19/03/2026
My wild Nhamunda Heckel male and tank-bred Red Ica female are currently raising their fry.
Today marks day 12 of fry attachment.
Normally, after around day 10, the fry begin to detach from the parents and start searching for food, such as newly hatched brine shrimp. Some breeders prefer to separate them at this stage.
In my case, I prefer to keep the fry with the parents a bit longer. Once I confirm that they are actively feeding on brine shrimp from the feeder without any issues, I proceed with separation.
This usually happens anywhere from around day 20 to day 30.
Of course, if the goal is to get the next spawn quickly, earlier separation would be more efficient. However, I already have enough fry at the moment, so there is no need to rush.
What really interests me is how these fry will develop.
From my experience, each batch shows noticeable differences — sometimes the fry take more after the male, and other times the female’s genetics seem to dominate.
It’s always fascinating to observe how genetics express themselves in each spawn.
