ID these guys - breeding pair - H.Carp or H.Cyan

[stardotstar]

Hi all,

Have a look at this breeding pair and let me know what species they are and why (Herichthys carpinte or Herichthys Cyanoguttatus??):





Their colouration varies from quite blue/green to quite dark - especially the larger male who gets very grim when hes being a big daddy!

I am most interested to know exactly what they are.

They have just hatched a very large brood and I am trying to scramble so that I can keep some.


I am not equipped with a nursery tank - or indeed, any kind of stuff for fry!
They are being super protective and excavated the whole area.
I wouldn't know where to begin but there are literally thousands of little swimmers in their corner of the tank now and it would be great if I can manage some of them to a healthy life - wherever that may ultimately be!

I have a 2 foot and a 1 foot tank which are not setup/cycled and I suppose I could do something like putting an aerator in one - and handle water condition by water changes from the main tank - but changing the water without losing any fry could be a challenge - should I go get something that hangs in the main tank - or a divider or what?

Furthermore I guess I can expect to lose these ones and prepare for their next breeding cycle...

Interested in your thoughts.
I have kept cichlids (usually oscars) for a long time but never had a breeding pair (only ever seen them spawn but nothing come of it).

Best regards,
Will

[stardotstar]

OK here is what I have done.

I pulled out my 1 foot tank.
broke open the main fluval fx 5 from the main tank and filled a small internal filter with main tank media *(siporax)
filled the 1 foot with water from the main tank while I syphoned the fry into it.
added a thermostat/heater set to ensure that the temp is stable at 25
put a sock over the internal filter so that it didn't create as big a suction and would not pull them through
put an air stone into the fry tank

So they are in a small but well setup bare tank with their original water and temp environment and fully cycled media in a small internal filter that is also turning the water surface over briskly without churning the tank.

I have no idea what to feed them yet, or what else I should do.

There are literally thousands of them in a carpet of moving tails, mostly still attached to their eggs (?)

I am guessing it was too early to move them ideally but I am going away for 5 days and my wife will be able to do 1/2 water changes using conditioned water the same as is used for the main tank (same pH of 7.2 and prime) every day.

The parents are very very upset - gone black with rage- compare their colour (especially the face of the female) to the photos in the original post! I guess there is no getting around the cruelty of having their young removed from under their direct protection. They now seem to be fighting each other!

I hope I have done the right thing.

I would still appreciate an ID on them as per my original question/post here but due to my travel on business I have to do the best I can the best I know how and await your replies.

Here are some photos of the current state.

Note that the adults are very dark and seem quite ragged from defending their turf which they are doing admirably. I hope they settle down. There were still some fry left in the tank.

[Paulo José Alves]

Hi

No doubt about it, definitely H. carpintis.

[Lisachromis]

I believe the "blackening" up of your fish is typical when they're guarding fry. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm incorrect.

[Dan Woodland]

A lot of breeding Central American Cichlids have several color patterns for all of the breeding phases. If you watch closely their color will change when one parent is watching fry and the other is defending and visa versa... As Lisa mentioned this is their fry brooding color.

[cedricguppy]

Regardé bien vos spécimens, mais je crois que je suis d'accord avec Liza, vos poissons sont plus sombres de la reproduction, ce qui signifie la dominance. Dans le pire des cas, CF (France) parle d'un virus mélanique, je vous donne le lien, mais je pense vraiment que ce n'est pas cela.

La coloration des poissons qui ont ce virus mélanique est très simplement différentiable de la couleur de frai de reproducteurs.

Your specimens looked good, but I think I agree with Liza, your fish are darker reproduction, which means dominance. In the worst case, FC (France) speaks of a virus melanin, I give you the link, but I really think this is not it.

The coloration of fish that this virus is easily melanin differentiable color breeding.

http://www.cichlidsforum.fr/deja-vu-ca-virus-melanique--vt22071.html?highlight=virus+m%E9lanique

[cedricguppy]

Autre chose, je regardais sur Fishbase et la photo de H. carpintis qui est publier, montre un spécimens a la coloration foncé comme le votre. Il est donc fort possible que ce ne soit qu'une coloration de reproduction.

Another thing I watched on Fishbase and H. photo carpintis is published, shows a specimen has a dark color like yours. It is therefore quite possible that this is a color reproduction.

[stardotstar]

Hi

No doubt about it, definitely H. carpintis.

Thank you! (Cyan is prohibited in Aust - so I am relieved)

The colouration is spectacular and must be brood related. The fry are doing well both those remaining in the tank and the thousands removed!

New experience for me.

Thanks for the comments guys.

[Ctrl_Alt_Dlt]

very nice pair! Whats the lineage history?

[Ken Grimmett]

These most likely would have been great parents for at least 2 weeks. You missed out on some great parent offspring relationship. Caution, one of the parents may lay into the other over the missing fry.