Cory Spawning/egg Collection

[neilmcq]

Hi guys been reading lots of topics on breeding etc but not much on collection techniques. whats the easiest way to collect the eggs after spawning ??? obviously if on plants they can just be lifted out and eggs removed but from the glass is a different matter... what in your experience is the easiest way ?? thanx

 

[StrontiumDog]

The only way with newly layed eggs are if they are on the glass is to roll your finger on the egg, but you've got to be very gentle and dont press hard. Newley layed eggs are very sticky but also very fragile. When the eggs go a beige colour they have harden a bit but still fragile, you can roll them off but they will not stick to your finger. The trick I have found collecting these ones is to hold a net under neath to catch the eggs when they come away from the glass.

When my Peppers spawned I used the later method, because I kept on bursting eggs. When my Bronze 1st spawned I removed them just after being layed, I collected about 140 eggs but burst about 40. On the 2nd spawn just a few days after (different female ) I collected 140, but only burst about 10.

Collecting cory eggs is definatly an art, and it takes alot of care. you only get better the more you do it.

The best way i've been advised on, if you have the tanks is to let them spawn in a tank and then remove the adult fish after.
Therefore you don't have to touch the eggs, which should mean more fry.

Hope this helps.

 

[drewry]

hi neilmcq the easyest way iv found
is if you see them spawning as soon as they put them on the glass
put your hand in to stop them pushing them tight on the tank it make it all easyer to collect then simply roll your finger upwards pulling away slightly untill they stick to your finger then repeat this when sticking then onto were you want to put the eggs

regards dave

 

[Kets]

Or you can leave the eggs in the tank and move the fish.

 

[neilmcq]

Thanx a lot for your advice guys, my cory's are in my mixed endler tank so eggs will prob need to be removed or will be lunch for them once the group has spawned once i'll prob look at moving them into another and see if they do again then back to the origonal once they have.i do like ur idea of using the amazon sword leaves drewry thanx again Neil

 

[Inchworm]

Hi neilmcq

It takes practice, and even then it's hard to avoid losing eggs when you move them. If you expect a big spawn, it's defiantly easier to move the fish than the eggs. This is a spawn laid by a pair of mature, wild caught, bronze C. aeneus.

Another advantage of doing this is that they will hatch and can be safely raised until they outgrow the spawning tank

Some corys will hide their eggs and others will put them on plants. What kind of corys do you have?

 

[neilmcq]

Hi neilmcq

It takes practice, and even then it's hard to avoid losing eggs when you move them. If you expect a big spawn, it's defiantly easier to move the fish than the eggs. This is a spawn laid by a pair of mature, wild caught, bronze C. aeneus.

Another advantage of doing this is that they will hatch and can be safely raised until they outgrow the spawning tank

Some corys will hide their eggs and others will put them on plants. What kind of corys do you have?

Thanx inchworm,ive got a group of 6 peppers at the moment and one of them is lookin rather round bellied and bigger than the others did they spawn easily in the bare tank?? spurred on from a tank change/temp difference?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi neilmcq

Your big peppered Cory (C. paleatus) is probably a female. With this species the female is usually considerably larger than the males.

I've had bad luck with them because mine were egg eaters. Since this is sometimes the case, it's a good idea to watch them closely and be prepared to remove the eggs as soon as possible. If they have spawned and you missed it, you might see round marks where they had been pressed to the glass. Perhaps someone could add their experience to this, but I don't think you are apt to get a spawn this size from peppereds. I think you are more likely to get frequent smaller spawns.

The tank above was set up as a quarantine tank for new corys and they quickly spawned with no particular help from me. After I removed the fish, I cleaned out the gravel. After this picture was taken I almost certainly removed the filter, split the airline with a gang valve and set an airstone at each end of the tank to be sure there was good water circulation over all the eggs. This is the most important single thing you can do to prevent fungus from developing on otherwise healthy eggs.

If your corys are mature and have been well conditioned (fed lots of healthy food including live black worms or frozen bloodworms) watch them in the days following a good water change and filter rinsing. Often this is enough to get them started spawning. C. paleatus are cool water corys and will spawn best if the the temperature is lowered. If you have them in a heated tank, try turning it off for a while.

Good luck!