Keyhole Cichlids breeding

The other day the power went out and I really messed up my aquarium from it. When the power finally came back on my filter wouldn't start. So I took the top off the canister filter before shutting the water off from the tubing. What a disaster!!!! I had about 5 gallons of water on the floor and on the the electrical power outlet that everything for the aquarium was plugged into. So nothing was working and I had to clean up my mess. I was in a rush for work so I plugged in the filter some where else and dumped some rain water into the tank to try to top it up a bit from the water I spilled all over. No heater, no light. Water level dropped and the water was much cooler. I thought I was going to come home to dead fish but I was pleasently surprised! My keyholes that I've had for ever a year produced some eggs!

However, I am not prepared and have never had baby fish before. I don't have another tank to seperate the eggs so I'm worried they'll be a snack for the other fish. What's the best way to raise them? I was thinknig of getting those mini hanging tanks inside my current to keep them seperate. What should I feed them? Any other suggestions.

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Comment by Jessica on April 20, 2013 at 6:07pm: They ate the eggs :(

Comment by Robert Jango on April 24, 2013 at 4:16pm

Too bad about the eggs, but congratulations on collecting rainwater! This is the kind of thing only fish nerds do - we're talking Dustin territory here.

According to the fish sites Keyholes are widespread, but they all agree they can be found in the Orinoco basin which traverses the Venezuelan-Columbian border. This is home to many of our favorite blackwater fish - Discus, Apistos, Rams, etc.

Do you know how often the water changed in Orinoco River? The answer is constantly because rivers flow. There’s litte waste - just clean, cool, fresh rainwater coming down from the mountains. By inadvertently dumping out your old dirty water and adding rainwater you mimicked the Keyholes natural conditions - very cool, clean, soft, acidic water coming down from the mountains. Keyhole parents know that rain and the rainy season means lots of food for their fry. So that's when they breed. In some spots the water level can rise as much as thirty feet, washing in lots of leaves and debris for the infusoria that tiny rotifiers and insect larvae feed upon. The Keyhole fry, in turn, feed off these tiny animals. Mammals in Yellowstone Park give birth to their young in the Spring for the same reason. It gives their babies a chance to survive.

I would be shocked if the Keyholes didn’t eat their eggs. Except for Cockatoo Cichlids (great parents) I’ve never had a Cichlid pair raise their fry successfully the first time. It usually takes 3,4. or even 7,8 times before they figure out what they’re doing - not that different from humans. The good news is (according to the internet) Keyhole fry take baby brine shrimp from day one. So you shouldn't have much trouble raising them. German Blue Rams, on the other hand, don’t take baby brine shrimp for at least three days and getting them to eat infusoria during that time is tricky because culturing the infusoria is a bit of a challenge (for me at least).

Here’s a few suggestions:

I don’t even bother with filters anymore. They trap waste and recirculate it throughout the tank - filthy. I use bare-bottom tanks and siphon out the poop when I change the water.
I do recommend an airstone or some kind of sponge/biological filter and, of course water changes. Floating plants like Water Sprite make excellent biological filters and clay flower pots can hold any other plants you might have.
Throw some insects in the water if you’re not too squeamish. Keyholes love insects and stuff like mosquito larvae. They need the chitin on the insect’s body for their fins and scales.

PS.

Just sold 300 German Blue Rams to my local fish stores for $600! I’ll be lucky to break even this year, but if the hobby helps to pay for itself I’ll be happy.

- Good to hear from you.

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