Freshwater

Saving Everyone from Everyone Else
After spawning is complete, and the fry are produced, there may be a few
problems between Mom and Dad; Mom and the kids; or Dad and the kids.
(Hey, sounds like our family.) It is crucial that you keep an eye on everyone
after breeding — this is when the third world war may break out among
aggressive species. Let us put it this way: If fish had nuclear weapons after
spawning, we would all be vaporized.
Saving Mom and Dad from Mom and Dad
Just because your fish had a great night out on the town doesn’t mean that
they like each other now. In fact, there’s a really good chance that they want
to tear each other fin from fin. No one seems to know why they get like that.
Perhaps they’re just really tired after spawning or are suffering from PASS
(post aquatic spawning syndrome). Whatever the reason, many fish have to
be separated after they spawn.
If you have a pretty decent-sized fish room, move the female to her own holding
tank (as small as 4 gallons, depending on the size of the fish) and then
move the male to his own quarters. It is not a good idea to move spawners
back to a main aquarium with other fish. The male may still be aggressive
because his hormones are as high as a kite on a windy day. He may look for
his next victim in your community or species tank. The female may be torn
up or worn out, and you should allow her to rest in a tank of her own for at
least 48 hours to recover properly.
The slime coat (coating on the body that helps to protect fish from disease)
on a mating pair can be easily damaged during breeding. After you move the
male and female to their own quarters for recuperation, add a little Stress
Coat to the water to guard against bacterial infections.
Saving the kids from Mom and Dad
Chapter 20: Let’s Spawn!
Many fish (such as cichlids) normally make good parents and perform tasks
such as caring for their brood and defending their nesting spot. However,
should this pair suddenly be upset by outsiders, they can turn from Ward
and June into Bonnie and Clyde in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the young fry
or eggs suffer the most from their parents’ newfound wrath.
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