I Think My Corys Laid Eggs

[Loughrea]

Around 3:30am this morning the corys were chasing each other.
Didn't think anything of it at the time.

Came home from work today, and found these by the heater.
Haven't seen any more anywhere else in the tank.

WHAT DO I DO?

Never had Cory eggs before.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

Yep! Those look like cory eggs.

For starters, here's something for you to read:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=165155

What kind of corys do you have?

 

[Loughrea]

Hi Inchworm,

I have 3 Bronze Corys.

First ever. Love them dearly, but didn't know they were
going to breed so soon. Didn't really know if they were
male or female.

My Parrots laid eggs 2 days ago, now this.

Is it something in the water

Have know idea what to do with them.

I have 2 BP's, 6 Cherry Barbs, 6 Silver Tip Tetars and the 3 Corys.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

If your bronze corys (C. aeneus) are young, that small batch might be their first spawn. Don't be surprised to see more, and bigger, batches soon.

If you would like to raise a batch of cory fry, you might want to think about setting up a small breeding tank for them like the one suggested in the link I gave you. It would give you the advantage of not having to move the eggs and risk damaging them, or having any of them get eaten by the other fish.

You could also try moving the existing eggs into a small container and adding an airstone for water circulation over them, but be prepared to move them into a tank of their own when they hatch. The most important requirement for cory fry is lots of clean and fresh water.

Please let us know what you decide to do, and if you do raise them or another batch, keep us up on their progress. I'll be happy to answer questions, as will the other members.

 

[Loughrea]

Inchworm,

I have a small 10 gallon tank, that is almost finished it's cycle,
could I move the cory's to that tank, when it's ready?

And if I do, when they spawn again, do I need to move the
parents back out?

I would love to see if I could raise some babies.

 

[Kuhni]

yes, you can move them in there when it's done with it's cycle. I would move the eggs into a container and keep the parents in the 10G, as they may spawn afterwards.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

That tank would be excellent for a breeding tank.

When the corys have spawned, you do need to move the adult fish out because, while bronze corys don't usually eat their eggs, they can't seem to tell their fry apart from other food they find at the bottom.

The good news is that, since you will then have a bacteria laden filter, you can move that out into still another tank for them. The fry tank can easily be run with an air pump and an airstone or two while the eggs are hatching, then a sponge filter and finally a box filter.

One of the things needed to keep the fry healthy and growing at their maximum potential is daily small water changes. This removes the uneaten food and bacteria that could grow on it, and the waste products these tiny fry produce is little. As they begin to grow, beneficial bacteria will begin to colonize the sponge filter and the tank will gently cycle itself. By the time they are large enough to keep from passing through the slots on a box filter, you can add one of those to filter out solid particles.

 

[Loughrea]

Hi Loughrea

That tank would be excellent for a breeding tank.

It has pea size gravel, and decorations, should I keep these in or remove them?

And it is full of water, do I need to remove some water?

When the corys have spawned, you do need to move the adult fish out because, while bronze corys don't usually eat their eggs, they can't seem to tell their fry apart from other food they find at the bottom.

Constantly moving the adults, won't hurt them?

The good news is that, since you will then have a bacteria laden filter, you can move that out into still another tank for them. The fry tank can easily be run with an air pump and an airstone or two while the eggs are hatching, then a sponge filter and finally a box filter.

What is a sponge filter and a box filter?

One of the things needed to keep the fry healthy and growing at their maximum potential is daily small water changes. This removes the uneaten food and bacteria that could grow on it, and the waste products these tiny fry produce is little. As they begin to grow, beneficial bacteria will begin to colonize the sponge filter and the tank will gently cycle itself. By the time they are large enough to keep from passing through the slots on a box filter, you can add one of those to filter out solid particles.

How small a water change?

Thanks for the help

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

It sounds like I've managed to totally confuse you. Let me try to explain this so you understand what I mean.

First, the adults need the tank to be cycled, but the fry do not, at least at first. You will need to do the water changes to remove uneaten food and the waste products the fry produce. This will probably turn out to be 25% or so every day, but more is OK too. This sounds like a lot of work, but it makes a lot of difference in the rate they grow at and their overall health.

