Altolamprologus compressiceps: Who ate the eggs?

[Pam Chin]

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Dear Pam,

My Altolamprologus compressiceps recently produced their 1st (so far as I can tell) batch of eggs in a hollow, in a piece of bowl rock. I moved the rock (with the female refusing to leave her eggs.) The next day instead of the 20 - 40 eggs I could only see 6. The tank that I moved the rock into is a 20 gallon glass with 2 Powerheads on the lift tubes, a Power filter on "low" and the occupants were the eggs, the female A. compressiceps and a small pleco. The question is who ate the eggs? And now that I have the three adults in the tank, is there anything I can do to "help" them (short of blue movies)??

Fred

[Pam Chin]

Dear Fred,

A 20 gallon tank with 2 powerheads and a power filter? You may have sucked the fry right off the rock! However, there is also the possibility that the eggs were not fertilized, or they could have fungused up. It is not uncommon for a parent to eat the eggs if they feel they are in danger, moving the eggs can cause this. Add one pleco and you have several theories as to what went wrong. I have been most successful at spawning A. compressiceps when the fish have paired up in African community. I let the young pair spawn a couple of times in the community tank to increase their bond. In the community tank I salvage the fry just as they begin to free swim, they will be in a swarm near the front of the shell (they love conk shells) or flower pot. After I have had a few spawns I would then move the pair into a 10 gallon tank by themselves with a couple of shells, after I am sure they have spawned I like to remove the male. I usually get more fry when I let the female raise the brood for a couple of weeks than when I try to do it myself. The fry are very very small, it is amazing that they can even eat brine shrimp. Don't give up, put your three fish back in a community tank and let nature take its course!