Help With Eggs

[Divemaster]

I've been trying to breed paleatus since the beginning of last month and since then I've had countless spawns and hundreds of eggs. Not ONE of those eggs has gone on to hatch and I've given many of them 6-7 days before discarding them. Some eggs they lay are yellow, some are grey, and some are white (color is different for each spawn it seems). There's 3 males and 2 females in a 15 Gallon Tank (24"Lx12"Wx12"H) with 5 guppies (it was just the Corys for a while and I just recently added the guppies so the problem has nothing to do with the other fish). Temperature is 72-76 F and pH is 7.6. I have no idea why the eggs aren't hatching and neither does the guy I got them through who's already tried to help me (my local Cory addict) multiple times. I do water changes of 33% twice a week and nitrates are never over 10-15 ppm. If I can't get gem to spawn soon I'll probably get rid of them and try another breeding group. Any advice or tips would be much appreciated!

[mattcham]

White ones are dead (unfertilized). Brown ones should hatch in 3 days. Maybe they are hatching and you are discarding the tiny fry. After the eggs hatch they look the same. The empty egg shells look like the eggs. The babies are tiny, 2x size of baby brine shrimp, maybe 1/2 millimeter. Also the fry instinctively hide in shadows. If there is no place to hide they may hide under the egg shells. The newly hatched fry are bottom dwellers like the parents and they swim super fast. Unbelievably fast like the parents, relatively speaking.

How are you removing eggs from the main tank?

[mattcham]

By the way, Cory lay eggs every 30 days even if there is no male. Assuming they are in good health and not stressed or harassed by tank mates.

[Divemaster]

Oh maybe that's why then. After removing the eggs and putting them in a fry tank they're also in a breeder basket (so guppy fry don't eat the eggs) and tiny fry might be hiding in the undercut corners, I never thought of that, I'll check in a few days. I remove the eggs from the main tank by gently scraping them of the glass with yarn.

[Divemaster]

I just realized what's been happening, I'm an idiot. I've been finding tons of small black fish in the breeder net but since I have guppy fry in the same tank I always assumed that's what they were so I'd take them out of the net and put them into the main tank then they'd die. Apparently they have been Corys so from now on I'll just leave anything I find in the net, in the net. There was probably 6 in there earlier today but they all died. At least I know now, thanks for the help!

[Supercorygirl]

Check out the marina hang on breeder refugium boxes, use them for all my egg layers, love them!

[Divemaster]

Thanks. That's what I moved them to. I couldn't find a splitter so I could hook up another air line to it to I just used the one from my sponge filter which works pretty well since water entering the box first is filtered. I just hope there's enough aeration now.

[mattcham]

Check out the marina hang on breeder refugium boxes, use them for all my egg layers, love them!

I own that device but I am afraid the fry will escape back into the main tank at the water output site. The Cory fry are bottom dwellers so it might work better than for other types of fry.

[mattcham]

I just realized what's been happening, I'm an idiot. I've been finding tons of small black fish in the breeder net but since I have guppy fry in the same tank I always assumed that's what they were so I'd take them out of the net and put them into the main tank then they'd die. Apparently they have been Corys so from now on I'll just leave anything I find in the net, in the net. There was probably 6 in there earlier today but they all died. At least I know now, thanks for the help!

Cory and guppy fry look nothing alike by the way. The Cory fry look like short tailed sperm cells that never leave the tank floor. The guppy fry look like fish. The newborn Cory fry are about 1/4 the size of newborn guppy fry.

I do not like breeder nets for fry. Too many deaths in my experience. The fry swim between the net and the supporting pole columns, where they get pecked to death by adult fish from outside the net. I only use breeder nets for adult fish that are not eating well and need special attention.

I just realized that your tank just has other fry so maybe the pecking to death will not occur in your setup.

[Supercorygirl]

Check out the marina hang on breeder refugium boxes, use them for all my egg layers, love them!

I own that device but I am afraid the fry will escape back into the main tank at the water output site. The Cory fry are bottom dwellers so it might work better than for other types of fry.

Cut a piece of sponge ( coarse works best) to replace the little gate, just remember to clean sponge everyday so as not to overflow, or have a second piece cut and switch out the two

[mattcham]

Check out the marina hang on breeder refugium boxes, use them for all my egg layers, love them!

I own that device but I am afraid the fry will escape back into the main tank at the water output site. The Cory fry are bottom dwellers so it might work better than for other types of fry.

Cut a piece of sponge ( coarse works best) to replace the little gate, just remember to clean sponge everyday so as not to overflow, or have a second piece cut and switch out the two

Thanks, I'll try that!

[marie.wielbass.5]

I take them from the glass and if they are at the vallniseria ir other plants i just cut them of When they lay eggs, I wait 24 hours. I get rid of the ones thats white/grey. Else they will give the other ones white colour too and fungus. I take my finger or some other tool and gently put them into a plastic box. After that, I put the box in front of the oxygen/filter so it get air. And await. Looking for white eggs everyday and throw them. And voila, I had 115 of them!

[Divemaster]

Well apparantly the box doesn't work either. A week ago I had 6 fry and now they've all disappeared. Not dead just gone completely, not in the main tank either. Plus at least 90% of the parents eggs don't hatch so if the group doesn't start laying fertile eggs within a month or so I'll be taking them to my next local fish club auction in December and get another group.

[yannick62]

Continue experiences...
They is a reason but why ????

I can'y help you but i have the same problem with my sterbai.....

I supose, i try to understand....
I think it's because there is not enought male....
Male are not ready then they don't fertilise eggs....

Marie,

I do all the same methode like you....
But i had 50 eggs and only 3 little fish...
Have you many fish have you ?
How many male and females ?

Good buy.

[yannick62]

By the way, Cory lay eggs every 30 days even if there is no male. Assuming they are in good health and not stressed or harassed by tank mates.

All people think that.....????
If it's the case it's wonderful....