Background: I took on an unwanted 43 litre tank a couple of years ago, full of guppies, one cory sterbai and a bristlenose plec. I'd never had fish before, and had a hellish time with the breeding guppies. It was a steep and miserable learning curve and I managed, eventually, to get a LFS and nearby fishkeeper with a huge tank to take all the guppies. For a while after I had only the BN and the sterbai, increasingly hidey with no other fish around. I got him an albino cory as a tankmate, to see how he'd get on with another cory after all that time deprived of cory friends, and they hung out together a bit. I got six harlequins at the same time. Knowing that corys should be in shoals, but concerned that I already had two different kinds, and not enough room for two sets of six. So last week I added another albino, another sterbai and two bronze. So now I have three pairs, and the BN and the six harlequins. No desire for more fish, I just want the ones I have to be happy.
And some of them seem to be so happy that a week in to their new home, with no major water change (though with some generous bloodworm feeds), I have eggs on the sides of the tank and a couple of plants - maybe 40 eggs. I've read through this forum everyone's joy at breeding, but it made my heart sink, reminding me of the nightmare I had being overrun with guppies as a novice. I don't want to breed corys, as my LFS isn't all that 'local', and I don't drive, so it's a bit of a trek by bus (and actually they don't generally take fish from customers). And whilst I love my fish and enjoy watching them, I don't want to turn it into a more time intensive 'hobby' by way of breeding - I just want happy, healthy fish (and I seem to have them, which is certainly a good feeling).
From the posts I've read tonight, it's quite possible that perhaps the eggs won't even hatch or be fertile, as some of the fish are quite immature - I'll check again in the morning for dark spots, there didn't seem to be any this evening. Perhaps the plec might eat the eggs? The corys might? The harlequins? I don't know...I don't have a breeding tank or a follow-on tank. I could just leave the eggs where they are and see what happens I guess. But I feel like a bad person for not being happy about this. I don't want to sabbotage their efforts, but I don't want regular batches of babies, not least because I think my tank is at stocking capacity. What do people do when they have corys and don't want them to breed? Am I being naive?? (nobody suggest bromide tea, please! ;-)
I wonder which have spawned. I can't be sure of my males and females yet. I'm assuming they'll only breed with their like - sterbai with sterbai etc?... (how about bronze and albino though, as they're of the same type?). Anyway, the new corys are delightful. They settled right in with no hiding, all now spend a lot of time rooting around in their pairs, but also as groups of four or six. Lots of swimming about the length and height of the tank and they're confident out on their own as individuals, too. And I'm seeing my original sterbai a lot more in the last week, as I had anticipated. I do love these fish, so peaceful and entertaining.
Am I panicking unnecessarily at the idea of being overrun by little corys??
And some of them seem to be so happy that a week in to their new home, with no major water change (though with some generous bloodworm feeds), I have eggs on the sides of the tank and a couple of plants - maybe 40 eggs. I've read through this forum everyone's joy at breeding, but it made my heart sink, reminding me of the nightmare I had being overrun with guppies as a novice. I don't want to breed corys, as my LFS isn't all that 'local', and I don't drive, so it's a bit of a trek by bus (and actually they don't generally take fish from customers). And whilst I love my fish and enjoy watching them, I don't want to turn it into a more time intensive 'hobby' by way of breeding - I just want happy, healthy fish (and I seem to have them, which is certainly a good feeling).
From the posts I've read tonight, it's quite possible that perhaps the eggs won't even hatch or be fertile, as some of the fish are quite immature - I'll check again in the morning for dark spots, there didn't seem to be any this evening. Perhaps the plec might eat the eggs? The corys might? The harlequins? I don't know...I don't have a breeding tank or a follow-on tank. I could just leave the eggs where they are and see what happens I guess. But I feel like a bad person for not being happy about this. I don't want to sabbotage their efforts, but I don't want regular batches of babies, not least because I think my tank is at stocking capacity. What do people do when they have corys and don't want them to breed? Am I being naive?? (nobody suggest bromide tea, please! ;-)
I wonder which have spawned. I can't be sure of my males and females yet. I'm assuming they'll only breed with their like - sterbai with sterbai etc?... (how about bronze and albino though, as they're of the same type?). Anyway, the new corys are delightful. They settled right in with no hiding, all now spend a lot of time rooting around in their pairs, but also as groups of four or six. Lots of swimming about the length and height of the tank and they're confident out on their own as individuals, too. And I'm seeing my original sterbai a lot more in the last week, as I had anticipated. I do love these fish, so peaceful and entertaining.
Am I panicking unnecessarily at the idea of being overrun by little corys??