Cory Eggs and Fry :)

[lizard]

YAY! I have one little baby Cory (so far, and I can see little fry in other eggs) Now what? Do I keep the airstone in there? Do I take it out? Should I keep 'em in the one-gallon for awhile or move 'em to the 10-gallon tonight? I don't have to feed him for about 48 hours, right? 'Cause they have the yolk sac?

I'm so excited!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Keep the airstones in. If you can add the sponge filter now, then do so and move it when you move the fish.

Yes, they will absorb their egg sacs for some time now.

Have you prepared infusoria, microworms, etc.?

 

[lizard]

Keep the airstones in. If you can add the sponge filter now, then do so and move it when you move the fish.

Yes, they will absorb their egg sacs for some time now.

Have you prepared infusoria, microworms, etc.?

I have a box filter... No sponge filter though Will the box filter work okay?

Nope, I have no infusoria or anything of the sort. Is infusoria something you can make/grow with a lettuce leaf, or am I thinking of something else? Would putting a few plants from the big aquarium in there be good?

Thanks so much!

Edit: I just looked at 'em again - now there are TEN!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Tempestuousfury]

If you have fine-leaved plants, then they should have a few micro-organisms. Java moss is good for this.

You should seriously try to get some sort of food for your fry. They have to be weaned off smaller foods before they can move on to tablets.

Yes, infusoria is cultured with lettuce leaves.

You need some sort of filtration and a means to siphon off water (air line tubing). A sponge filter is the best choice because it doesn't create a large current in the tank or suck in fish. the filter you ahve will not work.

A good source of info, IMO, would be Inchworm. If you click on the link at the top that says "Tropical Fish Forums" and scroll down, chances are you'll see Inch among the list of members who are online.

 

[lizard]

If you have fine-leaved plants, then they should have a few micro-organisms. Java moss is good for this.

You should seriously try to get some sort of food for your fry. They have to be weaned off smaller foods before they can move on to tablets.

Yes, infusoria is cultured with lettuce leaves.

You need some sort of filtration and a means to siphon off water (air line tubing). A sponge filter is the best choice because it doesn't create a large current in the tank or suck in fish. the filter you ahve will not work.

A good source of info, IMO, would be Inchworm. If you click on the link at the top that says "Tropical Fish Forums" and scroll down, chances are you'll see Inch among the list of members who are online.

I added some Java Moss into the little one-gallon tank the babies are in. I've also started an infusoria "culture".

I shall check into getting a sponge filter tomorrow No fishy store around here is open now (midnight)!

I did PM Inchworm and ask her for advice. Thanks for the suggestion

DO these guys need a heater, or are they okay at room temp? This room stays between 70 and 80* (F). When do I need to give them lighting, for a certain number of hours a day? How often do they need a water change? How big of a water change? When should I start feeding 'em crushed shrimp pellets and the like? So many questions If I'd been expecting to have my Corys spawning, I'd have figured all this out before. But I just woke up one morning and found eggs on the glass. Figured I may as well try to raise 'em

BTW, how long do the adults keep "spitting out" eggs for? The female layed a few more today, and it's been four or so days since the first batch was layed.

Thanks again!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Not sure, but Inch is apparently reading this thread as I type. Good info coming.

The temp needs to stay consistent. One temperature all day.

Their a ways away from being ready for the pellets.

Water change daily or every other day, IMO. 5-10% should do it.

Lower water levels in the 10 gallon when you add the fry.

Lighting, I'd keep it low and only for a few hours at the beginning. Try not to keep bright lights on for long when you ahve eggs in the tank. Not sure why, but I believe light promotes egg fungus.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi lizard

I'm so happy to hear your cory eggs are hatching. I'd been wondering about them.

I would get them over to the bigger tank as soon as possible, making sure that the water is the same temperature first. Then you can disturb them as little as possible while they are small.

Perhaps the most important things you will have to do from now until they are grown is to keep the water clean with daily water changes. Remember, they are in an uncycled tank, and that's fine as long as you keep the water nice and clean. Just change as much or as little as you think they need. I like to feed generously and do big water changes, often as much as 50% after the first few weeks.

You don't have to hurry to get a sponge filter. I usually put it on and take the air stone off after the first week when I'm sure the eggs are hatched and the fry are swimming freely around the tank. Cory fry need good aeration and the sponge filter allows for that while providing a place for microorganisms to grow. After a while you will see the fry swimming up and down it looking for snacks.

