Frenzy Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Hello forummers, I've been watching my RFJ's intently for about 2 or 3 weeks. Ever since what I now know for sure is the male colour up in the most vivid fashion. I have 2 others, females I thought, one of which has gradually gotten more colour over these 3 weeks or so. The other is still a dank, boring pink. Anyway, for reasons too boring for here I was giving the tank a good visual inspection and doing so noticed the big bright red male RFJ had gone nutso. Completely feral. Seems to hate his world and everything in it This made me llok harder in the tank because I couldn't find the brighter female and also noted that the dull one had become somewhat of a pariah. Definitely not wanted in the playground. OK, so I eventually find what I now definitely know is the mother fish hovering over what looks like maybe 80-100 eggs. She doesn't stay with them long and comes out to forage but when she does the father fish goes on full patrol. The problem for me is this. This is my first lot of eggs of any species. I have no clue what to do. Leave them? Fish them out and put them in a smaller tank? Tumble them? I'm not equipped for this either. I was expecting any breeding to be happening. I'm only a novice (6 months) and have a very mixed up tank at the moment. FYI I have 3 x fuelliborni, 3 x EYs, 4 x cobalts, the 3 jewels, 2 clown loaches, 1 x kadango, 11 rustys (small 1-2cms), 1 x Tropheus ? and perhaps my fave fish but potential biggest problem now a 5cm Black Calvus (doesn't know where the eggs are yet as I think they were laid in the last couple of hours) Ph is 8.0. Temp 27. No Ammonia or nitrites. Nitrate at 30 whatevers. Water hardness is at 10 whatevers. That's as of an hour ago. Tank is 120 x 60 x 60 cms. Holds 381 litres less displacement. OK so if that's enough or too much info can I raise these eggs to fry and then onto juveniles successfully? Need and will welcome all advice. Matt PS None of the fish are fully grown. The biggest is in fact the father of these eggs I have found. He's about 8cms. Thanks Decor is coral rocks, sandstone rocks and 3mm gravel substrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakes Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 hi, i would be more worried about the calvus and the other fish than the eggs. A breeding pair of red jewels will not show any mercy! If the eggs are fertile they should hatch in a few days and you can siphon up some or all of the fry shortly before or as they become free swimming. But do you have a fry saver & a spare tank to raise them in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenzy Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 hi, i would be more worried about the calvus and the other fish than the eggs. A breeding pair of red jewels will not show any mercy! If the eggs are fertile they should hatch in a few days and you can siphon up some or all of the fry shortly before or as they become free swimming. But do you have a fry saver & a spare tank to raise them in? Yeah I do have a fry saver as it happens. Small white basket thing with suction cups about 20cms x 15 cms x 15 cms. Have a spare tank. 78 litres. Is cycled already because I just took some fish out but it's not the same water as the eggs have been laid in. Should I change the water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krellious Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Should I change the water? yes... put water in from the main tank. they will be used to that so ther wont be much of a shock when they enter the new tank. plus it is instantly cycled so that makes it easy to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gswalker Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Red Jewels are very aggressive when spawning , i would get them out asap or get the other fish out somehow before some major damage occurs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobbin4 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 As said above if you remove them do a good water change and put that water into the new tank they are going into. If not they will slowly disapear and your other fish are going to be attacked by Mum & Dad. If they are the right size and age and the water is right then most M/F want to get it on. Just like sat nite at the club !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenzy Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 Thanks dudes. I didn't manage to save the eggs. Went to work the day I posted, came home and they were gone. However. The second female is looking decidedly full and starting to colour up. So............I've moved them (just the 2, the M and the eggbound chic) into a spare 78 litre I have. Did a water change in the big tank and used that to fill the 78 litre. Sound right? Also put the flat rock they were supposed to use in with them as well. Just a thin layer of shell grit in the tank. They are happily excavating away. See how the second lot goes. dobbin4. The male is about 8-9cms and the babes are a good 7cms each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIXLID69 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Hi, I have a breeding pair of Jewels that have lived in a community tank with angels, peacock, sevrums, clown loach and kribensis. They breed every 6 weeks and have never killed any of my fish. My jewels lay the eggs and then fan them for a couple of days. They then move them in to a little bubble mass until free swimming, which is about 3 days after they move them. You could find that they have moved them. When they where in the community tank the clown loaches where the jewels biggest problem. The loach would try and eat their eggs and they can not get the loach to go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobbin4 Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Frenzy, you have done right, Like CLXLID69 {great name} says the loaches etc like to get into the eggs also note they lay the eggs then move them from one place to another once free swimming. I think when they are in with so many other fish you just lose alot of the fry But if you only want a few then some will battle through I'm sure now you have them in a tank of there own they will put on a nice show for you Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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