Omg Cory Eggs!

[snazy]

That's my little setup:

And a one day old baby cory:

 

[CezzaXV]

At the moment I've got the bottom of a milk bottle cut off and floating in the tank, with an airstone half in the tank (if I submerge the airstone I feel the water movement is too much). The moss ball is tipping the bottle, so it's maybe 3 inches deep on the deep side, maybe less than 2 on the shallow side. Is that too deep? Prior to this when they were in the coke bottle they were in maybe an inch or so of water, though being a numpty I forgot to aerate it, though I was doing water changes (with oxygenated water from the main tank) every day. I did notice when I tested that the main tank had a pH of 7.0 (which is a little higher than it normally is), and the bottle was 7.2-7.4. Of course, this made water changes a little more awkward, as I wanted to change as much water as possible without risking shocking them. I've not tested today though.

I've pushed some tiny, tiny holes in the side with a pin now that I'm 99% sure I'm not getting a mini-cycle in the main tank.

I had a good feeling about these fry this time, that this was going to be the time I manage it, but now it's looking 66% less likely.

Can I ask where you got the little floating tank to? I've had a look on eBay and I can't find any. They're kinda neat.

 

[snazy]

Can I ask where you got the little floating tank to? I've had a look on eBay and I can't find any. They're kinda neat.

I got mine from the local pet shop ages ago. It's a marina mini breeder floating box or something of this sort.
I was actually recently considering buying a hang on breeder box. These get attached to the outside of the tank and water flows in and out from the main tank. I read somewhere it's actually good for cory fry. I was gonna buy it, then I bought a new tank altogether instead. Then it turns out a whole tank is way too big for my average hatch rate of 4-5 cory babies so I'll keep them in the same box for now until they are "visible" size. My previous baby went straight from that box into the main tank at a month and a half with no problem.

Here is a link if you want to have a look. They come in 3 different sizes-small, medium and large:

http/uk.hagen.com/Aquatic/Misc.-Accessories/Breeders--Salt--Silicone/10943

 

[snazy]

Forgot... If your bottle is floating around and is not kept under water, then there won't be any water flow going through the holes if the holes are too small and for a cory that size you can't make them bigger. The box needs to be clipped in at least 2/3 into the water so the laws of physics make that happen.
2-3 water inches water height shouldn't be a problem. Mine is just about covering a big moss ball.
The Ph difference may have shocked them though as you say. A 0.2-0.4 difference for a cory fry is huge shock I would imagine. That's why some type of box providing constant flow from the main tank would be best as long as the tank is cycled and healthy of course. All this "dirty" looking stuff on moss balls, java moss and plants could be mini creatures for them to snack on. I've read and was advised here about adding mulm from established filter for them the first week as it provides great micro-natural food. So super cleanining is not the solution exactly, only if there's some very visible bits of food floating around.

 

[CezzaXV]

All my babies are dead now. Every batch of fry has been a learning experience though. I was wary of putting these in their own tank because my last lot I think were killed in the stress of my filter breakdown and having to move them from tank to tank. Next time though, I am definitely putting them in my (I think) 15L tank I have in storage with their own little filter.

To add insult to injury, I got home from work this evening to find more eggs! Except they've been seen off, presumably by my dwarf gourami who I both love and hate so much. At least I know they're still in the mood for it though. Hopefully there'll be more babies soon.

 

[CezzaXV]

Update:
Got one egg that I managed to get to before my dwarf gourami did! Although they don't look like they're still spawning, obviously they are because I would have noticed that egg. Don't wanna disturb them too much right now but gonna keep an eye on it and remove my plants to check for eggs later tonight.

Got the egg back in the milk bottle with the airstone. If it hatches I will set up my 15L tank from the beginning.

 

[snazy]

There will be more babies for sure. Get that little tank set up and cycled. When moving the eggs, make sure you don't expose them to air and fill the small tank with water from the main tank, not tap water.

 

[CezzaXV]

I've got nine eggs now (so far!) - a record breaking spawn for me! It would have been even more if not for those getting eaten before I got home

I'm so happy that they're spawning again though, it couldn't have come at a better time. I'm so glad I'm going to get another chance so soon, especially as I know where I went wrong the last time. As I speak I can see a pair in the T position! This is awesome!

I've always exposed the eggs to air for a second or two while I move them to the container - is that a bad thing? They've always hatched before (or at least, it doesn't appear to make a difference to those that hatch and those that don't).

I've got a teeny tiny little filter in my drawer with the foot from a pair of tights around it to stop any of the little guys getting sucked in. When I need it I just take a little bit of media from the filter in my main tank. Of course, a decent sized chunk of the media in my filter was new on Monday, as I upgraded from my Fluval 205 to 305. Hopefully it'll be obvious when I crack it open which was the old and what's the new media, so I can take a bit of the older, more mature media. I dont know how quickly the bacteria multiplies onto new media.

I really wish I had an ice cream tub or something that I could poke some holes in and float for my dwarf gourami. I love him but he's a right pest when it comes to cory spawnings. Just need to get him away! I dont even have another milk bottle right now.

 

[Harlequins]

Good luck with the eggs - My tri's were terrors for hiding eggs

I dont think you're doing anything wrong as such.... it doesn't hurt the eggs that much being exposed short term,i've done it myself transferring eggs from the main tank.

I personally dont use first biter or liquidfry anymore,has i find it pollutes the tank too easily, i use tetramin baby, baby brineshrimp & decapsulated bs eggs, and it works well for me...

Also i found no difference on how deep the water is, i recently raised all 35 corys to adulthood in the fry tank that was 12 inches deep with no losses, if the babes are strong enough they will swim to the top anyway.

 

[CezzaXV]

Thanks, it's nice to have words of encouragement. This business can get a bit disheartening at times when you fail.

Everyone I speak to seems to have their own ideas on what you should and should not feed fry. Do you not worry about the brine shrimp eggs rotting in the tank? It's difficult to get an idea of how big they are - are they easy to see and scoop out if they don't get eaten?

I know what you mean about them hiding eggs. With my new tall tank, I have to go shoulder deep to pick up each plant and check for eggs! It's great when you find them though

I've got a lovely bit of java fern that's been propagating and has split off onto my wood. I ended up tearing it off to check for eggs (I'd seen the cories upside down under the java fern. There weren't any eggs there!

 

[Harlequins]

The brineshrimp eggs are decapsulated and powder form, i find it better to soak in a little tank water first, and using a turkey baster put it in the tank. any left overs is noticeable has a orange tinge on the sand

 

[CezzaXV]

I'm up to 24 eggs now. My previous record was 7!

Come on, universe. If I can't get one cory to adulthood from 24 eggs, there's no hope! Fourth time lucky?

 

[snazy]

I'm up to 24 eggs now. My previous record was 7!

Come on, universe. If I can't get one cory to adulthood from 24 eggs, there's no hope! Fourth time lucky?

Hopefully they'll all hatch and with a good experience behind your back now I am sure they'll be fine.

 

[Harlequins]

Good luck will keep everything crossed for you

 

[CezzaXV]

Thanks guys.

I'm up to 25 now and I'm calling it a night. I can't stay up any longer to be searching the tank for eggs. I've released my dwarf gourami as I couldn't leave him sitting in my net all night. Really hoping to get hold of an ice cream tub soon as a temporary floating tank for him for the next time this happens.

I'll have another check for eggs in the morning, and I'll have a look through the ones I've got to hopefully spot any infertile ones.