the first batch? Can they successfully rear young when they are themselves are as young as they are? I guess I don't really know their age. But they aren't even 3" yet.

Well the eggs were gone this morning, and I thought they'd been eaten by the parents until I saw little wigglers on the bottom of the tank. They hatched! Now what? I'm really not prepared ... When do they start eating, what do I feed them, and how often? Will they eat flake crumbs if I grind them into powder? I know many sources say BBS, but that's another thing I've never done.