breeding

[barneyboy]

hi everybody, i have a problem with a pair of red turqs they are about a year and a half , are seven inches in size spawn regularly but i have had only ten young from them months ago. i have tried cooler water different ph different tank sizes and heights, i dont use ro water as were i come from the water out the tap is soft, my tanks are four foot temp 86 ph 5.5 buffering with some coral gravel, gh 4 kh 6 nitrite 0 nitrate 10 i feed beefheart bloodworm tetra prima zm granular food. regular water changes. i have other pairs that have spawned. and are exactly the same the eggs go white after a day as if they have not been fertilised but these fish are very young so they have an excuse. do you think the red turqs are just a bad pair:confused:

[mmorris]

Are the red turqs spawning and their eggs go white as well? If so, how many times have they spawned? Or are they not spawning? If they are 1 1/2 years old they may still be a bit young. 86 might be a bit warm for spawning.

[barneyboy]

hi there, yes there definitely spawning their tubes are very visible and the pair go about it right with the female laying and the male going behind . they have spawned a lot of times since i purchased them as a proven pair in September 08 i have reduced the temp and turned the filters off. if i had not had some young off them some months ago, i would be inclined to think it was two females.maybe they are to young :)

[Big Tuck]

Hi Barneyboy,Now im no expert,im only a hobby breeder so dont take this as gosiple.Your overall paramaters look good and should work,so my guess is its something in your water causing the problem.The only way i know to be sure is to go with r/o water.I had similar problems until i went r/o now its just a matter of keeping the mix right.Im on my own well,and the water changes with the seasons,so i am continually changing my mix to keep it right.I got lazy a while back and didnt check close enough and it cost me 5or6 spawns.Maybe someone else more expert will give you better advice.Good luck. Tuck

[mmorris]

Are you sure of their age? What do you know of their breeding history prior to purchase? Did you buy them from someone you trust? You say you purchased them as a proven pair. Does that mean they successfully hatched only a few fry, or successfully raised a decent-sized batch or more? What is your water change regime? Can you measure your tds (total dissolved solids)? There's no indication here that it might be too high though. I assume they are in a tank on their own? Sorry for all the questions, but off-hand I can't put my finger on anything. It may be that they are too young, but it seems a bit odd that six months ago they were a proven pair, and now they aren't so proven. I would have thought they would have settled in by now.