My Fairy cichlids have babies...Im on a roll

[Shell Dweller]

I just got home from work today and was checking on my fishy's. One fish in one of my 33gal was acting strange as it is usually peacefull. It was chasing away the other fish. Then I saw them, a pile of fry swimming about. Probably about 10 to 15. A few days ago it was my kribs, now my fairy cichlids, whats next, angels, discus,.....guppies is a given.

[monkE]

Congrats! Post some pics when you get a chance!

[Shell Dweller]

Since I discovered the fry, I also have discovered that the fairy cichlids killed off a few of my other fish, mollies and blue neons. I removed all the other fish except for the BNP which they dont seem to mind and put them into other tanks. I guess I should have been paying more attention but with 3 operators down my work load increased to the extent I was dead beat by the time I got home.
I noticed that the group of fairy cichlids made a large pit in the gravel removing all the gravel right down to the bare glass below the driftwood. This is where the babies are hanging out. My first estimate of 10 to 15 babies was wrong as I think there are probably twice that. And I have a hunch that there might have been a second spawn. The smallest babies are maybe an 1/8 of an inch long at best. A few have grown and are slightly larger. Another interesting fact is that all the adults protect the fry not just the parents, and these fry when grown will also help protect future spawns. I added a photo, not that great but best I could get.

[Shell Dweller]

Well I was wrong. There isnt 10 to 15 fry, nor is there twice that amount after looking again. There are probably more like 60. I am certain all 3 females have spawned. There seems to be 3 groups of fry only 2 to 4 inches apart. Some from the first batch are now showing the body shape and finnage of the adults and they are maybe 1/2 inch long. I am feeding them Hikari first bites twice a day and doing w/c every 3 days.

[Nanokid]

yep, no surpirse.

birchardi (AKA fairy cichlids) are the most amazing parents of any cichlid in my opinion. siblings will take care of siblings, and parents wont let anything touch there Fry

i have about 25 of various ages ; i hadtoo many spawns and decided that i would put them in the Tang display tank (180)... however, that did not stop them. with about 35 other fish, dozen leulupi (lemon yellows), catfish, and various other colony's, they continue to keep fry alive. its stunning really

[Shell Dweller]

Well its been about 4 weeks now and the first batch of fry are about 1/2 inch long, maybe a little bigger. I have had 3 more batches of fry since then. Seems every week there is a new spawn. I know some of them must have not made it for some reason but there are still plenty of them in the tank. I am posting 2 pics, one of the first batch which are showing the finnage of the parents and one of last weeks batch which are still quite small, less than a 1/4 inch in size.

[carter8089]

I've always thought that brichardi were one of the best aquarium fish of all time....

[Slopster]

Thats awesome, My Kribs just had a batch and they are in with some much bigger fish and they have no problem of keeping all the other fish that are all about 4" bigger than them all on the other side of the tank..