archmichelle
03-24-2007, 06:53 AM
I am new to this forum and I tried to post this somewhere else, but for some reason, it wouldn't work. So, I am introducing myself and asking some questions at the same time.
With that intro, here is what's going on with my thread. I am a beginner fishkeeper. I got my first aquarium this past November. It is a 10 gal with a peaceful community consisting of 2 rosy white tip tetra, 3 platies (1 male, 2 female), 1 hillstream loach, 1 mystery snail, 1 African dwarf frog, and a pair of sparkling gouramis. About a week ago I noticed my gouramis were all of a sudden chasing everyone around the tank. I couldn't figure out why that was until about midweek I noticed there were fry hiding amongst two of the silk plants in one corner of the aquarium. You can imagine my surprise, I mean I know my platies give birth all the time and I have accepted the fact that the rest of the fish (as well as the palties themselves) probably gobble them up pretty quickly considering there are only so many places to hide in a 10 gal aquarium. My sparklers, on the other hand, are defending their young with a vengeance. By the time I got an addtional 5 gal tank to move my other fish to, the sparklers had tore some scales off one of the platies and ripped the dorsal fin of one of my tetra. I thought once I had everyone separated things would calm down though. Boy was I wrong. Everything is fine in the 5 gal, but the gouramis are spawning again! Yesterday the male was chasing the female and I thought I was going to have to move her too, tonight they're practlically swimming right next to each other all night, as the female dances and then the male wraps around her, squeezes some eggs out, and puts them into his nest. Maybe for someone trying to breed their fish this isn't all so shocking, but for me I really feel like a fish out of water (excuse the pun.)
So here are my questions I'm hoping you guys can help me with. I noticed my sparklers look pretty tattered right now, especially the male. His tail is split into multiple sections as well as some of his other fins. Is this normal, or should I be worrying about stress here? Neither sparkler seems to be eating much right now. Is this normal? When is it time to get the female out of the tank? Now that it is empty of fish other than my bottom dwellers, there are lots of places for her to hide, but maybe she is stressing the male out more while he's trying to be a good dad?
Anyway, I already know if I'm going to want to keep any of these fry once they get big I'm going to have to get a bigger aquarium (still working on my husband on that one.) Any other suggestions for things I can do to help the situation would be so very appreciated.
With that intro, here is what's going on with my thread. I am a beginner fishkeeper. I got my first aquarium this past November. It is a 10 gal with a peaceful community consisting of 2 rosy white tip tetra, 3 platies (1 male, 2 female), 1 hillstream loach, 1 mystery snail, 1 African dwarf frog, and a pair of sparkling gouramis. About a week ago I noticed my gouramis were all of a sudden chasing everyone around the tank. I couldn't figure out why that was until about midweek I noticed there were fry hiding amongst two of the silk plants in one corner of the aquarium. You can imagine my surprise, I mean I know my platies give birth all the time and I have accepted the fact that the rest of the fish (as well as the palties themselves) probably gobble them up pretty quickly considering there are only so many places to hide in a 10 gal aquarium. My sparklers, on the other hand, are defending their young with a vengeance. By the time I got an addtional 5 gal tank to move my other fish to, the sparklers had tore some scales off one of the platies and ripped the dorsal fin of one of my tetra. I thought once I had everyone separated things would calm down though. Boy was I wrong. Everything is fine in the 5 gal, but the gouramis are spawning again! Yesterday the male was chasing the female and I thought I was going to have to move her too, tonight they're practlically swimming right next to each other all night, as the female dances and then the male wraps around her, squeezes some eggs out, and puts them into his nest. Maybe for someone trying to breed their fish this isn't all so shocking, but for me I really feel like a fish out of water (excuse the pun.)
So here are my questions I'm hoping you guys can help me with. I noticed my sparklers look pretty tattered right now, especially the male. His tail is split into multiple sections as well as some of his other fins. Is this normal, or should I be worrying about stress here? Neither sparkler seems to be eating much right now. Is this normal? When is it time to get the female out of the tank? Now that it is empty of fish other than my bottom dwellers, there are lots of places for her to hide, but maybe she is stressing the male out more while he's trying to be a good dad?
Anyway, I already know if I'm going to want to keep any of these fry once they get big I'm going to have to get a bigger aquarium (still working on my husband on that one.) Any other suggestions for things I can do to help the situation would be so very appreciated.