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I just noticed this morning that a male PARVULUS was doing a heads-up snake like dance around two of the possible females.
I was very surprised to see this action since they are quite small. I understand that they are very small species compared to other Paros. I bought them as babies but obviously the dealers do not really understand the difference in species.
I tried to use a flashlight to see any red colors on him but didn’t notice the red dots. His lower half was very dark as where his fins.
Every couple of days is a new surprise with these fish and quite a learning experience.
It is so nice to have the great pictures here on the Forum !Heres a little parvulus ‘snake’ dance …
It is not always easy to see the red spots – and difficult to photograph them, – but they are beautiful in the flash light.
[video]http://http://youtu.be/fEQFNzLQPSM[/video]I got a better look at him. The spots on the anal fin look like long rectangles and on his dorsal is mostly a solid red band.
I remember reading that they can be quite variable or the different patterns are from different specific locations? Unfortunatly the dealer will not divulge the fishes origins. Maybe more like P. parvulus Babugus by the picures under Species Section….but as I said they are very small and not easy to view yet.
Have you noticed that they will do the dance when quite young? I can’t believe they may be spawning age… I estimate they are approx 3/4 inch. (1.9cm) which is about 1/2 full grown size?
tonight he did it again but I do not think it is actual breeding behavior. He does the snake dance after they have eaten and are all nice and plump. He is asserting his dominence via a courtship dance.
As you can see in the video clip of mine, its also around dinner time this male is ‘dansing’ or flashing, but its the same, – no not directly spawning but courtship behaviour it is. Impressing the females, making them interested. And probably also stimulating the female maturation.
And I am sure your male is big enough. They are small, I have a small male like yours two, same size almost, he has eggs now. They might still continue to grow though, but it sounds like he is starting to feel like a grown up fish 🙂
But you may be right, – its the beginning of courtship behaviour, they may not be quite old enough, the females may not be there yet.I put the cave in the Parvulus tank this afternoon. I made the cave from Bamboo sections as someone mentioned here on the forum. He was going in it right away.
4 hours later I got eggs. stuck ok to the top!!! They look larger than I thought they would be, maybe 15 or so.
Now, I don’t know which female he mated with. There are 5 parvulus in that tank, so I doubt there would be any fry survival if all goes well as far as hatching. Was planning on getting the next set of tanks organised. This is now a priority. Best I could do is pull the fry when they are free swimming, and hope for the best?
Any input or suggestions are welcome!
That is really wonderful news, congratulation.
I find the parvenus a really energetic little fish so I am not surprised of the behaviour.Now you are in for a challenge though 🙂 – feeding the fry if they develop. And of course the other fish in the tank. I am not sure what you should do here. Moving the fry when they are free swimming is probably very difficult, they are very sensitive then. Is the tank too big ? Because otherwise you could catch the grown up fish immidiately after the fry has left the cave. They will hide at the bottom and not get hurt.
You may be surprised though that even with six grown up fish some fry might still survive.It sounds like you can look into the cave which is a real advantage, because then you can follow if the develop properly. The eggs will in a few days develop little larvaes hanging from each egg and these will develop over some days, – about a week altogether – at some point they will kind of turn to horizontal position just before becoming free swimming. Depending on the cave, they will either stay in this for some more days – or disappear out. I have one cave which is too ‘open’ and the fry dissappear immediately, but most times they stay.
You should think about food now, thats for sure. Do you have any experience with infusoria ?
I have some tiny infusoria which I keep as a culture, thats quite helpful because then I always have some ready, but there are ways to make infusoria fast. I could find some other peoples suggestions, but maybe there are some people here at the forum ??
I am not sure how to do this .. I have done it with putting a salat leave in boiled water, – it works, but I am not sure if there are better ways.
Artemia will be too big, – micro worms are also too big in the beginning. When you think of how small the fish are, well .. what do you think the fry will be .. 🙂 very small. Maybe vineager eels could be a food that could be taken, I have also used that.
You need to start it right away if you are making infusorie and you need to think how big the tank is – I think you cannot really ‘target’ the fry and feed a little bit each day, – you need to feed in abundance in order for any little tiny fry to find the food.Have you got some dense areas of the tank where theres a lot of javamos or some peat which the fry can hide in ? I think this is important.
But tell us more about the exact tank size and how the eggs are developing …
Really exciting news !
My setup is a 20 gallon (75.7 liters) long tank. I have divided it into 3 sections, each being approx 6.5 gallons (24.6) liters. So currently each species I get is put into 6 gallon tanks. I always have soaked leaves ready so if necessary I will add more of them for hiding places.
The parvulus are in one of those 3 sections, lots of java moss. (I raise the java moss in a 5 gallon bucket near a window)and several types of leaves. I have no free floating peatmoss floating around since I make my own blackwater. A small sponge filter in each tank.
I must look up easy infosuria cultures!! Anyone ever use egg yolk fry foods? The thought of it is scarey..spoilage!
Hi again.
I would not use egg yolk fry food, as you say – it will pollute the water. And they wont take it I am pretty sure about that.
