Nannacara anomala spawn and fry.

[MAC]

Something I found interesting happened the other day in my Nannacara anomala tank. A pair had attempted to spawn in the 20long set up a few times without producing any fry. The female would brutalize the male to the point where I would remove him afraid she might kill him. This time I left the male in after adding some more hiding places and soon found the female leading around a group of fry around the middle to end of June. 

Things were going well for a few weeks but eventually I decided to move out the male. After about a month and a half I looked in to see the female guarding another group of eggs on a piece of driftwood. Surprisingly, the fry of the previous spawn seemed to sit over and guard the eggs as well. I had never heard of such a thing. They all stuck together around the eggs for a few days until I figured I was pressing my luck with the female and the fry together. Pulled the eggs and removed the 20 or so fry to a proper grow out tank. 

Obviously with no mature male in the tank the eggs turned out to be no good and I have since reintroduced the pair back together to try another spawn. 

Just thought it was interesting seeing mother and fry together over eggs. Nannacara anomala are great little South American dwarf cichlids if you ever get the chance to give em a try. 

[Fish Folk]

So cool! New species to me. They appear to take on quite a variety of color morphs: https://www.fishbase.se/photos/thumbnailssummary.php?ID=11180#

Interesting that "several females for one male" is common. Do you have a photo you could share of your male?

[MAC]

@Fish Folk these fish do seem to have alot of different looks with the female in breeding dress is especially impressive. I think my female is guarding eggs again and has the male restricted to one side of the 29gallon. His colors are a bit muted at the moment and isnt sticking around long for a picture. But normally his blue is almost electric and has some yellow/orange in the dorsal and tail. 

I too had read online they could be kept in groups and initially started with a m/ff trio in a 20 long. Maybe a trio was too few because one female didn't last long at all and the male took a beating as well from the remaining female. They have been totally peaceful towards tetras, danios, and sucker mouth catfish but hard on each other, in my experience.