PlanetCatfish.com

Hi everyone,
I have 2 pairs of Holpos (Hoplosternum thoracatum I think) which I have been trying to breed. Each pair is in a seperate 90cm x 45cm x 45 cm tank side which I view end on to give them better privacy. Both have blown bubble nests under floating ice cream container lids and occasionally there are trial runs with both fish cleaning and swimming upside down under the lid. My big question is how to tell when they have laid eggs? I have never been able to see them actually spawn but I am sure they have sometimes from the females ragged appearance and sudden change in behaviour/disinterest in each other. I have tried looking for eggs amoungst all the bubbles but have never been able to see any. How big are they and what colour? I am able to spot corydoras eggs in other tanks. Are they simply eating eggs ? Out of desperation i sometimes remove the ice cream container right out of the water but again have never seen any eggs. Male doesn't guard or protect the ice cream container at all. This has happened quite a few times over last 3-4 weeks.

If I were to see some, how do I artificially hatch eggs? Any suggestions or past expeiences will be appreciated.

Thanks
Winston

The eggs are easily seen, as there are usually many, they are slightly bigger than cory-eegs, and they are amber-colored.
Not to mention the fact, that the male's behaviour changes a LOT when the nest is full; he will likely attack you if you try to check on the nest.....

Do a search on 'hoplo'breeding here; I've had quite a big post on this myself a few weeks back (and my babies are doing fine, now; after much difficulties earlier).

There are some tricks to get the female to spawn:
-add cold or cool water (rainwater or soft water)
-feed less! a FAT Hoplo is a bad egglayer; you have to use the RIGHT kind of food too: bloodworms, black mosquitolarvae and ESPECIALLY tubifex are known to stimulater spawnings.
-switch off the heater for a few hours or half a day too.

Between the 'tricks' one should take a pause for the fish to recuperate; a week will do.