I like to have a little gravel in the spawning tank but I remove it once I find eggs in the tank and move the adults. A bare bottomed tank, or one with just a very thin layer of sand in it is best for the fry because it's easier to clean and the fry won't get lost between the pieces of it. Since I have to get my hands in there to take the gravel out, and don't want it overflowing if the eggs are near the surface, I keep the water level down an inch or two in the spawning tank.

It won't hurt the adults to move them around, provided they are moved into clean and appropriately cycled tanks with the same temperature water.

Box filters and sponge filters are powered by air pumps.

Box filter:

http/www.wetthumbaquatics.com/Supplies%2...box_filters.htm

This is filled with filter floss and the water is sucked in by the pump, goes through the bacteria laden floss, and is pushed out again. Dirt particles are trapped in the floss which can be rinsed out in used tank water and reused over and over.

This is an old fashioned kind of filter that still works well today.

Sponge filter:

http/www.petsforum.com/ATI/atb100.htm

This works the same way, but the bacteria will grow in the cells of the sponge. It provides excellent biological filtration, but will become clogged up if there is a lot of particles in the water. It too can be rinsed and reused.

You will probably need to go to an independent lfs to find a sponge filter, but some of the chain stores will stock the box filters.

 

[Loughrea]

Thanks Inchworm...that clears it up.

The box filter is like the ones I used 20 years ago.
I remember them.....

The sponge filter looks funny though.

Which one do you think works the best?

I remember having alot of trouble with the box filter.

The Corys are doing the dance again....

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

I use both filters because, while the box filter both removes particles and provides lots of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow on, it will also suck the tiny fry into it. The sponge filter has lots of surface area in the cells, but gets clogged too easily. I use it as an interim step until the fry have grown enough in size and strength, to avoid the suction of the box filter. This is the problem with using power filters too.

I usually put a small stone or two in the box filter to help it sink. There are also gang valves available that can be used to bleed some excess air off if the air pump is more powerful than you'd like it to be.

http/www.petco.com/Shop/petco_Product_R_...ilyID_6239.aspx

 

[Loughrea]

Thanks again...Inchworm.

I have a filter on my tank now, that sucks water up into the filter,
and then runs it through the sponges, and back into the tank over the top.

Question: Can I get a piece of sponge to wrap around the intake,
to keep the the fry from being sucked into this filter?

If not, then I need to start out with your sponge type filter,
then when the babies get big enough not to get sucked in,
change to a box type filter.

Right?

Do I still need to have an airstone?

Sorry for all the questions, but I want
to do it right.

Again thanks for all the help....

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

Yes, you can wrap your filter intake with sponge, and the company that makes the sponge filters also makes what the call a prefilter for this purpose. It comes with plastic adapters to fit on any size intake tube and is about the size of the second filter from the left on the link I posted earlier. If you do it, it might be a good idea to ask in the Hardware section if there is some particular kind of filter to use in tanks. I think there is.

If you are wanting to do this to preserve your beneficial bacteria, it won't work. The number of bacteria increases and decreases according to their food supply and since the new fry won't be producing much ammonia at first, they will mostly die off. You might as well move it to another tank and adding fish right away, if you have any thoughts about starting one.

The airstone is used to create a good flow of water over the eggs, which helps reduce the chance of them getting fungus. Since it's necessary anyway, it's easy enough to take it out and exchange it with a sponge filter within a week or two after the fry hatch.

Ask all the questions you like. That's what the forum is for!

 

[Loughrea]

Many Thanks Inchworm

I understand about the sponge on the old filter intake,
so I will just clean another tank up that I have , and start
another tank for the adult Corys.

Then they won't be in my community tank.

Going shopping tomorrow for sand, air stone and small pump.

What size pump do you recommend?
Do they come in different sizes?


Thanks again for your help.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Loughrea

Air pumps come in many sizes, from very small to ones big enough to run many tanks. Some have one place to attach an airline, others of the usual lfs variety have two. I prefer one with two since it gives me more options for the same price.

Any pump you find at the lfs will do the job, but I recently bought a Tetra brand one and like it a lot. It's pretty quiet compared to some of the others. Elite is a good pump, but it does seem to make a lot of noise.
While the smallest ones will run the equipment needed for your breeding/fry tank, if you choose a larger one and it's too powerful, you can always bleed a little air off with a gang valve.

Have fun shopping!