Once the fry is out of the cave, and once they themselves have no more eggyolk – you will loose sight of them totally. Which means you will not be able to target any feeding. They will dissappear into some of the dense areas of the tank, most likely at the bottom in the beginning, – they will also of course be hiding from other fish, so they are really invisible for probably about a month or two months.
And then … where to add food ?? :dry:
So in my opinion one needs to cultivate these infusorias and add to the tank, – and I dont think you need to worry about polluting the tank or other fish, even theres quite a big amount of infusoria.After about a week or so, you can already start adding things like microworms, and if you feed the other fish with artemis nauplia theres also a chance that the fry will feed on the tiniest of these.
So I would feed infusoria for about a week, then move to if possible, vineager ells or microworm for a week or two, then leave it to only be artemia – or of course you can change between these, but infusoria is only important in the very very beginning – they will move to other type food quick.
The tank size is okay, not overly too big. – and why dont you as calm as possible, when over the next days you have the chance, just net out one fish at the time and move the adults.. leave the cave and the male and move the other fish ? I think theres a better chance then.
Just an update :
I realized my video of parvulus was set to private at youtube, so nobody was able to see it.
I have changed that now 🙂Helena, I looked up how to culture infusuria and it seems very simple so thats my next project (today)… and I need to start it now should the eggs hatch. Culture is easier than Moina, only with Moina they should be pink or colored to have any nutrients. So I suppose that with infusuria they just are what they are lol. I will try to get a picture of my tank setup. This is interesting how it came together. If you recall the male was dancing a couple of days ago. I had a clay pot cave and a film canister cave already in the tank. He had no interest in them. As soon as I added the Bamboo cave he was in it!! Hours later they had spawned.
[b]I will check the eggs later, He is very busy guarding the cave and I don’t like hitting him with the flashlight too often.
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Since this is the first spawn, i dont have much hope… I have raised many fish that require a little practice to get it right….. but you never know!The eggs are all there and look good today. The male is sticking close to the cave or in it. I think thats a good sign, they would be gone by now if they got fungus or something, and he would most likely be all over the tank again chasing the others…. and they know he is nesting protectively, since I rarely see the others now.
I guess everyday my hopes will increase.
I must admit that I can’t just look into the cave!! I lift it very gently to shine the light into it. He hugs the side of the cave and watches me.. we seem to have a mutual agreement and is a good keeper of his nest.
These are incredible little fish!
🙂 yes, I agree, they are incredible. The males will most often stick to the cave as glue, and you can even lift it up with the male staying inside it. I will not recomend that though, – the male will stay as long as he can, – but might suddenly get scared and jump, or get stressed. But its amazing how ‘faithful’ he is.
If you dont get the small fry out this time, – I would still keep feeding if I were you, – you can never tell. Sometimes adult fish dont eat the fry, even they gobbel up moina 🙂 … or the fry is just amazingly good at hiding. I would not be surprised if you had two or three little parvulus appearing in two months time 🙂 ..When you place the cave, it is an advantage to test it before if you have a good look into it, – but be careful not to lift only one end of it up, as the bubblenest then could slide out. I often place the whole cave on something so that I have a good look in it.
I like the way you describe how he went for the bamboo, maybe thats worth while trying. Mine take mostly the clay cat-fish caves or the film cannister, – but I had a pair of linkeis using the same kind of flower pot as in your tank. They didnt mind.
I agree about lifting the cave…. just couldn’t help but look!
I am sure now that as long as he sticks to the cave there are eggs… and in a few days he will be tending fry.
What is hatch on these guys? 3 or 4 days??
It’s time to change some water but must wait, don’t want to change anything. Good grief, this like when we had our first child, I’m a wreck !!!
After all the reading I have done I’m surprised I have so many questions… sorry.
:cheer: – its all right, I understand your ‘condition’ 🙂 … and actually I realised, – we might have to work on a more detailed ‘guide’ for coming parents .. I couldnt find anywhere where it says something about how many days for hatching and so … here on the homepage. We should have a more precise guide. But feel free to ask any questions.
They will hatch in a couple of days. 4-6 days after they will be free swimming, – and then possibly stay in the cave some days, maybe a week more ..
But it varies a bit from male to male alsoI wouldnt worry about changing water right now, – in both ways actually. Normally I find that they do fine with lesser waterchanges also in periods, – its not as if you have a very ‘loaded’ tank producing lots of waste. But also, I have changed water not knowing that males were sitting in caves, and I didnt do any damage, – but still better wait a while.
Good news/bad news!
He seems to have abandoned the nest this morning… is out dancing again. This is fine with me. I’m very happy that they spawned and have learned tons from you all.
In my experiences with fish spawnings, the first trys are not always successful. So while I have this break, I will lower the pH some more. I’m not interested in looking in the cave, I think his actions are telling the whole story!
Will keep you posted… he is on the prowl again and there is plump female watching him. I did add another cave (bamboo) to the tank. I did also notice another male in the tank, not dominant not full colors, but flirting while the breeder was in the cave.
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