Questions About Cory Growth

[jelloz]

Hi:

I have been breeding and raising Aeneus Cories for about a 6 months. It took me 12 spawnings before I was ever able to get them past the 10 day die off that I was experiencing. That was due to the tips I received on this forum, especially from Inch. I assembled my 8 breeders from 3 purchases at different LFS over a 1 month time frame.

I have 2 questions. I have some 7 week old cories and some 5 week old cories. Each group has some that really grew fast and also some runts.
Is this common? Some are easily 75% larger than their brothers/sisters.

In order to build another spawning group, should I pick the ones that grew the fastest. Does this make sense or not?

Thanks

JelloZ

 

[JenCliBee]

Hi:

I have been breeding and raising Aeneus Cories for about a 6 months. It took me 12 spawnings before I was ever able to get them past the 10 day die off that I was experiencing. That was due to the tips I received on this forum, especially from Inch. I assembled my 8 breeders from 3 purchases at different LFS over a 1 month time frame.

I have 2 questions. I have some 7 week old cories and some 5 week old cories. Each group has some that really grew fast and also some runts.
Is this common? Some are easily 75% larger than their brothers/sisters.

In order to build another spawning group, should I pick the ones that grew the fastest. Does this make sense or not?

Thanks

JelloZ

Growing ata different rate is normal i have the same with my sterbai, doesnt matter IME which 1's you pick as a breeding group they will mature roughly the same in my understanding and the runts as you say will soon grow and catchup with the rest.

you already have a group of 8? why do you want another group? and why not just add new bloodlines from the different shops youve been to. this way you have 1 large group and not 2 groups, saves on an extra tank aswell lol

 

[jelloz]

Hi:

I have been breeding and raising Aeneus Cories for about a 6 months. It took me 12 spawnings before I was ever able to get them past the 10 day die off that I was experiencing. That was due to the tips I received on this forum, especially from Inch. I assembled my 8 breeders from 3 purchases at different LFS over a 1 month time frame.

I have 2 questions. I have some 7 week old cories and some 5 week old cories. Each group has some that really grew fast and also some runts.
Is this common? Some are easily 75% larger than their brothers/sisters.

In order to build another spawning group, should I pick the ones that grew the fastest. Does this make sense or not?

Thanks

JelloZ

Growing ata different rate is normal i have the same with my sterbai, doesnt matter IME which 1's you pick as a breeding group they will mature roughly the same in my understanding and the runts as you say will soon grow and catchup with the rest.

you already have a group of 8? why do you want another group? and why not just add new bloodlines from the different shops youve been to. this way you have 1 large group and not 2 groups, saves on an extra tank aswell lol

Thanks for the answers.

I want to get a second group breeding. Just to see if I can. I also have a problem with survival rates of fry. In the 2 groups that lived, I had less than a 10% survival rate.

Secondly, I have some Orange Lasers, CW010s, that are approaching breeding age and I want to get enough experience with the Aeneus so that when the CW010s do lay eggs, I will be able to raise the fry successfully.

 

[JenCliBee]

Thanks for the answers.

I want to get a second group breeding. Just to see if I can. I also have a problem with survival rates of fry. In the 2 groups that lived, I had less than a 10% survival rate.

Secondly, I have some Orange Lasers, CW010s, that are approaching breeding age and I want to get enough experience with the Aeneus so that when the CW010s do lay eggs, I will be able to raise the fry successfully.

ahhh!! that makes more sense lol.

How are your raising the fry? foods, tank etc etc

 

[jelloz]

Thanks for the answers.

I want to get a second group breeding. Just to see if I can. I also have a problem with survival rates of fry. In the 2 groups that lived, I had less than a 10% survival rate.

Secondly, I have some Orange Lasers, CW010s, that are approaching breeding age and I want to get enough experience with the Aeneus so that when the CW010s do lay eggs, I will be able to raise the fry successfully.

ahhh!! that makes more sense lol.

How are your raising the fry? foods, tank etc etc

First 3 Weeks in a 2 quart Glad Food container
Move to 2.5 Gallon Tank after 3 weeks

First 3 weeks: Food - Squeezings from a filter
Frozen BBS
Ground up flake food
Once in a while 3 drops of Liquifry.

35% WC 2 times a day, Vacuuming the bottom each time
More WC if water gets cloudy
Bubbler in the container
Clean container each week.
Bare bottom.

The deaths usually starts from 10 to 17 days.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jelloz

You are doing a lot of work to have such a disappointing survival rate. While you are likely to lose some of the weaker fry in any batch, why not try to simplify things a bit and try something different. A bare bottomed tank is hard to keep clean and free of the film that harmful bacteria breeds in. I used to do it this way, but found I have better results, with less effort, by using a sand bottom.

I would suggest that you try putting about 1/4" of clean sand in the bottom of your 2 1/2 gallon tank and putting the eggs right into it. As soon as they hatch, cover the new fry with filter squeezings. Leave the airstone in there to keep the water circulating and do small water changes every day.

