DAILY OBSERVATIONS

Even with my high nitrite issue my Cichlids are still breeding. That leads me to believe they happy and healthy and like their home. I don't think they would be breeding if they were suffering from the results of high nitrites. High nitrites can cause breathing problems along with a host of other side effects.

My M. Auratus (Golden Cichlids) are breeding well. I have two females holding right now. One bred yesterday and the other bread on Saturday. I will be moving them both into a brooding tank together. I believe they will be fine together because they are very close in spawn dates and are the same species. I have heard if you do this sometimes they will pick each other's fry up. I guess I'll find out.

The last fry they had are now about 5 weeks old and growing well. It was each of their first brood so they only had 17 between them. One female kept swallowing her fry when I fed the community. So I quickly stripped her before she lost them all. I saved 2. The other female - I stripped of 16 but lost one. I have 17 healthy Golden fry left. Now I have 3 tanks of fry. Each brood is at a different size and age. I'd like to put some together but the tanks are small and the fry are many. Another dilemma.

M.Auratus - Female holding 

When I move this community over to their new digs I am going to vent the Cichlids and then begin selling off the females or segregating them as the are breeding too well and too often.

I will be changing this community over to my new 75 gallon tank this week. Hopefully before the weekend. I've ordered pool filter silica sand from the hardware store and was told it could be in on Tuesday but if not Friday for sure. Of course I want it in yesterday! Patience is a virtue to be cultivated I'll tell you.