Cory Breeding/fry Tank

[ApistoNut]

iwant to set up a cory tank, i have a small tank for a pair of breeding corys. what shall i add to the tank? obviously a heater and thermo but what filteration should i use? i have a fluval plus 2 and a air stone can this be used with the tank? the fluval is currently in my main tank building its bacteria.

im not going to add any objects substrate ordecor as the corys lay there eggs just about anywhere

 

[Tizer]

maybe half a coconut covered in moss with a very thin layer of sand on the bottom, or even a cup full. most cory will lay eggs on the glass so a substrate will keep them happy as they love to dig around. The best way to filter a tank would be with a JAD sponge filter as the fry will feed off it when its matured and they wont get sucked up into it and blasted out the other end like they might in the bulky kind of filters. Remember adult corys will eat their eggs if you are not quick enough to remove them.

 

[ApistoNut]

i know that i have to remove the eggs fast because of the parents but i have a fluval 2 plus i was gonna block up the outlet with some sponge to slow the flow and net the bottom to stop them getting sucked up. ive been told a sponge filter is better tho i might just go for that then its only 2 plugs il be using the light from my main tank so all i need to plug is aireator and heater

 

[Tizer]

Remember the sponge filters need to be matured also, shove a new one in a fry tank and it wont "just work".

 

[ApistoNut]

i have just orderd one and it will be going into my main tank until its needed

 

[Harlequins]

Theres several ways to kick start a sponge filter is to either rinse a mature sponge into the tank,the bits will stick to the sponge,although this can make the tank murky for a while,(or in a separate tub,if you dont want a murky tank)or i've tied some mature sponge onto the sponge filter in the past.

The important thing is to keep a check on the stats in the fry tank,ammonia/nitrite can easily rise when feeding them.And a small w/c everyday is good

 

[Tizer]

I think im going to have to tie one of my external filter sponges around my small JAD Sponge, i actually thought of that last night, glad to see someone else has suggested it as an idea! I dont think 400 odd eggs are going to last long in my little holding net Even the 12x8x8 tank i've got to put them in wont last long! Looks like i might have to spend some money if they make it past the first few months

 

[Inchworm]

Hi lindsay and craig

Let me point out that you haven't given us enough information in this thread so that the members can respond with good and appropriate answers for you. For example, just how big is your "small" tank? What species of cory do you intend to breed and why do you only have two of them? This is not the way to be setting up for a successful effort.

What is the ambient temperature where you live? With many species of cory, unless it's winter there, or if you are constantly running the air conditioners, you won't need a heater in the tank. You will need a cycled filter in the tank while the parent group of corys are being conditioned and while they are spawning, but once you have removed them, you will not need filtration for the tiny fry for some time. It's essential to do daily water changes to remove uneaten food and freshen the water, so this will take care of any ammonia they produce. Once you are ready to add one, it can either be pre-cycled or not.

It's important to spread a little sand on the bottom of the tank. When corys spawn they might leave eggs on a clean bottom, but since they spend a lot of time sitting there, these eggs are likely to become damaged.

Another matter is that, by and large, corys are not big egg eaters. True, some breeds tend to do it, but most do not.

 

[Tizer]

I've pondered the idea of not heating a tank and not using a filter, but the last time i tried without a filter the ammonia and nitrites went through the roof very quickly.

I might experiment a little with some of the eggs i have myself I have some plastic pots that would do the job nicely too. I'll transfer some over the day before they hatch!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Tizer

Take a look at this batch of newly hatched fry and imagine the small amount of ammonia they will be able to produce. They are in the corner of a 10 gallon tank for referrence. This was taken before I learned how beneficial it is to have a layer of sand on the bottom of the tank.



The main reason to do daily good water changes is so that you can feed them generously without making the water polluted. Another important reason is to remove a hormone they produce which will result in slowing their growth. This is critical.

If you have the spawning group in a small tank, they do need a filter to process the ammonia they produce. It's not really an option.

 

[ApistoNut]

ok i have a 4-5 gallon tank and i only ave 2 because thats all i have and thy have layed eggs allready. i will keep a cycled filter in the tank until the eggs are layed and then i will remove parents and add some meth blue. i live in england today its hot and tomorow could be cold so i will keep a heater to stabilize the temp. the corys are 2 albinos thats all i know

 

[Inchworm]

Hi lindsay and craig

That sounds like a good plan. The eggs always seem to do better when you don't have to touch them between the time they are deposited and the time they hatch. For albinos, keeping the temperature at a lower level will help them spawn. Or, have it a little warmer and turn the heater off when you do your cool water change. Give them a few days to see if it is going to work before turning it up again.

It's important that the eggs have a fair amount of water circulating over them to reduce the chance that they will develop fungus. If you use methy blue, use it sparingly. It helps the eggs but if there is too much in the water, it will not do the newly hatched fry much good. It can be done, of course, but it's hard to get it out of the water by doing water changes.

 

[ApistoNut]

ok thanks for the help inchworm