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URGENT!!! Who laid these eggs and how can I save them??? Do I have a chance?

• Ok. I have only had my new aquarium for about 1 month. I have long experience with goldfish, and community tropical, but nothing of this nature. Eggs. They have been laid today sometime, on a sloping piece of driftwood. The only fish that it could be could be the brasiliensis! I have 1 black labeo (7 inches, who I am sure will eat their eggs), 1 aussie bass (4 inches), who minds her own business and is a lovely community fish but loves live food, three clown loaches (1 inch each), 2 bala/silver sharks (2 inches each) and 2 pleco catfish (1.5 inches each) and also 2 chinese algae eaters (babies). All the fish get along fine, though the labeo will hunt other fish away from his cave and food harmlessly. The brasiliensis are literally no more than 2 inches if that, including caudal. It has the be the brasiliensis. But they are so small!! I had noticed that one had a strange protrusion near the vent, and still has it. They are both defending the eggs now. It breaks my heart to see them hunt the other fish away, they are so brave. One of them just bit the labeo on the nose! And he is huge compared to them and has a very dominant personality. The problem is, there is simply no way they will be able to hold him off if he gets determined. I don't think he knows the eggs are there yet. SO, how can I save my eggs? I know it is difficult for first-spawners anyway, but I love my fish and want to do the best for them. I cannot remove the driftwood; it is huge and I do not have another tank that would fit it. I have never attempted to raise eggs or fry before. Guppies don't count, right? My tank is 4foot by 18 by 18 inches. (I understand it will be very overstocked when some of my fish grow, especially the labeo, but am saving for a huge tank.) It is very well filtered and aerated and is planted and wooded heavily. Sand substrate. For now, I will watch and wait. They are brilliant parents. Luckily, they have laid far from the labeo's normal patrol zone. the bass normally inhabits that area, but she is gentle and leaves when they attack her. I have put some flake at the opposite end of the tank, which has distracted the labeo. I will dump a lump of steamed zuchinni in there also, to keep him occupied. What else can I do? They are just so outweighed by the labeo. he is a large, powerful fish. They are just so small! this was totally unexpected! They barely have any colours yet. I only got two as I was told it is impossible to tell male and female at their age and size, and wanted to have one male in my tank. Having two doubled my chances. Pic of my tank, hope the link works: Calming down, I realise it will be very hard. Maybe if the brasiliensis were large they could fend off all the fish at once, but even if fry hatch my bass just loves live food so much they would not stand a chance. Could I remove the fry and take them to work? (there are nice spare tanks there suitable for geophagus) Do brasiliensis need close parental care? Thanks guys. Any advice would be appreciated.

• Answer:

  Hi i can feel how paniced you are about this situation, because they are on such a large piece of driftwood it would be difficult to remove them with the parents, so i think it would be best to leave them where they are at the moment, also if you upset the parents too much they may well eat the eggs themselves! But before the fry have hatched you could get a breeding box (Hatchery) and when they hatch put the babies in there to stop the other fish from eating them when they are swimming around! I would recommend getting one that is made of mesh rather than one made of platsic with slit holes in the bottom, because altho these are good at letting uneaten food go through the bottom, sometimes adult fish can suck the babies out too! especially when they are tiny! Also the mesh ones are bigger so you may well be able to get the parents in their too, otherwise you can buy food especially for fry, i have never bred brasiliensis before so i don't know how they would do without their parents there? I hope this helps alittle? Good Luck :)