Breeding Farlowella catfish tips

[Byron]

When I first looked at them they all seemed viable and then three days later (I work the entire time the lights are on Saturday and Sunday) on Monday 7 of them were milky white or gone. The shells were gone on a few of them like in this pic.

The male will eat those in his cleaning and caring for the viable eggs. I have seen him mouthing the eggs periodically, and i think a few empty cases were there. They spawn so often now I scarcely bother, as I have saved some from other spawns and now I don't know what to do with them. I gave some to a local fish store. Not everyone wants these, they do slightly damage fine-leaf plants (my pygmy chain swords). I have the grown fry in tanks with Java Fern, they can't damage that plant. I've found it very easy to train the fry to graze Omega One Veggie Rounds.

 

[stanleo]

I don’t know why people don’t like them. They’re cool oddballs and they seem pretty easy to care for. I was hoping the fish store would take them if I’m successful raising them or I could just set up another tank. (Don’t tell me husband I said that lol)

 

[stanleo]

I did my normal 50% water change today so the eggs spent less than 15 minutes out of water and I splashed water on them every minute or so. I can still see the fry moving in the eggs so I think they are ok. They are getting pretty dark and I can see striations in the fry. I hope they hatch Monday or Tuesday as those are my days off.

 

[Byron]

I did my normal 50% water change today so the eggs spent less than 15 minutes out of water and I splashed water on them every minute or so. I can still see the fry moving in the eggs so I think they are ok. They are getting pretty dark and I can see striations in the fry. I hope they hatch Monday or Tuesday as those are my days off.

My water changes in the 90g where the parent pair live and spawn last 20-25 minutes and even with only one or two splashes they have always hatched. Hatching in my experience is always early morning. I first enter the fish room after the tank lights have been on for say 20-30 minutes (it is best not to annoy any fish right after tank lighting comes on or is about to go off, it can stress them terribly) and I see the hatched fry clinging to the glass and plant leaves, other eggs not yet hatched maybe. The male will remain on guard so long as eggs are present, unless you scare him off.

 

[stanleo]

I do the water change early in the morning about 4 hours before the light goes on. I always thought that was the least stressful time to do it, while the light is out.

I put some dried up oak leaves that fell in the yard in the fry tank. And I am soaking lettuce in a jar on the window sill to grow infusoria. I have had some rocks in there and a small potted plant with substrate from the main tank with a algae covered rock from my pond in the fry tank for about a week with the light on for about 12 hours a day. There is no algae growth on the new rocks or glass. I would have thought there should be by now. The light is old and hasn’t been used in over three years. T8 but that’s all I remember about it. Do you think the light is no good? I’m not sure I could find a new t8 bulb anymore. Anything else I should do for the fry tank? It has no substrate on the bottom and a sponge filter.

 

[Byron]

I do the water change early in the morning about 4 hours before the light goes on. I always thought that was the least stressful time to do it, while the light is out.

This is not good. Always have the tank light on, and after at least 30 minutes but preferably 1 hour, before entering the tank. The reason is that most fish (except for nocturnal species) will be the most alert and best able to deal with stress when the light is on since that is day and when they are most active and alert.

I put some dried up oak leaves that fell in the yard in the fry tank. And I am soaking lettuce in a jar on the window sill to grow infusoria. I have had some rocks in there and a small potted plant with substrate from the main tank with a algae covered rock from my pond in the fry tank for about a week with the light on for about 12 hours a day. There is no algae growth on the new rocks or glass. I would have thought there should be by now. The light is old and hasn’t been used in over three years. T8 but that’s all I remember about it. Do you think the light is no good? I’m not sure I could find a new t8 bulb anymore. Anything else I should do for the fry tank? It has no substrate on the bottom and a sponge filter.

