Trying To Breed My Cories

[Akasha72]

My hi fin pepper just laid eggs yet again. The past several times I've had no success trying to get them to hatch and/or grow. She laid them all over an amazon sword that sits between the two filter intakes, so I just placed an airstone underneath the majority of them (which the fish don't like to go near) so cross your fingers everyone!

Consider the fingers firmly crossed

 

[Akasha72]

Turkey baster for feeding put a little tetramin in a tub with a little tank water,let it soak for a minute or so,then using the turkey baster put it right into tank near the fry and squeeze very gently or else you'll have a sand storm

I've finally managed to get some first bites today after days of searching every lfs nearby and not finding any at all. That suggested soaking it in tank water first - something I'd just not thought of! I've tried it with the TetraMin and it works with that too - fed that to my platy fry, the cory fry got the first bites.

I also thought about putting some of the java moss into a pot with tank water and add the baby food to that and put the java moss back. They do sit in the moss so that could be an idea

 

[Akasha72]

I've had a mini disaster. I decided to do an ammonia test on their water before changing it this afternoon (busy this morning) and was horrified to find a reading of 0.25. I changed 50% and re-tested - still very slightly green so I changed another 50%.

I've now stolen the filter from my fry tank, doubled up a stocking (one of those thick-ish opaque ones) put the filter inside it and added it to the cory tank. (I've borrowed a spare filter for the platy fry tank and put some old media in there, guessing they'll be more hardy to an un-cycled filter)

I'll check it again in the morning. Both baby cories are still alive and well. I've also removed the small trumpet snail. I'll agitate the sand myself.

Anything I've not considered there?

Thanks

 

[FishFanatic04]

It may have been the snails fault. They have bigger bioloads then they look like. I think I have seen a similar problem in someone else's thread.

 

[Akasha72]

Yeah, I thought it might be down to the snail. I mean 2 teeny, tiny cory babies shouldn't create that much ammonia!

Anyway, I'm hoping to have cured the problem with the filter and praying the doubled up stocking will stop them from getting sucked in.

I've put the air stone back in aswell as the filter isn't moving much water around inside the stocking

ooh, forgot to say. The solitary egg ... it has a darker dot in the centre. Looks like I'm going to have baby No.3

 

[FishFanatic04]

Birthday party coming soon!

 

[Akasha72]

Birthday party coming soon!

Haha! Not sure they'll eat cake though

 

[Harlequins]

I'd be 99% sure thats its the firstbites causing the ammonia reading... its a so n so for messing with water quality...

 

[Akasha72]

I'd be 99% sure thats its the firstbites causing the ammonia reading... its a so n so for messing with water quality...

Okay ... I'll go back to the TetraMin baby if you think it's that - although the filter should deal with the water quality now and I'll still be doing daily water changes aswell.

I'll keep an eye on things - thing is I think I knew there was a problem as there was a smell I've come to recognize now. Had it in the other fry tank aswell (before the filter cycled)

I have a plan brewing anyway. P@H do a 30 litre tank, with lid for £25. I'm planning to get it, install the PF mini filter, 50 watt heater and a sand substrate and all the cory babies and platy babies can live together. At present I'm running 3 tanks and a bottle with an egg and air stone ... I'm dreading my electric bill!!!

 

[Harlequins]

The only danger is that platy fry grow faster than cory fry and if you add any new fry,they may get munched...

 

[Akasha72]

ahh then that is a problem

Might be best to stay as I am then ...

Thanks! You've just saved me 25 quid!

 

[FishFanatic04]

I have used first bites too for platy fry but it was in a breeder box in my big tank so I didn't know it can cause problems. Good thing to store away for future reference. Will cory fry eat hatched brine shrimp, Harlequins?

 

[Akasha72]

I got some frozen stuff at the lfs this week as they said it would be small enough for the baby cories to eat but when I defrosted a bit there's no way they'd manage it just yet. I think it was Artimis or something. Really small but not small enough for these lil guys. Maybe in a month or so ...

 

[Harlequins]

I have used first bites too for platy fry but it was in a breeder box in my big tank so I didn't know it can cause problems. Good thing to store away for future reference. Will cory fry eat hatched brine shrimp, Harlequins?

Cory fry can handle baby brine shrimp or ebay has decapsulated bs eggs,which is a powder fry,you can soak n serve

 

[Akasha72]

Minor heart attack this morning ... could only find one baby wahhhhh

Then I spotted baby number two (after I'd poked around the filter intake with my turkey baster almost in tears) he was sat on top of the bog wood! Talk about well camoflaged!