AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 5/14/2008 Subject: cichild
Question QUESTION: i have got cihilds one of the fishes has laid eggs on the pump shes garding them do i put them in a breeding tank i went to the pet shop today to ask they told me to leave them to there own devies and i got told when they ached the female goes around with the babuys in her mouth and how long is it before they ached he laid them yesterday i made a note of the date when she laid them thank you alison
ANSWER: Hi Alison,
Some cichlids lay their eggs on solid objects (we call them substrate spawners) while other species are mouthbrooders. Your species is a substrate spawner. They will remain eggs for about 3 days and then they will hatch. However, they will only hatch if there was a male present at spawning to fertilize them. Unfertilized eggs cannot hatch. Do you have a male of the same species?
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
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QUESTION: hi just to let u know my childs has got lots of babys do i just leave them now they are 12 days old now
the mother is portecting tem and the dad is to .and my cousin has just started fishes can u tell me does black mollys eat small fishes he has had a couple of fishes gone missing and they ask me does plecs eat fish to thankyou
Answer Hi Alison,
I'm glad to hear that the kids are doing well.
Yes black mollies will eat small fishes.
And yes, plecostomus catfishes will also eat small fishes.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
