Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => Old World => Topic started by: runawaypencil on January 08, 2012, 12:32:53 PM
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Here is the problem I'm having these days. I have a couple of breeds (dragon bloods, Nagar flametails, Blue dolphin) which don't hold there eggs very good or at all. What are tips or ideas on getting them to keep there clutch or good egg tumblers. The fish breed often and after they look like they have huge clutchs and over the next 2-5 days it withers down to nothing, or I pull them out of the main tank and they quickly spit all the eggs out in the new tank. I have tried to tumble some of the eggs with about a 90% losses when they are still eggs, but nearly a 100% survival rate if they are wigglers. I was putting the eggs into a pitch and adding a air stone to it, it seems like the water movement is to high or they sink and rot. But if I can get them to the point of like 7-9 days I can get great success.
So what do people do about this, I suspect most turn to egg tumblers and strip the females after 24hours. So If any one could suggest some good ones or an easy diy i would be glade.
Thanks
Tyler
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Use a mason jar with an air stone if you can't find a good tumbler (wet thumb sells these for $20.00). If you're losing a lot of eggs, add a liberal amount of methylene blue (an antifungal) which will prevent your eggs from getting fungus, which is probably causing you to lose your eggs (unless they weren't being fertilized in the first place).
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IME mothers spit for 2 reasons. The first is that they are new to the process, so sometimes it'll take a few tries per female for her to figure it. The second is that the fish are too stressed, typically by other aggressive fish in their tank, either the male(s) want to keep breeding or other fish just exerting their dominance.
I get the impression lots of people tumble - I never have. I've also been burned a few times when receiving groups of small fish and receiving individuals that either got damaged (typically had a "kink") during tumbling or while being stripped.
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There are species out there that are more likely to spit. For instance, my Champsochromis caeruleus are easily spooked, and I typically will have to catch them at night to keep them from spitting eggs/fry all over the place while trying to get away.
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Alright sounds good I'm going to give the mason jar a try next time and start catching them right when I flip the lights on. Here I thought that would stress them out even more, I guess they sleep like me DEEP!
Guess I need to pick up some methylene blue, I know the males are fertilizing the eggs. I can normally get 1 -2 out of the batch, Or she doesnt spit all of them and will get a few in the days to come from her.
I'm with ya on stripping the fish, I don't strip them either but nor am I breeding fish worth huge amounts of money.
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You might want to put a night light in the fish room so turning the lights on isn't such a surprise or shock.
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You might want to put a night light in the fish room so turning the lights on isn't such a surprise or shock.
Great idea !!! Or have one light on a timer.
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Alright sounds good I'm going to give the mason jar a try next time and start catching them right when I flip the lights on. Here I thought that would stress them out even more, I guess they sleep like me DEEP!
Guess I need to pick up some methylene blue, I know the males are fertilizing the eggs. I can normally get 1 -2 out of the batch, Or she doesnt spit all of them and will get a few in the days to come from her.
I'm with ya on stripping the fish, I don't strip them either but nor am I breeding fish worth huge amounts of money.
Stripping is easy. Seen a video on Google, Or ask one of the guy at a store give you a how and why show.