Cory Eggs - Journal - Update 5/4/06

[madattiver]

congrats on the spawn Dakota Ice..

and question for you Inchworm... how do you encourage them to spawn on the thermometers???

 

[Inchworm]

Inchworm, thats a LOT of baby cories! I really plan to keep some of these babies and sell the rest - as I paid a good 6 dollars each for their parents. Hopefully I'll raise them all to adulthood. =)

Hi Dakota Ice

While corys spawn a lot of eggs, fewer will actually hatch, and not all of those will grow to adulthood. This is the way it is in nature and it's the same in home tanks. Please expect this and don't be disappointed if you lose a fair number before they mature.

Nevertheless, if you feed your spawning group a diet high in live or frozen worms, there is a good chance that they will continue to spawn regularly for quite some time. In the long run, there is a good chance you should be able to produce some healthy fish for sale.

I've found that Pandas are hard to get established, but if they have been raised in local waters, their chances improve greatly. Your fry will most likely be in demand if you can raise them successfully.


_____

Hi madattiver

Originally, I was trying to encourage them to use spawning mop; the thermometer was just in their to monitor the temperature. Once I noticed that they did that, I just bought a bunch of the thermometers and hung them all around the tank. They seemed to take right to them. From watching them spawn, I see they like to deposit the eggs underneath things. I have an Amazon Sword Plant that they have started to lay them on and I might remove it since, if they are on the thermometers, it is so much easier to get at the eggs than to have to search through the plants.

 

[Dakota Ice]

None of the other eggs have hatched. =(

Today I found 6 more eggs in the adult's tank - I think these are fertile, but it's too early to tell. These have a tan look when they're out of the water, unlike the 5 or 6 I took yesterday. I actually even watched that particular female just swim around frantically with her eggs in her "pouch" and never once get sperm from a male.

Should I remove the eggs from the fine-leaved plants they're attatched to? I removed the plants from the main tank and put them in the heated 5.5 gallon, but I left the eggs attatched to the small leaves they were on. Will they fungus if they're attatched to these leaves?

My cories always spawn on the plants in the farthest back of the tank, figures. I rip apart the tank just to get 6 eggs.

Overall, I've found probably around 15-20 eggs in my main tank over the past week, and 2 have hatched. On top of that, I think those babies are dieing. =( I'm pretty sure I have 2 males and 2 females, but I'm 100% positive I have atleast 1 male/1 female, as I have these 2 babies. Why are their mortalities so high? Also, Peppers and Albinos seem to lay hundreds of eggs.. why do my pandas lay 6 at a time?

4:54 p.m.

Here is a pic of one of the two fry at almost 2 days old:

Is that a normal size for that age? When can they be able to swim? What's normal fry behaviour at this age? Thanks for the help =)

7:45 p.m.

I looked in the bowl that I keep all the infertile/fungused eggs in (just in case one was still alive) and there was a curled up fry at the bottom. =) I helped him get the egg sack off his head (I've come up with a very nice technique for this, btw) and then put him in the 5.5 gallon!

 

[Rez]

None of the other eggs have hatched. =(

Today I found 6 more eggs in the adult's tank - I think these are fertile, but it's too early to tell. These have a tan look when they're out of the water, unlike the 5 or 6 I took yesterday. I actually even watched that particular female just swim around frantically with her eggs in her "pouch" and never once get sperm from a male.

Should I remove the eggs from the fine-leaved plants they're attatched to? I removed the plants from the main tank and put them in the heated 5.5 gallon, but I left the eggs attatched to the small leaves they were on. Will they fungus if they're attatched to these leaves?

My cories always spawn on the plants in the farthest back of the tank, figures. I rip apart the tank just to get 6 eggs.

