Finally Sterbai Eggs

[Bozza]

I was justing thinking, that you should try something like that lol. That would make your job alot easier hehe

 

[NEONCORY]

Hey Bozza,

No No NO. You misunderstand me. I didn't say I WILL train my female Stebais to stick the eggs on the inside of the hatching container. But I was looking for someone who knows how to train them.

 

[NEONCORY]

So I haven't hear any idea of train the fish yet, I collected the eggs from Sterbais this afternoon as usual. One by one. There were 58 eggs, 20 on the leaves of Java Fern, 8 on the back glass and 30 in the spawning mop.

 

[jollysue]

Good luck on training those sterbai ladies! Maybe make the conditions that they like. I think Bozza knew you were joking.

I thought that you answered well and honestly about the stress on the ladies laying eggs. I think finding out how often they lay in the wild would give a good measure. Otherwise the only way to find out would be to do blind studies of ladies conditioned on different schedules to who lives longest and healthiest.

 

[Bozza]

Yep I knew you were joking. It would of been kool if you could teach them

 

[NEONCORY]

Good luck on training those sterbai ladies! Maybe make the conditions that they like. I think Bozza knew you were joking.

No NO, I am not training them. I am STILL looking for someone who knows how to train them.

I thought that you answered well and honestly about the stress on the ladies laying eggs. I think finding out how often they lay in the wild would give a good measure. Otherwise the only way to find out would be to do blind studies of ladies conditioned on different schedules to who lives longest and healthiest.

I don't know about the wild but I know my 5(3 females and 2 males) fish make eggs about 2~3 times a week and around 150~200 eggs total. And this is only their first year.
And I don't know how many would make to the size(probably 1"TL and 1/2"D) I feel good about rehoming. Especially I do not raise my Cory frys in bare bottom but more Natural sand bottom with plants/snails/red cherry shrimps and some tetra frys. But it sure tougher than raising Panda frys it seems. Maybe because of the egg size difference hense the fry size difference.

 

[Bozza]

Neon: Sue was joking aswell, it was more goodluck trying to breed them even tho we all know it would be virtually impossible to teach them. Thats alot of eggs from a group of 5 sterbai. U must have a really good setup going to hatch them

 

[NEONCORY]

Neon: Sue was joking aswell, it was more goodluck trying to breed them even tho we all know it would be virtually impossible to teach them. Thats alot of eggs from a group of 5 sterbai. U must have a really good setup going to hatch them

But I am not joking about finding the "fish trainer", after all there is dog trainer and animal trainer and such. Some fish might be smarter than we give credit for. For example, my biggest Angel always dance try to get my attention when I go near him/her tank. Obviously s/he like to get fed.
And my Neons come near the surface after I snap my fingers for a while(Of course, I have been doing this for a while). They don't come right away but they do come to the same corner I always feed the food at. And Glowlights follow the Neons. They are older and slower.
And Sterbais seem always spying on me. Just like the famous painting, their eyes seems follow wherever I go.
And they watch me watching them.

And about the eggs, they left 92 eggs but they were everywhere. On the flont glass, back glass, leaves of Java Ferns, on the skull cave, on the heater, on the filter and some in the spawning. If I don't know better, I'll say they did it on purpose.

Unfortunately, I don't think I have as many frys as I would like considering all the eggs I collect. So I still need to find the productive way to hatch and raise. Even if I can hatch and raise half the eggs would be great. But it seems some batch just don't even hatch. Maybe I need to feed more wormy food so the spawn get stronger or just need more time for the fish to get older. I don't know.

 

[jollysue]

The sterbai ladies are mocking you

 

[NEONCORY]

The sterbai ladies are mocking you

Yes jollysue, it seems that way.
After the potential problem with the infestation of Melanotanias on my mind, I went to my room. And there it was, more eggs in the Sterbai tank. And so the mocking comtinue. They know I can't help but go pick them up even the eggs are placed on all over the tank.
I'll go back in few hours and pick them up. So I guess I got eggs from all 3 Corys today again.

So it seems as much as I want to get another Cory or 2, it does not look like good time to do it. It seems I need more sponge filters or corner filters or something.

 

[NEONCORY]

And I found more of nice little pearls. 25 on the leaves of Java Fern and 57 in the spawning mop. And not on the glass. And make me wonder that some of them got recycled already like the one stuck at the place pretty easy to find. I know they do recycle eggs sometime. The other day I saw the female was recycling eggs while she was holding eggs with her fin and looking for the place to stick.
So really the eggs have to be lucky also to survive. If they are at the wrong time at wrong place, they are doomed.

 

[NEONCORY]

I did find more eggs yesterday. 12 on the leaves of Java Fern, 12 more on the glass and 55 in the spawning mop.

 

[NEONCORY]

So this morning after I handpicked the eggs from the Panda tank and just about to leave, I notice some eggs in the spawning mop. So I picked eggs from Sterbais. Found 63 eggs in the spawning mop. The unusual thing is I never see eggs from them this early in the day. They almost lay eggs in afternoon or evening.
So make me wonder when exactly did they make these eggs. They were hard enough to pick so they must be layed more than few hours at least. So it seems they either made them late yesterday night or early this morning while I was still sleeping.
But eggs are eggs are eggs so I don't complain.

 

[Xebadir]

Sounds like youve got you hands full neon, full of cory eggs LOL. What exactly have you done to their water? If this was the olympics id be testing your fish for steroids right now.

 

[NEONCORY]

Sounds like youve got you hands full neon, full of cory eggs LOL. What exactly have you done to their water? If this was the olympics id be testing your fish for steroids right now.

Hey Xebadir,

Yes, it is getting like hobby become part time job. I don't think I didn't do anything special but regular stuff like keeping in their prefered water and feed them well and do the regular water change. Beside that, keep them in species tank if possible. Pandas and Sterbais have their tank until recently but now I put some Red Cherry Shrimps since they too have many babies once they mature. I would not put the shrimps with most of the fish but I find they seems they can co-exist with Corys. Although they may eat the tiniest shrimp-let if they have chance since they are not much bigger than brine shrimps. Also Pandas have young Albino Bristlenose as tankmate. But they seems get along also(well so far).
And there is one more possible reason for the regular egg making is I do DAILY water change since I need the water to change the fry tanks. Yes, I do move around the water every day. And this may encourage them to make more eggs. More eggs or often they make eggs, more I feed them tend to be beside I do change water I don't worry much about of fouling water. So this could be a continuous cycle. And I haven't had them for year yetso I really don't know if they stop or take a break at any time of season. And I don't even know how many frys are actually growing. Since I do not use chemical to hatch the eggs and I do not raise the frys in bare tank.
I should know how many in one of the fry tank this Friday since I need to almost strip the tank to catch some of the Pandas. I owe 10 Pandas to another aquarium member for trade we made. So I would scoop up the frys and move them to bigger tank and see how many in there now. So we'll see.