Good News/Bad News

[kelseygirl]

The good news is that the pair that you all have helped me bring back to health (remember topic: Help! I'm ready to throw in the towel?) spawned today at 5:30! They had been cleaning the clay pot for 3 days, and then today (I'm convinced due to Hurricane Charlie) she started laying eggs on the rock (go figure). Then she started going back and forth from the rock to the clay pot. He followed right behind her. This went on for over an hour. When they were almost done I added 8 drops of Methyblu. They started watching the eggs and I went to fix dinner. Then I fed them and wondered why she went for the food and HE didn't. Hmmmmmm..... I just checked, no more eggs. So now I'm wondering, I snapped a couple of pictures while she was laying eggs (I was so excited) and my husband says I added the Methyblu too soon. :-\ Am I just hopeless, or is this common after they haven't laid in such a long time? (almost 2 years) I AM thrilled that I've gotten them to this point when I almost gave up. And it was exciting to watch. But I am pretty bummed right now. So any comments and words of wisdom are welcome. Bummed in Florida.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

It is common for males to eat the eggs if he is inexperienced. Next time they lay, try to put a screen over the eggs to prevent them from being eaten. The meth blue may have scared them a bit which is why the male ate the eggs. I have had this happen a few times.


-Ryan

[kelseygirl]

OK, how do you put a screen over the eggs? I'm clueless.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

get some 1/4" hardware cloth and cut a square large enough to cover the spawning site by either wrapping it around the cone, or just put a suction cup on one end to cover the eggs if they are on the glass. Make sure the screen isnt touching the eggs. I would give you some nice pics of some screens I use, but they are all in use at the moment ;D


-Ryan

[April]

i would use the plastic mesh that they sell for gutters . it comes in a roll and not that costly. some hardware cloth can cause problems with metals..they use zinc where the joints are.
it might just take a few times Kelsey. if their gonna be good parents..you will see each time the eggs stay there longer. its very exciting..and if they laid now and your water stays to their likings..they will lay again. if their looking ready again..in about a week..and you do a large wc and drop the temp by a few degrees this sometimes gets them laying.

[Willie]

April;

Long before I knew, I made a screen cage from galvanized metal mesh, roughly 1/2" square. I've used it for 5 years now with no problems. The good hatches produce fry, the bad ones produce fungus. No rusting, nothing. It works better than the plastic mesh cloth because the metal puts a little tension on the cone and stays put without floating.

Willie

[wildthing]

its called 'gutter guard' and comes in an easy roll.
If you do this it is useful to add a very small airstone at the bottom of it to airate the eggs when the parents cannot get that close any more

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

I agree with Willie. I use the galvanized hardware cloth and I have had no problems with it. Just keep up on your w/c's while the screen is in the water and you shouldn't have any problems.


-Ryan

[kelseygirl]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll let you know where we go from here. ;) Janice

[kelseygirl]

Hope some of you will still watch this thread. Well, the sucker has eaten the eggs three times now at different intervals, so I'm ready to try the mesh screen. My question is this: they lay the eggs on a 5" clay pot. Do I just make a circle out of the mesh all around the pot? What about the top edge? I'm afraid they would get scratched by it as they swim over it. Any suggestions? Here's a picture of her laying eggs on it so you can see what it looks like. Thanks, Janice

[April]

hi. the gutter guard..was about the same height as the water level for me..i made mine high..or they would swim in from teh top or as you said..scratch themselves. or..round it if wire at the top.
i angled it so more cone shape/ so fatter at the bottom than the top.

[kelseygirl]

Excellent idea. Thanks. Also, while I have your ear, when did you remove it? When they hatch, wrigglers, free swimming, or what?

I was wondering if this would work...using the tank divider and putting him at the other end of the tank till they hatch. What do you think?

The female has gone into "hiding" the last two times he's eaten the eggs, for about 2 days. Is it possible that she's depressed????? After 2 days she's out and flirting again. ??????????????

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

I leave my screen on till the go free swimming. You could put him on the other side of the tank using a tank divider, but the stress of doing that may actually cause her to eat the eggs. If you have a mesh over the eggs, just let them be and see what happens when they hatch. It sounds like he is getting aggressive with her and is pushing her around and what not as he is eating the eggs. This is normal to some extent, but if it is excessive, seperate them with the divider for a few days. That should atleast calm him down.

-Ryan

[kelseygirl]

I'll give it a try. (By the way, my 3 Azoo sponge filters are up and running. Thanks for the help, Ryan!)

What type of airstone should I use for aerating the eggs with the screen? I don't want to blow them off!!! :P

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Any air stone will do. fairly strong aeration is good when the parents can't properly fan the eggs. As long as it doesnt stress the pair out, it'll be fine.

-Ryan
p.s: those 1" fry are ready if you want some ;)

[kelseygirl]

Hubby put the thumbs down on any more tanks right now, so I gotta do with what I have. But thanks anyway. I'm still hoping to have my own 1" fry one day.