Microgeophagus Ramirez.Wild Ram cichlid spawning

The rams were purchased in the summer 2007 from a friend who is an importer and gets in some really nice fish, I bought a pair home and they settled imediately into my discus tank, very soft water with a PH of 6.2 and a temperature of 80-82F. They showed a few signs of spawning after only 1 week so i removed them to their own tank for some peace and quiet. The only tank avalible was small, 16x8x8 and is not recomended for inexperienced fishkeepers, i have plenty of experience with cichlids and have bred a few in these small tanks which were originaly bought to breed tetras and danios.
The tank was decorated with a very thin dark gravel substrate, a few small smooth pieces of bogwood were added and a large clump of java moss completed the spawning tank.
They took a couple of days to settle and soon they were showing their best colours and flirting, the females ovipositor was extended and it was obvious that breeding would comence any time now. Next day and the pair were cleaning a smooth piece of wood located amongst a bed of Java moss which provided cover. The female made a few dry runs along the wood with no eggs produced while the male waits patiently for his turn, after a few trial runs the female started laying eggs in short lines aprox 5-15 per run, she then moves to one side and the male glides over and fertilizes the eggs. This continued for around an hour until the female cannot produce anymore eggs.
I had to go out after witnessing this spawning and left the fishroom with a smug grin , that was soon wiped off my face an hour later when i returned and discovered the male dead on the floor where he had jumped to his death :cry: .
The female was left to tend her eggs and did a great job, from as far as i could witness their hatch rate was very close to 100%. She did the usual pit digging and moved the newly hatched fry about 3-4 times. Freeswimming time was an outstanding show in the small tank, around 150 fry made it to this stage and swarmed close to their mother. Newly hatched San francisco Baby brine shrimp was taken imediately and was suplimented with Very very fine ZM 0-0 fry food. Food size was increased according to growth and after a month the fish were taking frozen foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and Mysis,
They fry are now the large young adults pictured and are truly stunning, i have advertised them for sale as the best quality in the UK and i very much doupt anyone can prove me wrong. The best 20 were selected for future breeding and have now found new homes, two pairs are seperated now awaiting postage and are showing extended ovipositor’s if they breed in the next two days it will make them 78-80 days old at the time of spawning!!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=A7JDEhMldn4

Thanks mate.. Yes you are right about the coconut shell, i use a fragment of this or a smooth stone or wood for these fish. Microgeophagus Ramirez like many other cichlids are substrate spawners, they clean a flat surface out in the open and lay their eggs in plain view, and then protect them from intruders. They do not use mops or plants to lay their eggs into and i cannot think of any cichlid that spawns this way.
Some cichlids are secretive cave spawners others substrate spawners and some practice mouthbrooding.
I have never bred any mouthbrooders so i might draw up a list of suitable species and try and get some next year to work with.

They are a gorgous fish to breed and very interesting, if you were not so far away id post some to you..