Overall, I've found probably around 15-20 eggs in my main tank over the past week, and 2 have hatched. On top of that, I think those babies are dieing. =( I'm pretty sure I have 2 males and 2 females, but I'm 100% positive I have atleast 1 male/1 female, as I have these 2 babies. Why are their mortalities so high? Also, Peppers and Albinos seem to lay hundreds of eggs.. why do my pandas lay 6 at a time?

4:54 p.m.

Here is a pic of one of the two fry at almost 2 days old:

Is that a normal size for that age? When can they be able to swim? What's normal fry behaviour at this age? Thanks for the help =)

7:45 p.m.

I looked in the bowl that I keep all the infertile/fungused eggs in (just in case one was still alive) and there was a curled up fry at the bottom. =) I helped him get the egg sack off his head (I've come up with a very nice technique for this, btw) and then put him in the 5.5 gallon!

I have personally bred pandas on numerous occasions. Your pandas are still young and will begin to produce more eggs as they grow bigger and older. My first attempts at successfully raising them met with numerous failures as well, as was the first attempts by Inchworm with this particular species of corydoras. My pandas are now producing eggs regularly. I have found that the harder you try to have the panda fry survive the more likely they are to die Also, I would suggest that you ditch the 5.5 Gal aquarium for a 10 Gal, I know this seems odd, but I have had better success successfully raising the fry in a 10 Gallon than anything smaller. Get a sponge filter place it in the 10 gallon, I do not use an air driven sponge filter, but a sponge attactchment on the intake of my canister filter, a air-driven sponge filter will work just fine though. Feed the fry baby brine shrimp after the dark colored yolk sack has been used up in their bellies. you know that your fry are eating when you see orange bellies, that's the eaten baby brine shrimp when you feed the baby brine shrimp turn off the filter or else the tiny shrimp will all be sucked up by the filter before the fry can eat them. I also turn off the aquarium light when I feed the fry so that all the shrimp do not hover around the top of the water since they are attracted to the light. Once you see orange bellies on all of your fry turn the filter back on.

Another suggestion I have to increase your success make a 10 gallon as a standalone breeding aquarium. Place your breeding cories in your set-up 10 gallon with a sponge filter, when you see eggs, remove the parents. let the eggs hatch in the 10 gallon in which they were laid. you can then use the 10 gallon as your rearing tank. I have had great success with this technique. I hope that these suggestions will help you on becoming a breeder of pandas yourself.

Rez B)

 

[Dakota Ice]

I tried giving them some BBS today, but I don't know if they took it. I'm not sure if I see any huge growth - but we'll see. I hope they make it. =)

Infertile eggs are clear with a white dot in them, correct?

 

[Rez]

I tried giving them some BBS today, but I don't know if they took it. I'm not sure if I see any huge growth - but we'll see. I hope they make it. =)

Infertile eggs are clear with a white dot in them, correct?

How long has it been since the eggs were laid?

If it has been three days and they are still white you can bet that they are unfertile. But it is often hard to figure out which eggs are still viable when they are newly laid up to two days. Also if you see them with fuzz, no matter how long its been since they were laid, you can bet they are no good and they should be removed immediately so as not to infect the other good eggs. keep up with the bbs feedings you should start to see the telltale orange bellies if they are taking them. Keep it up, Your pandas should continue to breed regularly now that they have begun. If you loose these fry trust me as long as you take good care of your adults you will have many more attempts to perfect your talents at successfully raising fry.


Rez B)

 

[Dakota Ice]

Two babies are 3 days old right now. One of them is 1 day old. Their tummies look just dark/maybe red, and they seem a lot bigger than they used to compared to when I put the BBS in. But I just don't know if they ate it..

And yeah, my adults have laid eggs every day since I found them, just 90% are infertile. =(

Whats normal fry behavior for 3/1 days? They still cannot swim at all very well.

 

[Rez]

Two babies are 3 days old right now. One of them is 1 day old. Their tummies look just dark/maybe red, and they seem a lot bigger than they used to compared to when I put the BBS in. But I just don't know if they ate it..

