Surprise in my overflow

[lilscoots]

I found this in my overflow today. Along with their dad.



How long does it take for these to start hatching?  Do I leave them there until they do?

[Dan K]

Where did mom go?
I've seen them begin hatching in 4 days when they laid out in the open in my tank. They stay inside the cave for a few weeks before you would normally see the them.
If there are no other fish getting in the overflow they would be ok there. Don't know if they would hatch if you tried moving them, dad usually fans them.

[lilscoots]

The parents swim in and out of the overflow the mom was swimming around the tank today, the dad is still in the overflow with the eggs and looks agitated when I poke my head around the corner to see them.

When would it be a good idea to try and siphon them out of the overflow and into a growout tank?  They've done this before but the young disappear after I notice them.

[Dan K]

When mine spawned between the glass and a breeding net the eggs began hatching and falling out in about 4 days so I caught as many as I could at that time and transferred them to a 10 gallon. Good luck catching something that small 

The young probably swam out into the tank and became lunch the other times. best to grab them as soon as you can then.

[lilscoots]

I was going to try and siphon them out with a hose as best I can, they hatched and are free swimming today.  The inside of my overflow is only 5"x5" and there are two 1" pipes in there so even a very small net is almost impossible to catch anything.

[Dan K]

Yeah I guess a siphon would be about all you could try then. Good luck.
Or just let these go again and put a nice cave in the tank. They will probably spawn again soon and then you can just move the cave with daddy and eggs to a tank of their own.