Spawning Peruvian Altum Angels!

[Martin S]

OK, so not catfish, but was just sitting in front of my tank running the algae magnet across the glass before I realised that the two angel fish were ignoring me and spawnig up the back of an amazon sword leaf! I didn't know I had a pair, but sat and watched (and videoed some of the process) whilst the female laid some eggs and the male followed and fertilised, seemingly in small batches.
I'm not sure what to do with them - I don't have anywhere I can move them! I'd think the eggs would stand a better chance where they are than being moved to the smaller tank.
I'm just amazed that they spawned after swapping filters two days ago, and performing a largish cool water change at the same time, but that was 48 hours ago, so may have no relevance.
They are by no means fully grown, but still very nice fish and they seem to do really well in with the auchenipterids and doras.
Martin

[Martin S]

Sadly no eggs remained this morning - I assume with the nocturnal catfish out, the parents probably ate them as they couldn't protect them.
I know the eggs would be looked after by the parents and they would keep only the viable eggs but if it happens again, would moving the eggs to a floating chamber be an option?
Martin

[MatsP]

Yeah, I think you can move the eggs and just gently aerate them with a small airstone.

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Mats

[Bas Pels]

would moving the eggs to a floating chamber be an option?
Martin

I wouldn't do that

The common agnelfish does not care for its fry, because of far too many generations of 'artificial breeding'' by breeders too greedy to give the parents the time to care for the fry

Personally, I think these fishes need an imprenting period in order to enable them to provide for their own fry, but angels are also said to need to practise a lot before they manage to raise fry

I myself keep cichlidfry with the parents for at least a week, the longer the better, but after a while the fry gets awfully fast - and netting them out gets nearly impossible.

[Martin S]

As I understand it, my angels are F1 from wild parents - does that change things?
Not that I have space for a tank just for the angels anyway!
Thanks
Martin

[MatsP]

It is obviously a case of "which is more important, keeping natural behaviour or making fry survive" - and yes, I think Bas is right in the sense that encouraging the fish to care for the fry is a good idea. And yes, they will take a few attempts before they get the hang of it.

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Mats

[Bas Pels]

As I understand it, my angels are F1 from wild parents - does that change things?
Not that I have space for a tank just for the angels anyway!
Thanks
Martin

I think you have a good change of them learing to care for the fry properly

[naturalart]

What about the possibility of taking the cats out instead?

[Martin S]

I think you have a good change of them learing to care for the fry properly

Thanks Bas - from your initial statement, that is what I guessed, but wanted to be sure.

What about the possibility of taking the cats out instead?

The tank was purchased especially for the cats as they were getting larger, and i wanted to give them more space. I purchased the angels when they were smaller because I wanted something large enough not to be bothered/eaten by them, and I always intended to upgrade the tank anyway, so knew that they would also need more space. I also have always liked wild angels (as opposed to the marble/koi/multicoloured ones you see in the most LFS these days).
I could move them back to the 30" aquarium, but don't want to mix them with the small inhabitants of this tank. Will keep an eye on them and if it becomes a regular occurance, then I will look at finding them somewhere to bring up the eggs and fry, which will involve another tank, but that, at the moment, is not really an option.
Martin

[Jon]

I wouldn't say that, per se. A large number of angels that I've kept cared for their brood without question.