It Is Happening!

[ICEEGRL]

My female peppered cory is spawning with 2 males at the same time. They have a 3some going on! I thought it was supposed to be pairs(2) not 3! What is the deal? I only see 3 eggs so far. How many should I expect? How soon can I move them? I don't want them to get eaten.
Thanks for helping!

 

[ICEEGRL]

ok... I feel a little stupid. One of my peppered that I thought was male is laying eggs too. I have two females spawning at the same time. The thing is it is dark in there and I can't see where they are putting them. I hope they hide them well so maybe they don't get eaten. I did get 4 that were on the glass. I will try to look in the morning when I can turn on the light. Maybe there will still be a few left. I hope so. I would love to have atleast 2 or 3 fry to raise.
How many eggs do peppered cory usually lay?

 

[AlexAndCarmen]

Congrats on your pepper spawn. Have you found any more eggs? The number of eggs depends on the fish, the younger, the less you get. Also, with some cories, you get a lot more eggs than you would with others.

It's best to have more males to females, but you can't always sex them when you buy them, especially if they are still young. If you did have 1 female and 2 males, she would spawn with both. The males try to out do each other and she would T them both. With our pandas, the two boys will chase the girl around, trying to loose the other male before T'ing her. They also try stop her from laying the other boys eggs . Thankfully, most of the time, when our panda's spawn, both females lay at the same time.

Good luck. Raising cory fry is a very rewarding experience. Watching them grow is just too cute.

Keep us posted.

 

[ICEEGRL]

I have about 35 eggs. The problem is the other fish are eating most of them bafore they even get a chance to harden so I can move them. One of them has been laying eggs all day. I have managed to get 2 or 3 here and there that the fish didn't munch immediately.
I had to put them in a breeder net for now. I set it infront of the return flow. There is pimafix and melafix in the tank already. I have been treating for 3 days now. Will they be ok like this till they hatch? I will have a tank for them probably Sunday.
How long till they start to hatch? How many out of 35 might I realistically expect to live? Maybe 10 or 12? I am hoping for atleast 6 any way.
Sorry for all the questions. It is my first time with eggs of any kind. I am so excited!

 

[ICEEGRL]

Most of my eggs are dark brown, but there is no dark spot in the center. Is this good or bad? From what I have figured they should be hatching any day now. ( I hope )
Thanks

 

[jollysue]

The females will lay the eggs whether the male fertilizes or not, so it is very possible that they will not all be fertile. I use the breeding net with the peppers. I am getting pretty good at it. I have a dozen or so of the long fin albinos that are quite ready now for thier own home. I have found pepper eggs to be a bit troublesome to move, so I put the breeding net under them and scrape them with a very thin spatula or knife or something. Most will fall off into the net while some will stay on the scraper. With the net there is lots of circulation, so there is almost no trouble for me from fungus. I understand that fungus is worse in hard water. If so an anti fungal will help. Mardel's Maroxy is effective.

I just start sprinkling a little fry powder into the net after a week or so. The wigglers will eat the egg sacs first. I also put some floating plant material in the net, which also provides a little nutrient. While I was out of town with a sick grandbaby, I had new fry hatch and no one died, so they do find food in the nets in an established tank.

Congrats, ICEEGRL!!!!

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thanks! Some eggs I did get to stick to the side of the net, but most fell to the bottom. Now I am having a problem with them geting under the bottom frame. Is that going to be a problem with them being under there or will they be okay?
How do I know which eggs are good if any? I don't have any with spot in the middle. I have whole eggs turning dark, and some that are med brown, and some beige. None are white or clear though.
Got any pics of eggs just before hatching so I can see how much mine are off?
I will try to get another pic of mine today.
My eggs are in all stages mixed. They were layed and collected over a 3 day span.
I was planning to move them to the 10g today so they could hatch in there. Now I don't know if I should or not. Should I move them now or wait until after they hatch? And If I move them should I just put them in the tank or leave them in the net in that tank until they hatch so they don't get blown around?
day 1

now

without flash

Do these look healthy? If so how close does it look like they are to hatching?
Thanks

edit: The 2 light ones in the bottom pic are new eggs.

 

[NEONCORY]

Darker eggs are good. They would hatch soon. I never bred the pepper so I don't know how long it would take to hatch also it depends on the temperature they are kept. But it usually take 3~5days. Either there are black spot or not, the egg itself get darker mean, they are developing. They would most likely hatch. If the egg stay clear, they were not fertrized. And if the egg become milky white, usually with hairy or fuzzy means fungused and won't hatch.
But your eggs look good. They should hatch in 2 days or so.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thank You!

Should I move them into their own tank before or after they hatch?

 

[jollysue]

It's your choice, but as I said I have done well with the net. They don't fungus or get sucked up and don't need cleaning all the time. I just shake the net a bit. There are mishaps but I had as many or more using a hatching tank and alot more work.

The issue in moving them is the change in water params and temps from the parents. Mine grow up very well in the net as long as I don't accidently wash them out or fill up the tank passed the top of the net. But as I say I have chosen to use the net. The other way was just way too much work and I lost fry that way more. Probably because I wasn't adept. Still almost all that hatch in the net live unless I do something stupid like drop it or over fill. But I have pretty well got that under control now.

I imagine the top way would be to put the parents in a breeding tank and remove them after the spawn. But the logistics of all that is just way too much for me right now--too much room and time needed.

I think the thing is to chose your method and develop it. You will learn what works by doing it and develop your method for you.

I worried about the frame thing, but I was always surprised by the little guys scooting around suddenly when I was sure they had died squished between the net and frame. lol Little cuties! I think just try to be careful when moving that the net stays in the water. The eggs and hatchlings seem to be incredibly hearty just like their parents. I thought the fry would eat eggs that I added to the net if they landed on the bottom, but after awhile new babies!

 

[ICEEGRL]

How do you do water changes with the net in. The water level goes below the net, but not low enough to set it down on bottom.
If I can figure that one I like the net idea. I have to do water change though(and soon). I was supposed to do it today. I just can't figure how with the net in there.
Thanks!

 

[jollysue]

I am able to do a 10 % water change in the 100 usg and a 40 % in the 20 long.

Maybe you could fill a dish pan or bucket with tank water and put the net it it. Later you could use the tank water to rinse filters or whatnot. Those little logistics are the things that you work out as you go along. Whichever method you chose, you will have these things to figure out.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Thanks!
They are doing it again. I didn't get but 2 of them though. It has been a buisy day.
The first ones still haven't started hatching yet. I am so ready to see them! I really hope they make it.

 

[ICEEGRL]

Just did my bedtime feed & check. I had to remove more due to fungus despite the meds. I have lost close to 30 now.
I went to get one that looked kind of funky and it moved!!! It was and egg with a tail! I rechecked the ones I had removed (into a glass), then got the magnifying glass. I found 1 more.
This is soooo cool!
Yall weren't kidding about the tiny thing. I just thought guppy fry were small. These things are really hard to see. The tails aren't much bigger than a hair. I can't wait to see the rest of them...
I have to go look again. Will post more later.
Thanks for everything so far!!

 

[jollysue]

That's the first time I've heard fry mistaken for fungus!

The little darlins are making a great effort for you. lol