Hello everyone i havent been on this site for a long time. Anyway i have 4 golden bristlenose catfish two males and two females in my 4ft tank. One of my oldest male and female had a batch of eggs about 3 months ago and i usualy move them to a two foot tank to hatch (this tank is just for the babies as the red tailed shark and other fish would eat the babies) I move them by putting the catfish when he is still in the shell fanning the eggs into a ice-cream tub and putting it into the other tank. This worked for the first batch and i had about 30 babies. Since then i have had two more batches and i did the same as before but only two from the first batch survived and two from the second batch survived the eggs kinda went see- through and drifted away. I think the second and third eggs may have been from the younger female so could this be a common problem? Is the younger female a bit too young and maybe not mature yet? It cant be something i did wrong because the first batch was very succesful and nothing has changed etc ..any help would be gratefully received.
So this bad batch was from the younger female, but was it also the younger male? The fact that the eggs were laid would make one believe the female is old enough, but if she paired up with the younger male, perhaps it is HE who does not understand the program yet. Does the younger male have whiskers yet? I have other fish where the female lays eggs without the male even preent, and they turn white and fungus and die off. She doesn't care if the male is around, she lays them anyways.
Last edited by jimmyB on 26 Jun 2006, 21:04, edited 1 time in total.
I agree with Jimmy, if the eggs are laid, the female is ready (i.e. sexually mature) to lay (although older females that have not laid eggs ever may have problems with the first batch of eggs being infertile, this doesn't sound like that case). The male may not quite know how to work the eggs tho'.
When you move the eggs, do you leave the male in the smaller tank to look after the eggs? If not, are you making sure that the eggs get "fanned" by adding a small air-stone to circulate the water around the eggs?
thanks for your reply. No the eggs are laid but it is the older male that always tends to them the other male doest realy bother as its the older males shell and the younger male darnt go there !!!! the older one would not be amused. I think maybe she may go in there like you said when the male isnt always there as she hangs around his shell quite alot. hmmmm tricky one i will have to keep an eye out who is going in there i think there is some more due as the male is in the shell doing his usual cleaning session and the female is hanging around again...but it may be the older one..will let you know what happens. thanks again. any more theries would be most appreciated.
yes the male goes with the eggs as he doesnt come out of the shell and he fanns constant until they are all out...for days after as well...he seems to be a good dad but i say hes old he is still fairly young for a dad...he has large bristles though and seems to be a caring dad to the young...maybe its the females eggs i dont know i wil see what happens to the next batch i hope they all hatch..will keep a close eye on them. thanks again. I have just increased the aireation in my tank as there wasnt enough so i now have a air pump so maybe that was a factor in the tank? will have to see how it goes with it in.
I use an airstone just for the water movement at the far end of my tank, not for any actual oxygenation. In my tank with spawning bristlenose, the cave is almost under the direct flow of a hang-on back filter waterfall, so I know there is water movement.
I have heard some theorize that "too much" water movement inhibits the fertilization process due to the water moving past so quickly, but in a cave, that seems it would not apply to your situation. Maybe just a poor first try between the new female and the experienced male.
yes i think the poor first try etc may be it...the older female who was the first to spawn had 2 lots of eggs at the top of the barnicle and at the bottom so there was lots the other have just been a few at the top..i guess they will bet better with age lol...i may put the two oldest in the baby tank for a while and see how they get on on there own for a few months...worth a try...give the other male a chance then too. thanks for the input..and the new air stone isnt that much of a current its only gentle as i can turn it down..will try it anyway see how i get on.
Since then i have had two more batches and i did the same as before but only two from the first batch survived and two from the second batch survived the eggs kinda went see- through and drifted away. 
I think the second and third eggs may have been from the younger female so could this be a common problem? 
Is the younger female a bit too young and maybe not mature yet? It cant be something i did wrong because the first batch was very succesful and nothing has changed etc ..any help would be gratefully received.