Thoughts on moving eggs to another breeding pair?

[GVB]

I have two pairs of fish breeding in a community tank with five other fish in it for a total of 9 fish, needless to say the chances of any of these eggs surviving is small. I examined samples of both pairs eggs under microscope and only one of the pairs is viable. This pair is a pigeon red and pigeon snakeskin pair. I have a breeding tank going with a solid blue and fire red pair that has some small fry left over from one batch but is currently tending to a new batch of wrigglers. My pigeon eggs should reach wriggler status in a day or two. Thoughts on moving the pigeon eggs to the breeding tank? I am confident that I can safely transport the eggs as they bred on the plastic portion of a sponge filter and i can take off the plastic piece with eggs and move it to the breeding tank where there is a sponge appratus not in use but was just put there as an alternative breeding spot for the breeding pair in the tank. The eggs wont last in the community tank but perhaps this may give the eggs a chance to be adopted by the successful breeding pair since it is tending to both a few small fry and lots of wrigglers? Thoughts or previous experience?

[John_Nicholson]

Foster pairs have been used for years. Just cover the eggs so the pair does not eat them when you first put them in. You might have to get rid of the wigglers from the solid blue/fire red pair (not a great cross anyway. ).

-john

[GVB]

Ok thats what I thought, I know the blue/fire red cross isnt that great but I'm just trying to build my breeding experience with whatever fish decide to pair off in my community tanks.

[MD.David]

I've done a foster twice, actually pretty interesting, you can see when the pair bonds, my experience is when they start to wiggle for a day you can uncover, they never ate them.
Let us know how it goes.
Cheers!

[GVB]

I do not have something to cover the eggs, I can go out to buy something but what do you guys recommend? I'm always seeing Hans cover his with some sort of metal but I'm not sure what to buy that is aquarium safe.

[Simplejustin]

Plastic chicken wire

[GVB]

Moved the eggs and have them protected.... we shall see how it goes!

[Akili]

Moved the eggs and have them protected.... we shall see how it goes!Good Luck,surrogating works out 99% of the time

[DonMD]

Good thread, I'll be interested in the results!

[GVB]

I will post pictures of the setup today! Specs are: 20gal long with tap water @ 140tds, large sponge aged in a community tank transplanted to this tank for nitrification, single LED desk light for constant dim lightingt, and of course a heater.

Tried to keep it simple.

[GVB]

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[GVB]

The parents from an earlier spawning attempt
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[GVB]

Anyone know how to rotate the pictures so they arent all sideways?

[GVB]

Mom appears to have adopted the wriggers
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[GVB]

Fry are getting bigger and are almost two weeks old. Will post pics soon. Won't be able to tell if the adopted fry survived until they grow some more.

[GVB]

Update with fry at 2-3 weeks... hopeful the pigeon bloods are in the lot

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[angelsofaguy]

Another option (and what I do) is to cover the eggs with the screen in their original tank. When the eggs hatch I suck the wigglers up with a turkey baster and gently squirt them into the Foster Parents tank (squirt right over the breeding cone). The fry gently float down around the breeding cone and the parents frantically pick them up and place them on the cone with their own fry. Good Luck! Can't wait to see pictures of your fry developing different colors!

[GVB]

Moved fry to 55gal tank

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