phyllonemus typus spawned again :(

worton[pl] · Post by **worton[pl]** » 31 May 2007, 10:26

Hi there!

After few weeks of conditioning one of my pair decided to do it again! Spawning occured today at 6:30 am and I witnessed it - it was splendid but quite aggressive.

Why am I sad you ask? Because I wasn't expecting them to do it so fast and they done it in main tank before I move them to set for them breeding tank :(. Main tank got 45x100cm bottom area but a lot of catfish in it (5x s. petricola,4x l. brevispinis and another pair of p. typus).

This time everything is different because male is carrying eggs. He is alpha fish in this tank and he swim through whole tank with eggs in mouths - spectacular view.

My question is what should I do now. Leave things to nature (they will probably lost this brood within week or two like before) or try to capture this pair and move them into breeding tank and they will lose it also? ;/

Stupid me :(.

Regards and thanks for any comments :)

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 31 May 2007, 14:58

If you have the breeding tank fully ready for them what do you have to lose by moving them at this time? They may or not eat this batch of eggs from the stress of capture and moving but even so, the sooner they have their own tank the better prepared you will be for the hopefully forthcoming spawns.

I would take this "risk" but this is just my opinion.

Post by **Barbie** » 31 May 2007, 20:23

I too would move the parents. The use of a clear catch container, rather than nets, might keep the male from swallowing or spitting the fry as you move them, also. The stress of being lifted out of the water would probably not be conducive to him continuing to hold. If for some reason he did spit them, I don't see why you couldn't "tumble" the eggs or keep a slow flow going over them to hatch them artificially, just like they do with mouthbrooding cichlids. Dangit, now I really might have to move fish around to set up my pair. I don't really have a tank that's big enough available, but maybe I could arrange one ;).

When you say it was quite aggressive, can you elaborate on that a little? How much damage was done and was it to each other? Or just to other fish in the tank with them?

Barbie

Post by **Birger** » 03 Jun 2007, 17:45

As soon as you net them they will spit the eggs,I have tumbled eggs (to see if it will work) and also put the eggs back in with the parents as they will most likely pick them back up, both will work.

Birger