Fertile Cory Eggs!

[Flubberlump]

They're growing! Yours are prolific aren't they! I had some more last week but I left them, 6 is quite enough for now, and being peppereds the LFS won't be in short supply.

My escapee was still about yesterday, seems to be ok so far.

 

[Akasha72]

the pandas are getting prolific now. I have at least 3 female's and 3 males so it looks like I'm going to have a constant supply.
 
I'd ask the lfs if they'd like some peppered fry. My lfs took my peppered fry and gave me £1 each in store credit for them. They liked getting them as they knew they were getting something home raised and healthy. When they order stock from suppliers they can't guarentee this but from me they could. It's always worth asking

 

[Akasha72]

how's the escapee Flubberlump?
 
I've just water changed my lot and they're growing now. I've got one smaller than the other 4 though

 

[Akasha72]

my eggs are hatching ... I've got one out so far. Now I've gotta ask myself whether the almost 3 week old babies are large enough to eat the newly hatched or are they big enough to be set free into the fry tank and not be eaten by the juvenile harlequins. 
 
Flubberlump, how's the escapee? Is it surviving in the big tank? Knowing that might help me work out what to do now

 

[Flubberlump]

Sorry I haven't been on for a few days. The escapee is still about, I saw it last night. He/she always looks full of food so is finding plenty. I always squirt some in that corner though as it's staying put where it originally settled. I think it's too big to be eaten now but it's staying in it's spot which is good. They're 4 weeks old now, and they were 2 1/2 weeks when that one escaped.

I have one smaller than the others too. It always has been, but now it's bigger I can see that it has a very slight kink in it's spine and a flat spot on it's head. So we'll have to wait and see how that one does.

Ooo good luck with your new ones! Are there any more out? Once mine started they seemed to come out one after another apart from the first one which was well ahead of the others. I've had 2 more spawns since my lot. One from each female I think. One is darker than the other one so I can tell them apart. The darker one - which is the mother of my babies - is really good at hiding eggs. There were some that were there for a couple of days that looked fertile, but although the other fish didn't spot them, the snails got them.

 

[Akasha72]

I've just checked on them and there's still just one out but one egg is as black as my jumper so I don't think it'll be on it's own very long. I've made a decision I think. The newly hatched will have to go in with the 1st batch and I'll have to hope for the best. The first batch will be 3 weeks on Monday and I'd be happier if they were a bit bigger before setting them free into the fry tank. 
 
Looking at the eggs there's a potential 7 or 8 that look good so there's a possibility I should have a good amount to give to the lfs if they do turn out to be panda's. If they are melini I'll keep two though and move the rest on
 
Happy to hear the escapee is doing well

 

[Flubberlump]

How are you getting on? Did any more hatch?

I saw the escapee again stuffing it's face again last night, really seems to be doing well. The others have had a bit of all of the dried food I have now and it goes down well. The little runt one doesn't eat it with as much gusto as the others but he gets some, then I put some worms in afterwards anyway and they go down a treat.

 

[Akasha72]

I have 4 in total and I've just checked in on the eggs that hadn't hatched and they are still intact and really dark. I'm gonna allow them a bit more time.
 
I ended up moving the harlequins out of the fry tank and into my main tank. The 3 week old cories are in my floating breeding trap and the 4 newly hatched are in the plastic tray that the 3 week old one's were in.
Once I'm confident that the 3 weekers are strong enough to cope with the tank I'll set them free. For now I'm trying to get them eating adult food so I'm adding a cory pellet to the breeder box and seeing if they will accept it as food. I'll carry on adding some worms aswell but I'd like to start weening them off if I can

if you have a look here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/438775-place-your-bets/page-7  you'll be able to see what's been going on and there's an updated photo too

 

[Flubberlump]

I've been weaning mine onto dry food as well. It took them a day or so to get the idea, but they're eating it no problem now. I've been giving small amounts of microworms still, and they've just had some frozen cyclops. I'd defrosted some anyway to put in the main tank to distract the tetras as the corys are spawning again. The babies have that lovely green iridescent sheen now, I'll try and get a photo.

The flat spot on the head of the little one seems less pronounced today, maybe it'll right itself. We'll see.

I'll have a read through your thread

 

[Akasha72]

I've just set the 5 free into the fry tank *jibber* ... I hope it's not too soon. I'd been out for a few hours enjoying the sunshine and when I came in the cories were behaving as if they were trying to find a way out of the breeder box. They'd become really skittish since I moved them into it and I was worried they were stressed so I've got brave and let them go. 
There's plants in the fry tank and there's leaf litter too so I've just got to hope that there's enough food for them

 

[Akasha72]

flubberlump, what dry food are yours taking? I've tried getting them to take my New Era catfish pellets that the parents eat and no joy and I've tried Tetra Prima and they don't seem to want to try that either. Now they are in such a large area for their size I'm worrying that they won't be able to find food

 

[Flubberlump]

Sorry Akasha I didn't come on here yesterday. I'm giving them a bit of everything, King British flake, catfish pellets and algae wafer, and new era small cichlid pellets. I crush everything up a bit with somewaterfirst. It took them a bit of time to get used to it but they eat it well now. Theyrestillgetting micro worms and frozen cyclops. I have a bag of brine shrimp eggs left so ill get that going today or tomorrow. I only had 5 bags. I don't think they're too far off being able to manage frozen daphnia either so that'll be next I think.

The little one seems to be catching up to the others size wise and it's head is definitely a better shape now.

 

[HarpyFishLover]

How's the escapee?

 

[Akasha72]

I might try the babies on the turtle eggs tonight ... I'd forgotten about them. You mentioning cyclops reminded me  so thanks
 
And yes, how's the escapee?

 

[Flubberlump]

No problem.

I haven't seen the escapee since Sunday. Hopefully it's relocated to somewhere else in the tank. Time will tell.