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Amazing little critters

Bev N

Apisto Club
5 Year Member
Messages
159
Location
York, PA
A few weeks ago I picked out a pair of borelli paraguay and put in a 10 gallon tank to get some pictures. It was my intent to sell the pair and I wanted to have them looking their best.

I got an order for a pair and one morning I went to catch and bag up them to head out to their new home. When I moved the piece of driftwood I noticed that they had already spawned. I thought...what a shame but I really don't need any more as I have quite a few already.

I had kind of forgotten about the eggs and a few days later picked out another pair and placed in that tank. I thought momentairly about the eggs and figured they would make a snack for the new pair.

Imagine my surprise when two days later I see a bright yellow female tending a clutch of freeswimming fry!

Not only did they not eat the eggs...they adopted them! Just amazing little critters!



Bev
 

jase101

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
31
Location
sydney, australia
i had a female cacatuoides do almost exactly the same thing about five years back - but the new male in the tank made short work of the fry! he obviously wasn't as into the idea of adoption!
 

Refael Hdr.

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
133
Location
Tel Aviv, Israel
That is really an amazing phenomenon, I've never encountered it in other Cichlids.
By the way, can you guess how it was possible for the eggs to survive without water circulation all that time?...
 

jase101

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
31
Location
sydney, australia
in my case the eggs were on a depression on some driftwood, not a cave, so i guess the ambient waterflow was enough to keep the oxygen up to them, and there was only a day between the mother leaving and the new pair arriving...
 

Bev N

Apisto Club
5 Year Member
Messages
159
Location
York, PA
They were on the underside of a piece of driftwood that is in an arch shape. I guess the circulation from the sponge filter was enough. I've never seen this kind of behavoir before.

They are still tending to them as if they were their own. Now if I could just get them to adopt eggs from pairs that don't parent very well if I have that happen.

They definately are interesting little fish.

Bev
 

Gillie

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
224
Location
Romeo, Mi.
I need to find a female to adopt my galaxis eggs, she has spawned seven times now that I know of and eaten all but two lucky fry(now juvies) that hid in the roots of a java fern.
 

Apistomaster

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
703
Location
Clarkston, WA
Hi Bev,
I have had trios of borelli spawn within days of each other in a tiny(4.5 gal) tank. They both guarded their spawns but their fry became blended so each female was caring for a mixed batch of fry. Their instincts for guarding fry are very strong. There are plenty of other Apistos that I wish were as dedicated.
 

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