Trying To Breed My Cories

[Akasha72]

UPDATE:

I decided to move both eggs last night back into my main tank - partly because the fry tank isn't big enough now I have more fry (blooming guppy again, another 50+) but also because I'm worried about not being able to see them and if they hatch etc.

I sucked them both up carefully with my turkey baster and put them back into the tiny plastic pot. I've floated my plastic breeding trap in the corner of the main tank and floated the pot inside it - I did this because I was worried just floating the pot was screaming for an accident and it to be tipped over and the eggs lost.

So, the eggs. Well they are still the same colour, still round and no sign of hatching yet (too early I think, tomorrow or Wednesday might be nearer the mark)

I'm trying not to get excited and telling myself they are infurtile to avoid disapointment.

No more signs of spawning from the cories since - guess they're having a rest

 

[Harlequins]

They should go darker has time goes by,my albino eggs takes 3-4 days with a temp at 23 degrees.

Make sure you got an airstone or flow over the eggs or they may go fungal

 

[Akasha72]

they're still the same as I found them. I'm beginning to think they're infurtile.

 

[Akasha72]

I've just lifted them out of the tank for a closer look. One of the eggs has something darker inside it - you can almost see it curled up. The other is still pale so I'm presuming infurtile?

I didn't have an airstone in with them but I'm trying to sort that now. Floating them as they were with an air stone isn't going to work (too heavy) so I'm scalding out a coca cola bottle at the moment. I'm going to leave it out of the tank - will it need a heater in with them?

 

[Akasha72]

UPDATE:

I've now cut a large coca cola bottle in half, scalded it out with boiling water, cooled it, filled it with water from my main tank and put it inside my biscuit barrel to stop it falling over. Both the eggs have gone in and a air stone - no heater (no room for one)

My Dad is coming back later hopefully with his small tank which will fit a heater. The plan then would be to put water into the small tank and heat it to around 26. I'll stand the bottle in the warm water then. If I wriggler appears then I'll set it free.

How does that sound Harlequins?

 

[Staxx]

how can i tell if my cories are male or female?

 

[Akasha72]

I'm just watching them at the moment and I'd say they're in the mood again. Lots of 'kissing' going on and wriggling against the glass.
I'm tempted to take a bucket of water out and replace it with cold and then feed them some bloodworms

If the first attempt of hatching eggs fails I'll have a back up plan at least

 

[This Old Spouse]

how can i tell if my cories are male or female?

Most cory can be sexed when they're mature with the females being bigger and plumper than the males.

 

[Harlequins]

UPDATE:

I've now cut a large coca cola bottle in half, scalded it out with boiling water, cooled it, filled it with water from my main tank and put it inside my biscuit barrel to stop it falling over. Both the eggs have gone in and a air stone - no heater (no room for one)

My Dad is coming back later hopefully with his small tank which will fit a heater. The plan then would be to put water into the small tank and heat it to around 26. I'll stand the bottle in the warm water then. If I wriggler appears then I'll set it free.

How does that sound Harlequins?

Put the cola bottle inside your tank,use a clothes peg (or tank magnet if you have one) to secure it to the side of your tank this will stop the cola bottle tipping and you dont need to use a heater this way. pop in the airstone,
Fry do better in the lower temps,so set it around 22 degrees

 

[Akasha72]

that's basically what I've done. My dad has lent me his little quarenteen tank, I've half filled it roughly - enough to cover my spare heater and put the bottle in clipped to the side with a food bag clip ... must've been reading your mind

I've taken the thermometer out of the fry tank and popped that in. It seems to be running at about 24-ish.

I keep checking the eggs - they seem a bit darker in colour now but we'll see what happens - not gonna count my chickens (or cories) till they've hatched

Meanwhile the bronze's are going nutty and I've got a feeling the peppered are breeding quietly in the plants. It would be nice to wake up to more eggs

 

[Akasha72]

forgot to ask ...

if I do get lucky and get a baby from these eggs what's the best thing to feed it? I looked at P@H today and couldn't find anything specifically for baby bottom feeders.

I have TetraMin Baby for my guppy and platy fry but I'm worried that won't feed cory fry.

Can you recommend something I can get hold of easily

 

[coldcazzie]

Do you have any moss? Moss that's been living in your tank has plenty of microscopic goodies living in it that fry can live off.

I wanted to say something about your filter before I forget. You've a Juwel internal? The pumps can be removed for maintenance etc - if you take the pump out it should say on it what lph turnover it has. Once you know, if you want you can buy a more powerful pump and fit it inside the filter housing. Voila, more powerful filter then keep your old pump as an emergency spare. The Juwel website should be able to give you more info on which pumps are compatible with which size filters.

Hope your eggs hatch

 

[Akasha72]

I have loads of java moss. There's some in the main tank and some in the fry tank. I'll put some in if these eggs hatch.

Re - the filter. The lack of output power is annoying me - has from the start really. I blame that for all the BBA that's growing wildly everywhere

I like the fact that the heater and filter are hidden in the corner box of the juwel - with clever planting I barely notice it now.
I shall do as you suggest tomorrow, (it's getting late and I need to log off before I get square eyes ) and have a look on the juwel website. I still have all the leaflets and instructions that came with the tank - there might be something in there aswell.


I think if these eggs are going to hatch it will be tomorrow or Thursday. Nothing by Friday/Saturday and I accept they're infurtile and chuck em out

 

[This Old Spouse]

I've always fed my cory fry ground fish flakes, with occasional baby brine shrimp, but not often. I feed the ground flakes several times a day. It helps to have very fine sand as substrate.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've always fed my cory fry ground fish flakes, with occasional baby brine shrimp, but not often. I feed the ground flakes several times a day. It helps to have very fine sand as substrate.

I am far from a cory raising expert, but I did have 3 pandas survive in my tank all on their own. My advice would be to use the java moss with them and let them eat the microorganisms that are naturally there, plus a bit of ground up regular food (flake, pellets, whatever). Ultimately, the fry don't get "baby food" in the wild, so the more you can have a "natural" tank, the better - IMHO. My small guys survived the gauntlet of hungry mouths as eggs, then managed to find cover and food for them to survive.