I rely on the dried leaves, and as I have raised I guess about half to 3/4 of the hatched spawn, this is all I was interested in. As I said, the more of these I have, the less I seem able to get rid of them. And I am primarily interested and satisfied when my fish spawn and maybe a few fry appear and manage to survive--it means the fish are likely "OK" with their surroundings. Too many fry can bee a problem too. I moved my 7 diamond tetras into the 90g from the 70g because they were clearly too active for the other fish in the 70g, and now I have over 40 of them, and regularly see one, two, three or even four very tiny fry. Obviously the plants and moss in this tank allow fry to survive and find food, as there are no leaves in this tank. I have a similar thing in another tank which had 8 Lemon Tetra and five of the Farlowella fry from a spawn maybe two or three years ago--now there are more than 35 Lemons, and every week at the water change I see one or two very tiny fry, so again they are finding food but only sufficient for a few. I am thinking of giving this species to a local fish store free, just to get rid of them.

On the light, algae will appear no matter the light, if there are nutrients (organics). Most suggest a rock in "dirty" water (from a fiish tank) out in direct sun. Then move the rock into the tank when algae is significant.

 

[stanleo]

Makes sense about the water change time and is doable to change the time I do them.

I’m not looking to start a business. Breeding is just an aspect of this hobby I haven’t tried yet and it would be fun to try. I was planning on giving them away if they would take them.

I’m going to use rocks out of my pond to feed them. Loads of algae in there.

 

[Byron]

I was going to add a few photos of various stages of fry, but forgot, so here they are. First is a couple fry on day 6 after hatching (these were back in 2013). Second is fry in Aug 2013 showing how much they love dried leaves. Third is a fry after hatching during the 5-6 days they hang on a surface using the yolk sac before becoming free swimming (if disturbed they will usually paddle to another surface but they tend to remain). Fourth is a couple fry on a leaf (2012 spawning). Fifth is Farlowella fry on leaf to the right, and pygmy cory fry on the leaf centre. Last is three sizes of fry on a leaf; this tank houses my group of pygmy cories, and I use it to grow out Farlowella fry (and cory fry recovered from the canister filter on their tank).

 

[stanleo]

I like the pics. The farlowella fry look bigger than I thought they would be. They make me yearn for setting up the fry tank to house pygmy corys. I had a small school once years ago and they are a lot of fun but never got them to spawn though. Will they eat angel fish fry if I use this tank for growing those out?

 

[Byron]

I like the pics. The farlowella fry look bigger than I thought they would be. They make me yearn for setting up the fry tank to house pygmy corys. I had a small school once years ago and they are a lot of fun but never got them to spawn though. Will they eat angel fish fry if I use this tank for growing those out?

The photos are close-ups so the fish are not as large as they may seem to be. The fry in "Farlowella fry (3)" is maybe 3/8 inch, or 1 cm.

Angelfish will eat the fry of cories, and Farlowella too. When I do not attempt to move and raise my Farlowella fry, I leave them after they hatch, and within a few days all are gone. Not from angelfish, but tetras. Pygmy cories do not bother their or other fry, and Farlowella are not carnivores.

 

[stanleo]

It’s been 12 days and when I came down this morning all the eggs are gone. I can’t see the fry but the male is still in the corner where the eggs were like he is guarding them. The eggs were right next to the corner of the tank. Is it possible they are hanging on to the corner where I can’t see them? I have a fry net but I worry that if I try to run the net up the corner without being able to see them that no matter how careful I am I will hurt them. Should I try or just say oh well better luck next time?

 

[Byron]

It’s been 12 days and when I came down this morning all the eggs are gone. I can’t see the fry but the male is still in the corner where the eggs were like he is guarding them. The eggs were right next to the corner of the tank. Is it possible they are hanging on to the corner where I can’t see them? I have a fry net but I worry that if I try to run the net up the corner without being able to see them that no matter how careful I am I will hurt them. Should I try or just say oh well better luck next time?

The fry will hang right in the corners down the length of the glass seam and right along the frame at the top (depending upon the water level) and can be difficult to spot as they don't move though I have seen their tails fluttering if the current is sufficient. I've had some on plant leaves, upper side and lower side.

If there are other fish in the tank, and they catch on to fry being present, the fry can get snapped up pretty quick.

 

[stanleo]

Yeah I think they’re gone. The male isn’t hanging out there anymore and I can’t see any sign of them. I think I’m giving up on the idea of breeding fish, it’s more frustrating than it is fun. Thank you so much for your advise though. It’s greatly appreciated. I’m going to use the tank I had set up for fry as a nano tank. I just posted a thread about it if you have any advise about that I would love it.