has anyone seen this behavior before

[Ken Grimmett]

I bought a "pair" of the Ken Kennedy strain "blue angels" at the extrav. last Nov. Turn out I had two males (one won 1st place in the angel competition). I came across another opportunity to purchase a couple more from a guy near Erie PA. These seem to have a some separation in the blood line (at least not the same parents).

One day after putting them together (2 week waiting quarantine) one male was dead (smaller) the other new fish had the crap beaten out of it. It hung on for just a few more days. AH Sh_t I though. No other developments for a month. Good food twice a day and water changes about 30% weekly on a 40 gal hex tank, oversize on the filter. Then I saw egg's on the filter tube (not the wood or slate I provided) and about two thirds were fertile (good swimmers).

I only found the eggs via tank cleaning - i.e. removed tube and went o sucks. Put it back together and left them alone except for feeding. Next day the eggs were gone but the " male" was guarding the wood and the "female" was pissed off. I could not see any young so I caulked it up to my fault. Two days later more eggs on filter tube. I pulled it while under intense attack from both parents. That was yesterday. Today I see about 30 tails attached to the filter tube. I also see a large number of fry attached to the wood. These are older by a few days or at least larger and more developed.

Has anyone seen cichlids spawn back to back and protect both spawns in the same tank?

[Somethingfishyinc.net]

with angels I can see it happening. Note maybe that had more eggs then they could lay on the filter tube in which they prefered to lay them on and lay more somewhere else and or they moved them???

me Dave

[Ken Grimmett]

That possible - the however is I just saw the ones on the tube turn into wiggers yesterday evening, in the morning they were still eggs. The ones on the wood are just about free swimming stage.

[Lotsapetsgarfhts]

I would say it is unusual but there are some cichlids that are nearly continuous spawners. Julidichromis will lay small numbers of eggs on a regular basis in a small aquarium and you will see many sizes of fry in the tank at the same time. N. brichardi will do almost the same thing and so will Apistogramma caucatoides. The spawns you are talking about are pretty close together for angelfish.

On the side, I have some extra Koi angels if you want to swap some down the road.

[Ken Grimmett]

Sounds good -----I have either two males or two female Koi - they are just reaching breeding age. I also have a "male" blue about the same age. You going to the OCA meeting in two weeks?

[Lotsapetsgarfhts]

Yes, but my Koi are only about quarter size, I was thinking in terms of frry down the road a bit.

[Ken Grimmett]

ok