I switch from the sponge filter to the box filter when the fry are big enough to avoid being sucked into it. Once this is in place, beneficial bacteria will begin to form in it and you will be on your way to having a cycled tank for them to finish growing up in. Depending on how many there are and their size, you will still probably have to do daily water changes, but the beneficial bacteria will help between them.

Liquifry is a good first food, and if you don't have microworms, it can get them through the first few weeks until you start them on flake food and bits of spirulina disc. Shortly after that you can add finely chopped live blackworms or tubifex worms. I like to add a little bit sometime after the first 24 or 30 hours, but that's just because I would feel bad to think there might be hungry babies in there. ) Starting infusoria cultures isn't essential because they are larger when born than many of the other egg laying fish that do need them. I'll be interested to hear how they do on it though.

Which of your corys do these eggs belong to? Is it the same female that just spawned again or could it have been a different one?

Good luck with these fry. Please keep us up on their progress.

 

[lizard]

Thanks so much, Inch! I shall set up the 10-gallon for the little guys today

These are all Pepper Corys. The eggs still getting layed in the tank are from the same female - I only have one big female, and she hasn't been big that long - probably about a month and a half, two months ago, she was still only and inch, inch and a half long. I had no intention of spawning them at this time - they just decided that's what they were going to do.

I will probably get some Liquifry later today

Off to check on my little baby fishies!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[lizard]

My little fry are moved to the 10 gallon now I have 6-8 gallons of water in there for 'em. Is that too much? Will they get too tired out swimming in all of that? They're funny lookin' little things - a little round body with a big fin on either side of the body and a long tail They swim, swim, swim upwards, then just stop and float to the bottom of the tank They sit there for a minute, then swim off again. I did add some crushed up tropical granules. It looks like it's small enough for 'em to eat. Whether or not they'll eat it yet, well, I don't know, but it's there for 'em

The lights are on for a bit. The heater is on so I can try and keep the temp steady. I'm going to go look for Liquifry later today, and a sponge filter. The last few eggs are still hatching...I think there's an egg with a tail sticking out of it now and one egg yet to hatch I think I have about a dozen of the little things

This is exciting!

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[raindream]

Congrats on your little cory, they are such cuties

 

[Inchworm]

Hi lizard

How are your babies doing?

 

[lizard]

Hi lizard

How are your babies doing?

Hi Inch!

Thanks for asking! They seem to be doing okay. I did find one dead today, but I suppose it's bound to happen. Other than that, they seem to be doing okay. I have a little bit of Java Moss in the tank for them, and some of them like to sit near it. I did a bit of a water change today (accidentally sucked up one of the fry , but just caught him and put him back in the tank). I went and got some Hikari First Bites food yesterday and I've been giving them a little of that. I have yet to see 'em eat it, but it's there if they want it. Perhaps they're still getting nutrients from their yolk sacs, as it's only been about 48 hours since they hatched. Will I be able to see them eating pretty soon? Will the Hikari First Bites be a good food for them? I have the infusoria started, but I don't know that it's doing too well, as we haven't had much sun since I started it

Tomorrow I'm going to go and get a sponge to make a sponge filter. I think that'll be cheaper than buying one. I have everything I need to make one, except the sponge.

I had the light on for 'em today. Is that okay?

Anything else I should be doing for them?

That's the latest. I'd take some pictures, but I don't think my camera would do well taking pictures of things *that* small

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[lizard]

Just an update: The little fry are growing like weeds! They have little, tiny barbels, too! I took a couple pictures of 'em tonight, but don't have them uploaded yet as there have been minor crises around here tonight Anyway, they seem to be doing just fine The most I've counted is 14!

I'll post the pictures once I get 'em uploaded

Edit: Oh, yeah, I found *more* Cory eggs in the 29-gallon today - I guess my fish have been "busy" I left those eggs there. If they hatch, they hatch. If they become Neon snacks, then so be it.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Inchworm]

Hi lizard

I'm glad to hear your fry are strong and healthy.

You might want to think about putting the latest eggs into the tank with your current fry. If you move them gently, and if your fry tank has good water circulation, they might hatch. If so, you could raise them all together. The head start your first batch had won't make that much difference to them.

I can't wait to see your pictures.

 

[lizard]

The little fry are doing well They're growing fast. They even eat like Corys - scurrying around with their tails in the air I made a sponge filter two nights ago, and put that in there.

I think the Neons ate the eggs in the other tank - they find them to be quite tasty!

I don't think this computer has the drivers/software I need to download pics. Perhaps tomorrow. Today's kind of busy.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard