Pb/pb double dose pinoy angel questions

[Kmartel]

I have a pair of double dose Philippine blue angels that I need some help with. They have been incredible parents after their 5th try. Raising about 50-60 fry, some veiled and some Reg and they have laid again for the second time since having a successful batch they they have raised to a tad under dime size. The first time they laid after the successful fry, dad was steering the fry towards the eggs and almost encouraging them to eat the eggs. I was concerned to say the least once I saw they laid again, but there was no downside after all. This time the fry are much larger and I fear that the parents may kill the fry to protect the new eggs. So far they have not, but they are not herding the fry to food or showing any parental signs whatsoever. My question is if we should pull the fry or parents and put them in our 75gal community to ensure the babies get to grow up... thank you in advance, just do not want to lose the fry. 
 

photos/ vids by request. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Kmartel
Photo option

[Daniel]

Yes, please post photos and videos! Every post is better if it includes photos and videos.

and

I sure you already knew how to do it, but it is a common question here on the forum.

[gardenman]

I'm of 'the better safe than sorry" school and would probably recommend removing the dime-sized fry, assuming you could do so without unduly upsetting the parents. You don't want to be chasing them around the tank with a net like a mad person and freak out the parents who then may destroy their newly laid eggs, but if you can gently and quietly remove the fry without causing undue ruckus, it might be safest. That would protect both the older babies and new ones. You'd just want to do it in a manner that would be the least upsetting to the parents. Dime-sized fry might find the wrigglers of newly hatched babies irresistible and gulp them down. 

[Daniel]

31 minutes ago, gardenman said:

Dime-sized fry might find the wrigglers of newly hatched babies irresistible and gulp them down. 

I don't think the parents will kill the fry to protect the eggs, but I have seen exactly what @gardenman is suggesting above in that the older fry will eat eggs and younger fry. Here is some video of sneaky angelfish fry eating eggs.

 

[Fish Folk]

In our most recent batch of angel fry, we pulled the eggs and hatched out separately. Their growth was inconsistent - some growing much faster - "runners" - and we were appalled to come by their grout tank to witness exactly what others here are describing, larger fry massacring smaller fry. And ours were from the same batch! 

[StevesFishTanks]

When the fry are big enough to move to grow out. Pull the parents before they drop eggs and start the process again in another tank. 👍

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by s1_

[gardenman]

25 minutes ago, Fish Folk said:

In our most recent batch of angel fry, we pulled the eggs and hatched out separately. Their growth was inconsistent - some growing much faster - "runners" - and we were appalled to come by their grout tank to witness exactly what others here are describing, larger fry massacring smaller fry. And ours were from the same batch! 

The general rule with all fish is if another fish will fit in its mouth, it'll eat it. That includes faster growing fry eating their slower growing brethren. People talk about a "dog eat dog", uh, no. It's a fish eat fish world is more accurate. Parent fish eat fry, fry eat one another, fry eat eggs, parents eat eggs, if eggs could figure out a way to eat fry or the parents they probably would.

To some extent it's necessary. If you ever do the math on how many guppies could be produced in one year from one original pair, it's a staggering number. Mature guppies can produce as many as 200 fry every 28 days. The fry can start spawning at 3 months. If half the fry are female, you start getting into some pretty astronomical numbers pretty quickly. If they all survived, the world would be knee deep in guppies in a few years time.

If you do the math, assuming 100 new fry per spawn with 50% female and the fry spawning after three months, you end up with around 2 million guppies at the end of the first year from that one pair. And that number increases drastically each month after that. You need one heck of a lot of baby brine shrimp to feed that horde.

[Fish Folk]

Everyone likes seafood!

[Kmartel]

Thank you everyone. We set up another 10gallon and moved the babies over with a seeded sponge filter. Parents seem bummed out to have the babies moved out but it’s likely for everyone’s own good. Lost a couple the night before when I made the post but still have 30 happy healthy little buggers growing out in their new nursery for the time being. Fingers crossed the parents are successful once again! Great group here, very thankful to have the access and participation of everyone here!