I just remembered! I have a spare 10 gallon tank which I could put the eggs into to! (Do you just pick them out with your fingers?)Should I also put the cories into this tank until they spawn and then put them back into the community tank?
I'll get two more bronze and two more albinos then
And if I have this seperate tank it means I could put it to the right temperature and do the cold water changes. Can I feed them catfish pellets, algae wafers, frozen bloodworm and frozen brineshrimp to condition them?
This tank has sand on the bottom is this okay? And I have a small filter and heater for it with no decor.
Hi puppyjess123
IseparateMHO, this is the best way to do it. After you get a spawn, you can just put the parents back into the community tank and not have to disturb the eggs. A small layer of sand is all you need on the bottom. If your sand has been used before, it might be a good idea to replace it with new. Play sand is inexpensive and will work well.
Since this tank isn't running now, you will probably want to plan ahead on how you want to get it cycled for the adult fish. You could take a portion of filter media from your existing media and to "clone" this tank, or you could get your small filter running now in the larger community. In a few weeks it will be ready to support the corys while they are in the breeding tank.
You will also want to pick up an small air pump, some airline, and an airstone or two. This will enable you to direct the flow of water so that it circulates over the eggs and prevents fungus from developing on them. It can also be used (after they hatch) to run a small sponge filter which is a safe way to start them out.
If you are going to buy additional corys to add to your group, make sure they are mature or they won't be any help for some time. If the store has a good selection, take your time and pick out the fish you want yourself, rather than let the salesperson do it. I like to pick the biggest corys first since they are usually females. Have the salesperson put them into a plastic specimen container before bagging them so you can get a good look at them. Look at their profiles from the top. Then have him/her pick out ones that are thinner. Take your time and don't let them hurry you. If the group has recently arrived at the lfs, you can easily get what you want, but if it's been there awhile and has been picked over, it will be harder to tell them apart.
With corys, it's better to have more males than females, since it will insure better fertilization. Since they don't all spawn at the same time, as long as you have several males in the group, it will be OK.
To condition them, increase the amount of bloodworms in their diet for a few weeks. This will be more helpful when it comes to growing eggs than the other items you mentioned.
