seeking advice on brichardi cichlid care

[zenox7]

Hi everyone,

I've got a 500 litre community tank with a mix of fish - 2 Brichardis, 2 Kribs, 2 Angel Fish, various tetras, neptunes, and Mollies.

I rearranged the tank about a week ago, moving bogwood and plants around, and then last night I made a pretty surprising discovery - the Brichardis have spawned. I had no idea they were a breeding pair, which has got me thinking about setting them up in their own tank. Just need to wait for the right moment to set it up without the wife noticing.

A few questions for you all:

1. Will the Brichardis pose a threat to my other community fish? Generally speaking, they seem harmless.
2. What are the chances of the fry surviving? The parents are really protective of their area of the tank.
3. Should I try to remove the fry and put them in their own tank?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Oh, and one more thing - what size tank would be suitable for a pair of Brichardis?

[flinta]

To be honest, I've always thought Brichardis shouldn't be kept with normal community fish, even though some shops seem to sell them together. If it's working for you, that's fair enough, but I've heard it can be a bit of a risk.

Your chances of having some fry survive are pretty good, especially since the parents are being protective. As long as they've got some places to hide, I'm sure a few will make it.

It might be a good idea to separate them eventually, though. In Tanganikan communities, Brichardis can get pretty aggressive as the harem grows. The parents will protect the young, and when the young grow up, they'll protect the new ones. So, I'd just keep an eye on things and see what happens. Your tank is big, so you might be alright for a while, but it's something to bear in mind.

[zenox7]

Thanks for the insight, I did get told by a few local stores that with the tank size it should be alright, but I'll hang on a bit until the little ones are a bit bigger, don't want to risk missing any as they're tiny at the moment.

[riverfox]

I've had them in a smaller tank before, a 2ft one, and they were fine, but I think that's because it was just them. If I'm honest, I do think they'd try to kill or harm your other community fish, they're very protective of their space. Angels might be alright, but they'd probably try to eat the fry, and even with the angels, there could be problems down the line.