After a week or so, you will see the fry becoming more active. That's when you can start adding more food. I like microworms because they provide nutrition and stay alive in the tank a long time. Even when they die, they seem to become part of the gunk at the bottom and (to my experience, at least) are less apt to cause problems than LiquiFry or other foods that are not completely consumed. They are good food until the fry are about 3/4" long. By then, of course, I will have them eating a variety of regular foods as well.

After a couple of weeks, I usually start giving them Hikari sinking wafers as their first adult food. I like this best for the simple reason that they can be broken up and one or two quarters can be put in the tank at first. They hold together and the uneaten parts can be easily netted out. I don't make any big effort to remove the filter squeezings that I put in first, but it gradually comes out with the daily water changes.

I've seen some fry grow much bigger than the others too. It's not that the others are smaller for lack of food, because they constantly have food in the tank while they are young. Most of the others will catch up, given enough time.

I don't know it the bigger fry would make a better breeding group, but if you want a second one, why not try to search for some wild caught C. aeneus. They are not common, but if you can find them, IMHO they are well worth the effort. Unlike farmed corys, they will usually come in as adults, and will be ready to spawn as soon as they are conditioned and healthy. Their F1 fry seem to be brighter, more colorful, and perhaps even stronger than the ones bred from farmed stock.

 

[jelloz]

Inch:

You got that right. It takes me about 45 minutes a day to take care of the 12 Aeneus Catfish. I also have another group that is about 2 weeks old right now. I am looking for any better ideas to make this work. I did go out and buy some play sand today. I also found the microworms on Ebay but I have to contact a friend of mine to buy them with Paypal as I refuse to get an account with them.

I had 3 questions. What is the water depth of the 2.5 gallon tank when you put the eggs in there? When do you increase the depth and to what level?
Also, how do you know that there is enough microworms in the tank, by looking at their bellies or can you see the worms laying on the bottom?

Thanks for the help. I have to do something different. I am getting tired with all the time it takes to keep them going. But, those little catfish. They are so cute when they are small. It kinda makes it all worth it.

Thanks again!
JelloZ

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jelloz

I fill the 2 1/2 gallon tank up to within and inch of the top with tank water from the parent's tank. That's not too deep for them at all. When they hatch, I pull the airstone up so it's just moving the water around at the top and not pushing the fry around on the bottom. After a few weeks they will need to be moved up to a bigger tank.

Microworms are tiny and look like dust settling down through the water. Here's a link with a picture of a culture.

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry2311994

What you see on the side of the container are clusters of them. Just scrape off an amount the size of a grain of rice or so and swish it into the tank. They are white, so they don't show through their bellies, but you will see the fry moving around and eating them. After they die you will notice them on the bottom more than when they are alive. They will look similar to filter squeezings.

 

[jelloz]

I just thought I would follow up on my situation. I was not feeding the baby catfish newer food soon enough. In the past I was doing no food for 2 days after hatching, then filter squeezings for 3 days, then 3 days of Liquifry, then finely ground flake food for a few days, then FBBS. I was getting a 2 percent survival rate.

I just fell into a new routine and it has worked out well for me.
I changed to this:
Day after hatching - Filter squeezings
Day 3 after hatching - Liquifry 2X per day - 3 drops
Day 4 after hatching - Finely ground up flake food 2X per day
Day 6 and beyond - AM Finely ground flake food - PM FBBS

I vacuum/change water 25-50% before each meal.
I am still using Glad plastic food containers - I move them to 5 gallon tanks at 20 days.

I am getting smaller egg batches - 20 to 40, 5 to 20 Wigglers hatch from each batch - and 98% that hatch, make it to 20 days. Huge improvement.

Your mileage may vary.

Thanks for your help Inch.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jelloz

I've so glad you are getting a larger number of surviving fry. That's most encouraging!

You could be getting a better hatching rate too. When you move the eggs, could you be damaging them? If they are soft when you touch then, try waiting even an hour or two. It might make a difference. A drop of methylene blue could help if the problem is fungus on otherwise healthy eggs. Also, be sure they have a fair amount of water circulating around them. If you use the methy blue, be sure to get it out of the water as soon after they hatch as possible. Hope this helps.

Keep up the good work!

 

[jelloz]

Hi jelloz

I've so glad you are getting a larger number of surviving fry. That's most encouraging!

You could be getting a better hatching rate too. When you move the eggs, could you be damaging them? If they are soft when you touch then, try waiting even an hour or two. It might make a difference. A drop of methylene blue could help if the problem is fungus on otherwise healthy eggs. Also, be sure they have a fair amount of water circulating around them. If you use the methy blue, be sure to get it out of the water as soon after they hatch as possible. Hope this helps.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the encouragement.

I went to 2 LFS and 3 chains and none of them carry methylene blue. I am going to have to order some online.
I was told by a professional breeder why they don't stock it.

 

[Coryologist]

I was told by a professional breeder why they don't stock it.

Hi. I'm curious as to what you were told as to why they don't stock it. It's all I use I I couldn't live without it. - Frank

 

[jelloz]

I was told by a professional breeder why they don't stock it.

Hi. I'm curious as to what you were told as to why they don't stock it. It's all I use I I couldn't live without it. - Frank

Frank:
Because of the answer that I received, I thought it best to send it to you in an email.....
JOe