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Thread: Bickering between parents

  1. #1
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Bickering between parents

    At what point should I become worried? My pair is very devoted to it's kids. Both take their share of the load feeding them. They have become what I'm afraid might be too protective. They've been attacking the siphon hose with a vengeance stirring everything up so much that I live in fear of sucking up a baby. One kid has already been killed as a result of their violence toward the hose. Ever since I took their pic this morning one or the other will try to kill my big face through the glass every time I look at them.

    Sometimes they bicker. It worries me. Some times she gives him a bite in the side, sometimes he does it to her. Then they spar for a bit and then forget about it. It never lasts long and they're mostly quite loving.

    The kids are eating BBS, finally ground prepared food, and small bits of tubifex fines. I could separate them from mom and dad today, but I like to keep the kids with the parents for at least 3 weeks. I've gone longer as long as they don't bother the parents.

    I'm unsure if this bickering and over protectiveness is a bad sign. Waking up to a tankfull of dead and half eaten babies is the thing nightmares are made of.
    Last edited by LizStreithorst; 01-29-2023 at 08:33 PM.
    Mama Bear

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    If the fry are valuable to you, pull them now . If they are eating bbs and prepared foods you don’t need to risk them being lost.

  3. #3
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Liz,
    As long as they are eating other foods I would pull the pair.. The 3 week point is a good goal but if keeping the fry alive is important I would not chance it.. especially with fosters.. The jacked up behavior might lead to them spawning..which would be very bad as you know.

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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Time to remove the kids.

    Cliff

  5. #5
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Thanks gentlemen. I'll separate them today.
    Mama Bear

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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Did you remove the kids? How many do you have?

  7. #7
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Gosh, I just scooped them up, I didn't count. Maybe 50(?)

    I moved the pair out of the way to make it easier to snag the kids. I put them in a 29 that's next door to the 20 I moved their kids into. Then I did a good big clean and WC of the pair's 38 cube before I moved them back. Even though the kids couldn't see the kids through the painted tank side and the pair couldn't see their kids, they still knew that they were next to one another and got as close to that side of the glass as they could.

    Now that mom and dad are back in their 38 they have gotten over the loss. The poor kids are still swimming up and down the side of the tank where their parents were. I know that they'll get over it but it's still kind of sad. Just not as sad as waking up to death and destruction.
    Mama Bear

  8. #8
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Ah, I feel much better now. I just came down to the fishroom to lie down on the sofa to rest the back before WC and the kids were back to normal. They're pecking around the bottom for the chopped up tubifex fines and BBS I tossed in before I moved them.

    I know that they are just fish. That's what I tell myself when I have to cull. But I have no choice but to be hard hearted about them or I won't produce anything that I consider good. I gave up breeding warm blooded animals years ago because my heart was to soft for me to be able to do what was hard but necessary.
    Mama Bear

  9. #9
    Homesteader jwcarlson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Good to hear you've got some fry cooking, Liz!
    I agree on the being cold hearted. I struggled even with poor quality queen honey bees initially. Still don't like killing them off, but you really do have to.

    How do you get tubifex to sink? All my freeze dried stuff floats!

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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Out of the 50 or so how many will typically be culled? What do you look for when culling? I was about to start a thread about culling but it seems to fit here.

  11. #11
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Jacob, I buy the cupes and stick them on the glass. When a piece starts to float the fish eat it from the top.
    Mama Bear

  12. #12
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bickering between parents

    Gary, I found 3 culls when I was moving them. In their new tank, with better lighting I see 4 or 5 more. They're not even old enough yet to spot short gill plates. There will be a few more when they grow for another week.
    Mama Bear

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