Finally Sterbai Eggs

[Bozza]

Just to repeat what Polardbear asked. What color is your spawning mop and have you always used the same color or have you tried different colors? Im interested to know if colour is a factor or not.

 

[NEONCORY]

Out of curiosity, what color is your spawning mop and have you always used the same color or have you tried different colors?

Hi Polarbear,

Some reason I didn't notice your question, I wasn't trying to ignore you.
I have a spawning mop made with aqua blue colored yarn and navy colored one. I made several spawning mop out of 1 yarn. And I've been using them for a year.
I don't purposely pick the shocking pink or nothing but I usually buy whatever they sell at the thrift store or something. And I don't think the fish care much or see many color. But if I have choice, I probably go with some color closer to the color of plants.

Then again, I never experienced with many colors. Maybe there are some color they like more than other, I don't know. If only, they can talk.

But to me, I think the placement/location of the spawning mop is more important than the color.

Just to repeat what Polardbear asked. What color is your spawning mop and have you always used the same color or have you tried different colors? Im interested to know if colour is a factor or not.

Hi Bozza,

So so far, those 2 is the only color I have used. It just happened to be, that is the color of yarns I found at the thriftstore when I was looking to buy some yarn so I can make some spawning mop.

 

[NEONCORY]

Well I mentioned the Aqua Blue colored spawning mop but I notice that they got dirtied up over the months while they are in the tank. I may have to clean with little bleach, then nuetralize the bleach with vinegar or something.
Anyway, they left me some eggs this morning/afternoon. 10 on the glass/and decoration and 77 in the spawning mop. I wasn't their watching whole time so I don't know these eggs came from 1 or 2 females, I hardly doubt that 3. Anyway, I know the one female does good job placing most of the eggs in the mop. And I know she made some eggs today if not all.

 

[NEONCORY]

guess I slacked off a bit.
I still get eggs from them but STILL having trouble raising their off springs.
I just hope the spawns get better as years go by and the adults become older. After all they can live up to 15~25 years I heard. And I know my group is 1 1/2~2 years at most still.

Anyway, I got 25 eggs on 8/15th, 38 on 17th, 72 on 18th, 27 on 20th.

 

[matthi22004]

good luck raising the fry

at least your cory's are spawning my are to dumb to do it >.<

 

[NEONCORY]

good luck raising the fry

at least your cory's are spawning my are to dumb to do it >.<

Hi matthi22004,

Yeah, I must be collected 2~3,000 eggs last 4~5 months from them. And I think I managed to raise only a handful. I would be happy if I can raise 10% of eggs to 1" young Sterbai.

And I see they are making some eggs after the breakfast today. I see 2 females out of 3 were carrying eggs. That should make 2nd male happy. I guess I'll collect those eggs this evening when I get back. And keep trying to hatch and raise, I guess.

I'm sure your Sterbai would make eggs also. Once they become matured or have their own tank.

 

[matthi22004]

yeah probably
to bad you can only raise a few but it will probably go better in the future

 

[NEONCORY]

I just have to keep trying since they lft me another 145 eggs yesterday.

 

[NEONCORY]

Well, I was suprised to collect this many eggs. But I did collect about 240 eggs this evening. I think this was the most ever from the 3 females I have. I think all 3 must be paticipate the egg making.
I found about 110 in the spawning mop and another 100 or so on the front glass piled up on the 2 spot near the corner where the water from the powerhead outlet hit. And rest were on the decorations.

Hopefully I can hatchet at least half and hopefuly I can raise at least half of that to 1/2" size would be good. That would be 60 frys. I should know how many hatch by next Friday. We shall see.

 

[NEONCORY]

I just realized that I haven't update this thread for a while.
I did collect 68 eggs on 9/6, 77 eggs on 9/10, 74 on 9/11, and 129 on yesterday 9/16.
Out of 129, 52 was in the spawning mop and 77 were mostly on the 2 corners of the glass and few on the decorations.
And I think I am getting little better hatching them also. Now about half of the eggs I collect hatch. But still having difficulty raising from the hatch(wigglers) to young fish. I just have to keep working at improving.

 

[NEONCORY]

I did find 72 eggs from them this evening. 48 were in the spawning mop and another 24 were on the glass and decoration.
I guess their spawning cycle is becoming like once a week lately.

 

[orange shark]

have you managed to raise any to a sellable size yet?

 

[NEONCORY]

Hi orange shark,

Yes but not many enough to sell.

I have 1 survivor who is about half the size of adult. And 2 x 1/2" in the fry tank. And another 10 or so 1/4". So I still need to keep trying to raise their frys more successfully. After all the eggs I collected, that is just not enough frys to show for.

But I am start to think and hope that their spawn get stronger as the time goes by, as this was and still is their first year of spawning. I did not get them wild caught or adult sized fish but I got typical local store juvi last November and grew them out. And next March would be their 2nd year of spawning, and I am hoping the eggs would hatch better and wigglers would be more hardy and strong. I guess I just have to wait and see.

After all, I read somewhere that they could live up to 15~25 years if the condition is right. And also I know the price of Sterbai is still pretty high among the Corydoras. Well at least around here, they still go for like $7~15. So I figure whatever the reason they are not as easy to raise as C.Aenues or Paleatus. If they are as easy, I would think their price would come down also. That is just my guess but they sure are giving trouble of raising their frys, unfortunately.

 

[NEONCORY]

I noticed that there are some eggs on the glass. Not many but some. So I start to pick and end up found 50 eggs. There were only 7 in the spawning mop but another 43 in all over the place, especially on the Java Moss on the decoration.
I think they made these eggs yesterday. I saw them active yesterday but I didn't saw them careful enough and didn't see any eggs.
It has been a while but I hope they too back in the business. After all the Summer is over around here.

 

[NEONCORY]

Unfortunately last month 1 by 1, I lost 3 of the 5 Albino Sterbai I bought in the mail in July I think. But I know the 2 left is 1 male and 1 female. But a pair is just not enough to be happy even if I keep them with other Corys. So I decide to add these 2 Albino to the tank of my regular Sterbai. And I immidiately saw these 2 become really excited and active. And I know these Albino are either incredibly brave or visually challenged to the point of legally blind. Anyway, this morning I saw everybody was pretty excited. And hour or 2 later I notice that they are making eggs. That does not surprised me anymore. But this sure cught my attention. I saw the T but it was formed by the Albino male and regular colored female. And I actually saw the female did push out the eggs and cup them with her fins and left to go look for the place to stick them. I don't know how many or which one is produced by this combination. But the blind guy was horny enough and beat the other regular colored male for the honor. Since I know the albino is recessive gene and need double dose to express. I highly doubt that I would get any Albino frys anytime soon unless those two Albino did hook up together. Or maybe some Albino may pop up if the 2nd generation reproduce.

So todays lesson is the fish see no color. Either they are spotted or pink.

Although I do not consider the 2 different color morph spawn together as hybrid but it sure was different thing to see.

Oh I did collect 88 eggs,49 in the spawning mop and rest on the glass and decorations.