And yeah, my adults have laid eggs every day since I found them, just 90% are infertile. =(

Whats normal fry behavior for 3/1 days? They still cannot swim at all very well.

Normal fry behavior for fry a few days old is not one of graceful swimming at all. I have even noticed that the newly born cory fry will sometimes even roll around like balls on the floor of the aquarium. If the fry still have the thier yolk sacs in their bellies they will not need food, I suspect that this is what is happening with your fry the yolk can last up to three days after hatching. Once the dark yolk is gone try feeding them the bbs again and then you should be able to see the eaten shrimp.

Here is a picture of one of my pandas you can clearly see the round dark brown yolk in its tummy.

Here is a picture of an older panda fry after obviously having had a meal of bbs ( you can clearly see the orange stomach)

 

[Dakota Ice]

Thank you so much for those pictures.

My fry still have the dark yolk sac. They also just "roll" around on the bottom of the tank if a swifter current goes by. It looks like they're dieing, but it also looks like they simply can't stay up due to their huge tummy.

Shouldn't the older two be losing it by now?

Oh, and the eggs in question were laid Saturday or Sunday. One or the other. I collected 5 on Sunday that were white and had a white center. These fungused and never developed. Four of the five I collected Sunday were a tan color and don't have the white center. It's completely clear (or so it seems) and looks pretty close to the eggs these fry hatched out of. The biggest difference is that the tan ones are fertile and the white ones with a white center are not, atleast in my experience. Is that right?

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

[My fry still have the dark yolk sac. They also just "roll" around on the bottom of the tank if a swifter current goes by. It looks like they're dieing, but it also looks like they simply can't stay up do to their huge tummy.

Shouldn't the older two be losing it by now?
[/quote]

Cory fry tend to take between 3-4 days to absorb their yolk sacs. I'm not sure if the pandas take longer, since they are slow growers and take longer to hatch. But it sounds like normal fry behaviour, and it does take a few days after hatching before they become free swimming.

And on the plus side for us, our pandas started spawning last night!!! I have been so desparate for them to start, but they just were never interested. Unfortunately she only lay one egg at a time, and eventually I had to go to bed, so only recovered 6 eggs. But the main thing is they have started, so I know I'll get more. And I know mine must be fertile because I saw them T-ing. The whole tank was abuzz with their activities and even the octo's were getting happy with each other.

Well good luck, I know it's hard to raise fry, but it sounds like you are doing it all right. Keep well, speak soon, Carmen

 

[Dakota Ice]

Two of the three babies died today.

I put in some BBS last night which they showed no interest in, then accidentally fell asleep. I didn't have time to take out the dead BBS in the morning, so had to leave it in there for almost a day. Never the less, two died. One is still hanging in there.

& the adult cories are getting fin rot, yet I give them a waterchange every day. The tank is cycling, but I have tons of plants and only four fish so I thought I'd be okay. I guess not. If they lose some fins now when the tank is cycling, will they still spawn again when the tank is done and their fins come back?

 

[Dakota Ice]

Last of the three babies died today. More starting hatching, though. =)

The adults are also spawning right now. I can't believe how active they get, it's so much fun to watch!

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Sorry to hear about the fry dying. But unfortunately, not all cory fry make it. But, it is good to hear that the adults are still spawning for you and that you have more hatching.

Our eggs were layed Monday evening, so they will probably start hatching tomorrow. Of the 6, 1 has fungused, but I can see the fry moving in the other 5. I'm really excited, but know that I might loose them all. They are more delicate than the bronze. I also got another 2 Sterbai yesterday, so now have 4. Definitely 2 males 2 females and the new couple are going crazy and she's trying to "T" him. So, hopefully I'll get some Sterbai eggs soon too.

Good luck with the rest of the fry and don't worry, you'll get the setup perfect and raise beautiful healthy fry. Practise makes perfect (I hate that saying, but it's 100% true). Keep well, speak soon. Carmen