Omg Cory Eggs!

[Tizer]

any slight readings above 0 tend to knock off fry be it on that day or a few days later, at least from the experience i had with mine, managed to kill off a fair few hundred cory fry in my time :0

 

[CezzaXV]

Yeah, I could kick myself. I wasn't sure the sponge filter was working properly but I'd never used one before and I just assumed that was how it was meant to be. The water was smelling a bit too before I discovered it had ammonia in it but I just didn't think. Argh. Still, it's all valuable experience and hopefully there'll be a next time and I'll know not to make the same mistakes again.

My main tank is due a water change tomorrow, and from now on I'm gonna start doing cooler water changes, see if I can encourage them to breed. Any other tips are encouraged.

 

[Tizer]

Simply feed frozen or live Bloodworm every day for a week, then on friday night do a 50% water change using cold water only. Saturday morning or even that night should see some action.

The only thing you have to be careful of, is shocking your other fish with the temp change.

 

[CezzaXV]

Live bloodworm are hard to get hold of in my neck of the woods, but frozen is definitely doable. I'm guessing all I can do in regards to the temperature is make it gradual rather than just pour buckets of cold water in.

Now I think about it, I might have fed them frozen something a day or two before I found eggs the last time.

 

[Akasha72]

Nooo

I'm sorry to hear that cezza, and he was doing so well

 

[snazy]

It's probably the ammonia that killed it. Sorry to hear that but I am sure you'll be overrun by corys soon if you keep trying.
I never do cold water changes and feed frozen blood worms once a week only but normally they lay the eggs before I feed them the blood worms so this is not exactly the trigger. Mine spawn very often, once a week or once every two weeks is a rule.
I got about 10 wigglers hatched yesterday!!!

 

[CezzaXV]

Yeah, sucks. I've thrown the sponge filter in the bin now. Gonna stick with my HOB one from now on, or maybe get a cheap internal that uses more generic media (my HOB uses specific cartridges and I'm not sure they're gonna be seeded enough again before my next batch of fry). I'm not convinced my HOB creates enough water movement either.

Considering I got this little fry without even trying, I'm hoping to get more now that I am. Could be an interesting little project.

 

[Tizer]

Pop down Maidenhead Aquatics, pick up one of their Aqua Flow 50's and cover it up with some material from an old pair of tights (just the slats that allow water into the sponge). You can chuck in some mature sponge from another filter at any time and fire it up. Perfect little fry tank filters, i hate the sponge type ones you were using, they are way too noisey to be in my home.

My fry tanks were from pets at home, clearseal ones, 18x10x10 i think. £23

 

[CezzaXV]

My nearest Maidenhead Aquatics is a 50 minute drive away, but I've got several P@H near me as well as other fish shops so I'm sure I'll be able to find something suitable for next time.

I don't currently have any sponge in my filter right now, but I do have floss and a large amount of ceramic rings. Will these do or should I get some sponge in there to seed for when I need it?

 

[Tizer]

yar, or just get a little filter and chuck it in the tank with the existing filter and let it cycle itself for a few months. Up to you really! Cant recall what filter you run, but this is why i run external filters packed full of biomedia that i can use if needed.

 

[CezzaXV]

I'm running a Fluval 205. More ceramic rings than you can shake a stick at. The HOB filter was what originally came with my tank, it's not something I would normally choose but it'll do for a fry/quarantine tank in the absence of anything else.

I started feeding frozen bloodworm tonight but I think my guppies saw off most of them. Wondering what the best way to make sure my cories get some is.

 

[CezzaXV]

Been feeding frozen bloodworms for the last few nights. Been feeding a little more than I normally would to try to make sure my cories get some and they're not all had by my guppies.

Planning on doing a cold water change soon.

 

[CezzaXV]

Just done a cold water change. Changed about 40-50% of the water and replaced it with cold, tricking it in very slowly so as not to shock my fish. Temp dropped from the normal 24.5-25 to 20.5. Hoping I see some action soon.

 

[CezzaXV]

Cories looking very active after this morning's cold water change.

 

[CezzaXV]

I can't see any eggs anywhere yet, but I definitely just witnessed two of them in the T position!