Severum breeding questions

[kelseylaine]

So, I have a tank with 2 severums, a golden and a green... assuming they were both males and different species, we never thought of eggs appearing in the tank. I noticed today that the golden is protecting a section of glass by the heater and there appears to be quite a bit of round "specks" on the glass. Some of them are bright white and the rest are a yellowish color and almost blend in. From what little research I've done, these could be eggs and the white ones are unfertilized. My questions are:
a) are they eggs?
b) who laid them and who is fertilizing them?
c) can they really cross-breed?
d) how long until they hatch?

I am going away next week for 3 days, so I need to know what to do real soon!! Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me!

 

[OrangeCones]

They take 3-5 days to hatch if they are fertilized eggs. If your only two fish are the severums, then they did not 'cross-breed' as they are the same species (just different color morphs). If you have other fish in there with them, hybridization may have happened. Without knowing the other fish in there, it would be hard to tell.

 

[jhon woo]

Many popular and well known cichlids are mouthbrooders, but severums are substrate breeders, never incubating eggs in their mouth. They may herd the fry around and blow or pick up some of them in an effort to keep them in a given spot, but that is it. No mouthbrooding.

 

[nanu156]

they will co parent then eat them.... South American Cichlids are egg layers, they breed like rabbits. I wouldn't get too into saving the babies, because honestly once they get the hang of it they will make hundreds at a time for you. Some will make it and some will get eaten.