Severum/American Breeding Question

[firemike]

Hi Guys,

My 2 adult severums have laid eggs again. What I'm after is tips from people with experience with breeding americans.

I read lots of contradicting information from websites and wikis.

I have a 4ft tank with the following:

2 x adult severums (green male, gold female)

1 x 6" pleco

3 x juv clown loaches

3 x juv yo yo loaches

1 x juv jack dempsey (male)

1 x juv green terror (unsure of gender)

They have attempted to spawn a few times, only once did the eggs turn into fry. Those fry died after about a week.

My questions for a successful spawn:

- Should I keep the eggs in the tank with the parents? So far they seem very protective (I don't really have a spare tank yet but I could be creative, I have spare filters, air filters, heaters etc)

- What would the best 'cheap' food be for severum fry. I pretty much only have pellets (2-3mm) and blood worm. I don't want to spend too much - should I find cheap baby brine shrimp from somewhere?

- Any other tips? My wife can't bare to see another batch of eggs die off. She is a bit hormonal as she is pregnant so pleasing her right now is my top priority

Cheers,

Mike

[Citypainter]

Hi Guys,

My 2 adult severums have laid eggs again. What I'm after is tips from people with experience with breeding americans.

I read lots of contradicting information from websites and wikis.

I have a 4ft tank with the following:

2 x adult severums (green male, gold female)

1 x 6" pleco

3 x juv clown loaches

3 x juv yo yo loaches

1 x juv jack dempsey (male)

1 x juv green terror (unsure of gender)

They have attempted to spawn a few times, only once did the eggs turn into fry. Those fry died after about a week.

My questions for a successful spawn:

- Should I keep the eggs in the tank with the parents? So far they seem very protective (I don't really have a spare tank yet but I could be creative, I have spare filters, air filters, heaters etc)

- What would the best 'cheap' food be for severum fry. I pretty much only have pellets (2-3mm) and blood worm. I don't want to spend too much - should I find cheap baby brine shrimp from somewhere?

- Any other tips? My wife can't bare to see another batch of eggs die off. She is a bit hormonal as she is pregnant so pleasing her right now is my top priority

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike try this.

Sub devide a section of tank within the tank that they are currently housed in.

Make sure that you include the rock that they spawn on.

Feed them on a good quality flake. The fry often feed on a combination of the slime coat from their parents and crushed flake.. The same type that the parents eat.

If you get them to grow into free swimming fry to 3-5mm fish then you will need to rehouse them.

[firemike]

Thanks, looks like I'll at least get some good quality flakes and look at baby brine shimp prices.

Subdividing the tank could prove quite difficult, I have one of those aqua one tanks with a bow front (much like a D shape).

[killiguy]

Severums arent the greatest parents and Ive had several males(all gold )that were sterile,also young cichlids often take a while to become good parents.

If you have no extra tanks it will be hard to raise any number of fry(esp with the nocturnally active loaches)a glass partition as mentioned would be a good alternative.

Im always amazed how much food fry can find in an established tank and a dozen or more may grow up with little specific food(apart from their parents slime),but some finely ground flake or fry powder food would be appreciated

[firemike]

If you have no extra tanks it will be hard to raise any number of fry(esp with the nocturnally active loaches)a glass partition as mentioned would be a good alternative.

I've just sourced a new tank I'll be getting tomorrow so I'll transfer them when it's established. Would it be best to keep the parents with the fry or let them fly solo on instinct?

[dobbin4]

By the sound of the parents they should be fine to stay with the fry.You can only try a couple more times then siphon of fry if you need to. But they do need to stay with parents for a few weeks at least. 2cm fry can be removed. I've put fry in a plastic tub floating on top of the tank water if you have to. Air stone in tub and daily water change. Refill with tank water and add new water to main tank.

What Citypainter means is a plastic divider with holes that will not let other fish into that area.You can shape to tank curve. Even use fly screen mesh & silicone to plastic or perspex. Forget the cheap food. They eat so little get some good quality food as said.NSL maybe, Crush it for the fry, can crush the pellets as well.Brine shrimp greatcan get frozen.

Your clown's & loaches will also eat the eggs.

Good luck

[Link2Hell]

Mike

First thing ............ if you get a new tank you will need to to get the filter

bacteria sorted before adding fish or hook up a filter that has been established

and running more than 4 weeks

cheap fry food micro worm culture - can smell with the wrong culture media and

when it is time to split into new cultures

set up a sponge filter in the tank this will provide micro organisms to feed on

brine shrimp hatch your own in a soft drink bottle

crushed flake or ground pellets (salt/pepper grinder)

you just have to make sure it sinks to where the fry are so make it a paste when

your feeding and use some airline to target where it needs to go

the food needs to be the right size for the fry

once the fry are up and swimming they will also feed off the parents body slime

as has been said divide off a section of the tank to keep the loaches out, I'm

suprised that previous spawns have lasted more than a couple of days with

them in the tank

you can remove the rock with the spawn on it and hatch in another tank but this

is normally used when the parents keep eating the spawns

Chris

[likes americans]

Hi Mate

Sevs were the first thing i ever bred, they were fine in a community tank as they grew then overnight turned a vicious dark green above bright yellow below with dark pectorals and my community fish were dead, hiding or, like the corydora sticking out of the male's mouth, partially or totally eaten

i went for the other tank option that first time with this great pair and raised and sold heaps of green sevs

i later had golds that were poor parents. I gave them a piece of slate leaning against the glass at an angle in a tank with nothing else to spawn on. They polished it then laid on it. I would take them out and put an airstone under the slate and the airflow replaced the fanning of the parents. i would meth blue the water so it was nice and dark and pick out dead eggs with a probe. i was able to raise fry later on clouds of powdered flake and baby brine shrimp. they weren't as prolific as the greens - the biggest batch being around 25 for me

i reckon you could use the slate idea in your tank and then take it out when they have laid on it, maybe float a smaller tank in your tank and aerate them as above

city painter's idea of syphoning the fry once they are placed in a pit by the parents is a great idea too if they get to that stage and you raise them easily in a floated tank

[firemike]

Thanks fro your replies all.

I have semi-successfully bred convicts and firemouths (alone) but haven't had experience with severums and when there are other fish in the tank. So all advice is taken on board

That being said, this morning the eggs were hatching, the biggest problem seems to be the loaches (all 6). They're fast and very distracting to the parents.

Gladly my other tank now available so I think I'll put the loaches and other fish in that tank. I've got 2 canister's running on the main tank so it shouldn't take long for the new tank to establish. I'll let you know the results.

[Link2Hell]

Mike

sounds like things are under control

good luck with the spawn

Chris

[dobbin4]

Sounds good, use some of your water in your tank for new tank and one of the filter's and your up and running, slowly top up the tanks.I agree move the loach's etc is best for now. Taking the fry away from parents at the stage they are in a pit is to early for the fry to cope , 2 weeks fully swimming at least, they need mum or dad & they are doing a great job looking after them now as well as the body slime the fry need.You can take them earlier but will have a lot die.

[firemike]

I have my new tank up and running - sadly it was a day late. The fry are all gone and looks like the jack dempsey has a full tummy! hmmmm

Both severums are in their own tank now so hopefully they'll have more success with less threats around.

[Citypainter]

Often though they will only lay eggs in a competetive environment.

Sometimes having other fish in the tank makes them spawn sooner.

See how you go.