When to pull apisto fry?

[dorsalfin]

Hope everyone is doing well.

My Apistogramma Baenschi have fry that are now free swimmers and feasting on baby brine shrimp and micro-organisms. They are currently housed with the parents in a 3ft but I have a 2ft ready to grow them out. My question is when should I?

They are just under 1cm in size and are starting to swim up from the bottom of the tank and exploring away from the female parent.

Edited February 23, 2021 by dorsalfin

[Fish Folk]

It's a delicate decision. How old are they exactly? Once fry reach four weeks, they're usually able to make it on their own. But sometimes Apisto parents go into spawning mode a month after the previous spawn, and suddenly eat all their fry. Doesn't always happen, but occasionally. Are there dither fish in the aquarium? Sometimes a dither will keep parents vigilant. Pencilfish are some of the best. Not suggesting you add anything to the tank now ... just curious if its Apistos only or if there's other fish. 

[dorsalfin]

They are just shy of 4 weeks old. I had beckford pencilfish in with my A. Borellii but all the fry barring one got eaten which I assumed the pencilfish were the culprits because the parents had a hard time keeping them away.

 

[Brian]

The question I ask myself is what is the benefit to leaving them with the parents?  If you have a grow out tank ready to go and they are eating brine shrimp, why not maximize number of fry?  If the goal is to reproduce either for profit or to give away...   I would move them.  
 

thanks for sharing