Fertile Cory Eggs!

[Akasha72]

the tetra's don't need any encouragement - they are prolific spawners. I've had two fry survive from the tetra's. I raised both and gave them to my lfs as they were both male and I don't need anymore.
The harley's started out spawning but I've not seen them spawning for a while now. I'm suspecting it's because they are a little stressed by my angels. I'm hoping that when the new one's are big enough to join the adults in the main tank they'll feel safer and might try spawning again. I'd love to get some fry from them. I've checked on the new harley's this morning and they are getting to a size now were I'm considering risking them in the main tank. I can distinctly see the difference between the females and the males now.

 

[Flubberlump]

Your tank sounds like it's the place to be if you're a fish lol!

Here's a photo of 3 that I've just taken.



The white thing in the top left is the turkey baster, I'd pulled the moss back to count them and took the photo whilst I was at it.

 

[Akasha72]

they're growing! My lot just hide in the moss ... I'm still contemplating letting them go into the tank at least I wouldn't have to worry about ammonia 

 

[Akasha72]

I've decided to add some more leaf litter to the tank and then I'm gonna let them go once the leaves sink. I think they've got more chances free in the tank than kept in this tray

 

[Flubberlump]

I've never used leaf litter. I was contemplating getting some shrimp at one point (sorry I know you don't like them). How long do they take to sink? You have way more experience than I do! Do you have the fry in the main tank or fry tank?

Well the brine shrimp hatched. It's a bit of a palaver harvesting and rinsing them etc, but by 'eck did they go down well! I now have 6 rather plump looking fry. I hope I didn't give them too much! They're still snuffling about though. I put some in the main tank too. It's safe to say they didn't last long. I'll put some more in later, if they're only good for 12 hours then the others might as well have them. Did you get the microworms?

 

[Akasha72]

the leaves were collected in Autumn in the woods well away from the roads. They are oak leaves. They take up to 24 hours to sink. They're supposed to provide infusoria for fry but I can't say I can see any! I've added some extra to provide the cories somewhere to hide from the harley's. The plastic tub is floating in my fry tank.
 
Glad to hear the brine shrimp went down well. I don't think you can over feed fry. The worms didn't arrive today - better luck tomorrow

 

[eaglesaquarium]

the leaves were collected in Autumn in the woods well away from the roads. They are oak leaves. They take up to 24 hours to sink. They're supposed to provide infusoria for fry but I can't say I can see any! I've added some extra to provide the cories somewhere to hide from the harley's. The plastic tub is floating in my fry tank.
 
Glad to hear the brine shrimp went down well. I don't think you can over feed fry. The worms didn't arrive today - better luck tomorrow

 
The danger is that ammonia spikes occur when uneaten food is in with the fry, so it is possible to cause harm by adding too much food.  

 

[Akasha72]

well yes, that's why I'm worrying about them being in an unfiltered tub. I was looking at the harley's today and trying to work out if they are big enough to move out of the fry tank and in with the 'big boys' then the fry tank is free for the cories but one or two of the harley's are still a little small and I'm nervous of moving them too soon. 
I tried the turtle eggs on the little harley's but they wern't impressed

 

[Flubberlump]

Well everyone is alive and well this morning, I was worried I'd given them too much BBS last night, one looked like it was going to explode. Cue big water change to get rid of as many remaining shrimp as possible!

I took everything out of the tub this morning to give it a good hoover so here's a photo:

 

[Akasha72]

yes, I took mine out before going to bed and changed their water - I was worried there was a chance of ammonia developing during the night and killing the lot. I've not checked on them yet this morning but I've dropped just one cory pellet into their tub. It's soft so they should be able to nibble bits off it and it's easy to remove later - easier than the turtle eggs that is
 
Yours are looking big now. Mine are still tiny!

 

[Akasha72]

I can only see 4 but that doesn't mean anything. I've now narrowed down the species to either panda cories or melini cories
 

 

[Flubberlump]

I've been doing big water changes before each feed, leaving enough for them to still be underwater. I haven't taken them out to do a 100% change but I've tested ammonia etc. a couple of times. Especially this morning given my BBS overdose last night! I think I got pretty much all of them out last night but there was no way of knowing whether any were in the moss and they only live for about 5 hours in freshwater!

Aww cute! Yes you can see their colours now. I love the way they all stick together. I know that's a normal cory thing but it's so cute when they're that tiny!

 

[Akasha72]

I've been sucking them up with my turkey baster and let just letting them gently swim down into a seperate pot with the drips of the water until I've caught them all then throwing their water away. I take fresh water from the parents tank as the cory man suggests and then I gently return them in the same way as I caught them. It seems to work okay. 
I'm aiming to change their water before bed so I know there's no chance of anything going wrong during the night. Hopefully this will get this 5 to adulthood. I'll be happier once I can get them into the fry tank where I know their in filtered water 

 

[Flubberlump]

Yes I do the same, water change right before bed. I haven't been able to get a fry tank, so as soon as they're big enough that they can't escape through the slots in the breeding box they'll be going in there. At least they'll have water flowing through from the main tank. They won't be able to stay in there for too long though as they'll outgrow it. By then they should be big enough to go in the main tank anyway

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Yes I do the same, water change right before bed. I haven't been able to get a fry tank, so as soon as they're big enough that they can't escape through the slots in the breeding box they'll be going in there. At least they'll have water flowing through from the main tank. They won't be able to stay in there for too long though as they'll outgrow it. By then they should be big enough to go in the main tank anyway

 
Even with the breeder box, I'd suggest doing 100% water 'exchanges' with that daily, probably twice daily.  The simple solution there is just to pour tank water through the breeder box and let it push out the 'old' water into the main tank... where the filter will deal with it.
 
 
The 'exchanges' will eliminate excess ammonia (bigger fish create more ammonia than smaller fish) that will not clear on its own, and it will flush out growth inhibiting hormones.  I'd also add that for the best success, you'll want to do two water changes on the tank a week to remove the hormones from the tank as well.  The fry will grow faster that way.