Ruby Green Haps

So it's been a while since I've posted. So first and foremost, HELLO ALL! I missed all of you!



Now down to business.

I currently have a 3:1 group of Ruby Green Haps in a 75 gallon and if any of you know me you know my tank is spotless and the chemistry is spot on. I've got it currently at 78 degrees and I feed a mix of frozen bloodworms, frozen spirulina brine shrimp, and CichlidAttack and Hikari Cichlid Gold dry foods. When conditioning I've been feeding twice a day and a hefty amount. Needless to say, the females are laying and holding. However, twice in a row now I've had a female spit after 3-4 days holding. She appears to be spitting bright orange/yellow eggs. I watched the last one spit. Is she not getting fertilized eggs or am I doing something wrong? Should I seperate the minute I see her holding? Suggestions? Thoughts?

It all looks right and sounds right, I had a group that I recently sold, two males and 4 females, but keep one male, I think all you need is another male, if you pay the shipping all send you this fish, he is in a all male tank and he really should be with his own kind. Just let me know if interested.

If happend with all the 3 females remove the male and add 2 males ore

I have two other males that I removed due to him beating the living daylights out of them. He is VERY dominant. They are in my aunt's tank for now. Beautiful fish. It has happened to two different females now. Is it possible that I have too few hiding spots? Should I add more decor for them to hid in? I have a rock "wall" built and there are tons of nooks and crannies for them to hid plus I have a bunch of pleco caves that the females frequently hide in. Maybe some more plants for them to sneak away in?

I had bad luck with Rubys aswell. Try and add more Ruby and more hiding area. Sometimes that's good sometimes bad. Just depends on the fish not the species. I have had great sucess with open tanks with no decoration and then some success with hiding spots all over.

Adding some plants thats ok
Do you have A UV Sterilizer in the tank ?
Do you add trace elements ?
use melafix and pimafix just in case
good luck

I will add some plants to the mix. I do not use UV Sterilizers. Never saw the need for them if you keep up with your water changes and monitor the water and the fish you add to the tank. I also don't like "pre-treating" or treating the water just in case. That's adding chemicals prematurely to an established tank that could cause swings in water chemistry, making more problems.

I'll try switching up the decor and see if that helps. I may just need to break down and buy some more females as well. He could be stressing them out. He is a very active male!

personally dont like chemicals too both are natural extracts from tea trees and west indian bay trees
one of my friends use to have almost the same problem and was caused for a bacteria from the city water now when he use to add water he use a storage tank with a uv to kill any possible infeccion

Ah. I have well water which is naturally a little basic (7.4-7.8) and hard as well (250-300 ppm) so I've got great water for Africans in general. Not really a good way to measure bacteria, but I moved in less than a year ago and had the water tested before I drank it.

Ok sounds good !!!
if you have any succes please post it
thanks

Anybody have any plant clippings they want to send my way? I've already got some anubias, but I could use some amazon sword, and maybe some sort of grass. (Aquarium grass that is...)

I added some new decor and got another female holding. I seperated her in my fry grow-out tank and she has been in there and hold for a week. When should I strip? Today? Next week? 7 full days? 14?

I cant answer that question, sorry
Let mother nature do shes course

I've stripped these females before, but I can't remember at what day. I just don't want to come home and see that she has eaten all of my pleco fry!

I use egg crate with very good results

I usually strip holding females in between 14-21 days of holding.

Yeah. I'm going for 14 days. That will be next Saturday. That gives the little guys time to develop. I've had a rough go at cichlid breeding lately. The move last March really gave me fits with my tanks. It's only now that my tanks are back in order and starting to produce again. And I'm finally back on "The Box".

So I started to strip momma after 14 days today. Not long enough. I left her in the breeder with the fry. She has picked some back up. Waiting to see if she will pick the rest of them up. Note to anyone raising Ruby Green Haps: 14 days is NOT ENOUGH TIME!

I hope she picks them all up as well!!!!

She picked up all but 5. They are still living now, but who knows how they will fare. Fingers crossed they all do well.

Stripped momma this morning. Appears there are about 30 healthy fry free swimming and ready to explore!

Very excited for you Congrats!!!!!

Did some culling yesterday, lost 5, but still have about 25 left in the group. They are eating like crazy and will be too big for the little breeder in no time.