A. Leptura; Seperating holding Bi-parental mouthbrooders.

[Jessolamprologus]

Yes, everyone I am sorry I see the other A Leptura thread. I would have posted there but I feel time is crucial.

I have a Group of 8 Leptura in a mixed tank with many other fish. They spawn but never hold past 16 days because they never swap fry in the busy tank. They just swallow instead.

This time it's different. I have a holding female at around 25 days, she has not swapped fry with any male, she does not have any one particular fish guarding/following/aggressing/bonding with her. The only way this spawn would survive is if the spawning pair had taken and deffended a territory together. But this female is a loner with no hold on any territory of her own.

So... I really want to try to save these fry. What do you think will happen if I seperate her from her colony/father and put her in a spitting tank? (55 gallons cyp fry mostly) Will she simply eat or abandon her fry with no male present? Will she not spit at all with no swapping action? Is there ANY hope of a bi-parental mouth brooder releasing fry alone?

Please, any advice on this would help greatly!

[EC]

Please, any advice on this would help greatly!

If there's no the male female release and care the fry but next spawning she could be very aggressive toward the male.
Probably if cypris are very young she defends them too.

Ciao Enrico

[Thomas Andersen]

Jesso,

how did it turn out? Did you seperate the female? If a partner is missing, a lone Asprotilapia would normally take care of the fry and defend them after the first release.

All the best, Thomas