My Sterba's And Bandits Are Spawning!

[BrassMan]

Hi BrassMan

That is such disappointing news.

Why not set up a breeding tank and move your sterbai into it. That way when they spawn again you can just move the fish and raise the eggs there. This will let you avoid moving the eggs and trying to keep fry in a net.

Your water might be a problem and if they will spawn in the tap water, without trying to amend it, raise the fry in it too. They need a stable environment to thrive. Since they are warm water corys, the fry will also need a heater in their tank.

If you can get a microworm culture going ahead of time, so much the better. LiquiFry will get them started, but it's so easy to make a mess with it in the water.

Since your sterbai are now proven breeders there's an excellent chance they will spawn again. If you increase the amount of bloodworms in their diet it will help them develop a good number of eggs and their next spawn will be even larger than their first.

Just having had this first experience with them will help you be more successful with the next batch.

Thanks Inchworm, great advice.

If nothing else I've learned one thing, raising sterbai fry = difficult. I'm looking forward to trying again and will take your advice on board.

One question, what size tank would you recommend as a breeding tank if I was to move the corries into it so they can lay there eggs there, my current spare tank is 10usg, would that be big enough as I don't want to cramp them after the've gotten used to a 50usg.

Thanks

Paul.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi BrassMan

A ten gallon tank will be fine for your three sterbai. If you get more fry, they can be comfortably raised in there for several months. Then you might decide to move them up to a larger tank to grow up, but wait and see how that goes. Doing the daily water changes necessary with fry can be more easily managed in the 10 gallon.

How are your metae doing?

 

[BrassMan]

Hi BrassMan

A ten gallon tank will be fine for your three sterbai. If you get more fry, they can be comfortably raised in there for several months. Then you might decide to move them up to a larger tank to grow up, but wait and see how that goes. Doing the daily water changes necessary with fry can be more easily managed in the 10 gallon.

How are your metae doing?

Hi Inchworm

Thanks, I'll stick with the 10gallon then.

The metai are doing fine but I never saw the eggs from the last spawning as they're in a big tank with lots of other fish, I don't think many eggs were laid as the female only ever seemed to have 1 clamped beneath her that I could see, she seemed to be trying to hide them under the bog wood and small pebbles, she actually pushed a pebble that was bigger than herself over while was I watching which was quite impressive to see

Paul.