Breeding Cories, I Give Up!

[Fishkeeper2004]

Hi Fishkeeper2006

It could be that the pandas are placeing their eggs in the cave or in small clusters on the undersides of the plants. The bronze are much more likely to put them, in several patches, right on the glass. You won't be able to miss them.

It's likely to look like this batch I got from a pair of wild caught corys. They are in a bare bottom tank because they were in quarantine while being treated for a bacterial infection they arrived with. When I simply changed the medicated water for fresh water they spawned.

I would suggest you start with breeding the bronze corys because they are easiest of any of the three species you have. Once you have had success getting them to spawn and raising their fry, you can then apply your experience to working with the ones that are more difficult.

Yes, you can quickly cycle a tank by taking enough filter media from an established filter. The number of fish it will be able to support immediately will be in proportion to the amount of media used. I do this all the time. Usually I use 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank of water from the established tank, not for the bacteria in it, but because it helps keep the number of bubbles that form on the glass down

Ok thanks alot. I now have 5 Bronze in the breeding tank. 2 females, 3 males.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Fishkeeper2006

I wish you great success with them! Even if they don't spawn immediately, I think you will notice a change in their behavior now that they are by themselves. Don't be surprised if they become much more active and playful.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Hi Fishkeeper2006

I wish you great success with them! Even if they don't spawn immediately, I think you will notice a change in their behavior now that they are by themselves. Don't be surprised if they become much more active and playful.

Ok thanks alot. I have been told by some people to remove them and place them back in the community tank after a few days, do you recommend this? Although the tank is large enough as a temporary home, I do not wish to keep 5 adult Corys in a 25L tank permanently,

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Fishkeeper2006

Since 25L is only about 6 1/2 US gallons, it is a little small for those corys, but don't be in too big a hurry to give up. You will probably have to watch the nitrates and do enough water changes to keep them down, but this is not a bad thing.

If they've been spending a lot of time in their cave, it's possible they might be stressed by the other fish and might not have gotten enough food. Give them the opportunity to get settled and develop some eggs. Adding a good proportion of meaty foods to their basic diet will help with this.

Then, just sit back and enjoy them, and let nature take it's course.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

To give me a general idea, how long should I keep this group of Corys in the spawning tank for? They have been in a good few hours and aren't active at all, only moving for food and when I enter the room. So a few days.. a week?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Fishkeeper2006

You have only just moved your corys. It's going to take a little while, maybe a few days, for them to get used to their new environment.

Then, think of what you are doing as putting them on a physical fitness program. You are going to make them as healthy and fit as possible. This is just going to take some time, just like it would if you went on this kind of program yourself.

There is no way to predict when you might expect a spawn, but I would suggest you keep them in the breeding tank for at least a month. If there are no results by this time you don't have to give up, but rather consider what you might to to change things and improve their chances.

Please don't be anxious or take any drastic measures with them.

 

[Sp00ky]

To give me a general idea, how long should I keep this group of Corys in the spawning tank for? They have been in a good few hours and aren't active at all, only moving for food and when I enter the room. So a few days.. a week?

give them a couple of weeks conditioning them then start your water changes. at the end of the day, they could be prolific spawners but your not seeing any eggs cause they are all being eaten..... it WILL happen, unless your amazingly unlucky and they are all 1 sex!!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I have found that water temp is less important in inducing spawning than weather. A good storm is what you are looking for. I would suggest the following:
Stop changing water.
Feed tons of frozen blood worms- to the point that there are always worms on the bottom.
Watch the weather forecasts. When a storm is approaching prepare to do a large water change. Do the change as the storm approaches.

It is the barometric pressure change combined with the new clean water that triggers them. If you want to go with cooler water this can only help but I have found it to be less important than going from dirty to clean water, proper conditioning and the storm.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

I have found that water temp is less important in inducing spawning than weather. A good storm is what you are looking for. I would suggest the following:
Stop changing water.
Feed tons of frozen blood worms- to the point that there are always worms on the bottom.
Watch the weather forecasts. When a storm is approaching prepare to do a large water change. Do the change as the storm approaches.

It is the barometric pressure change combined with the new clean water that triggers them. If you want to go with cooler water this can only help but I have found it to be less important than going from dirty to clean water, proper conditioning and the storm.

Been feeding frozen bloodworm for a week. And to top it all off, we had a short storm here earlier today, but this was going on while I transferred the Corys, and was very brief.

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Just been in to check on them, and they are all in one corner literally lying on top of each other, but not active. Do you think I should adding something to give them a little cover, as they just have a floating plant at the moment,.

 

[Captain Retardo]

I don't know if somebody suggested this yet, but only fill the tank to about 50% at most 75% then when you do a cool water change fill it to the top with cool water (be careful not to get the cool water on the glass, it could shatter). This imitates the flooding and cooling of their river in the wild

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Dumb question coming up.

In the breeding tank I have the 2 females and 3 males. Now I know, that females are always going to be broader than the males. However, since they went in, I'm sure they have both become larger than they were. I am expecting this to be a good sign, but just wanted confirmation that this is likely to be happening and it's not just my eyes.

I am going out to look for a decent digital camera soon.. So I may be able to get some decent photos uploaded later.

 

[Sp00ky]

Dumb question coming up.

In the breeding tank I have the 2 females and 3 males. Now I know, that females are always going to be broader than the males. However, since they went in, I'm sure they have both become larger than they were. I am expecting this to be a good sign, but just wanted confirmation that this is likely to be happening and it's not just my eyes.

I am going out to look for a decent digital camera soon.. So I may be able to get some decent photos uploaded later.

they will be filling up with eggs mate if all is going to plan. best bit of advice i was given by someone that had bred 26 generations of corys was to wait and wait and wait until the females are that fat, they cant touch the ground with their fins, then do a huge cold water change..... and WHAM! EGGS EVERYWHERE

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Update:

Doing cold water changes of 15% every two days now. Been feeding on flake, tablet, and frozen bloodworm. These are my Bronze, and nothing seems to have happened.

However, in the main community tank, I witnessed some interested behaviour last night. After having their normal feed, my trileneatus (sp) were extremely active. Then, I noticed 2 males harrassing a female, digging into her and chasing from one end of the tank to another.

This then stopped after a few minutes, and they went back to normal feeding. However, it restarted every 5 minutes or so. I checked the tank throughly for eggs, but there was no sign at all.

Any ideas what was going on? Just general chasing and/or harrassing, or was this something more? (A sign of things to come possibly?)

 

[Fishkeeper2004]

Most of the eggs have now fungused.. I would say I have about 50 that could hatch, but I'm not very confident. It will be 4 days since they spawned tommorow at 12pm, so I suppose I will know within 24 hours.