Male angel not fertilizing the eggs

[Guest132675]

My female angel just laid eggs again, but the male is doing nothing! He's just watching, hanging out in the top corner of the tank. A bit over a week ago they spawned in the community tank and he fertilized them just fine. Now they're in a breeding tank, and his spawning tube isn't even out. Is it too early for him? Is something wrong with him? Anything I can do?

 

[Byron]

Are you certain he actually fertilized the eggs last time? If any hatched, that would be confirmation. My thinking is that "he" might be a "she," as female angelfish will lay eggs without a male present but obviously they never hatch. Alternatively of course, something may be wrong with him now. Or he may not like the new digs.

 

[Guest132675]

The eggs last time was eaten within hours by the other fish, but he was swimming after the female, belly onto the eggs. He was also sold to me as a confirmed male. After the last spawn I made them a breeding tank. What do you mean by "digs"? I hope nothing is wrong with him.

 

[Byron]

The eggs last time was eaten within hours by the other fish, but he was swimming after the female, belly onto the eggs. He was also sold to me as a confirmed male. After the last spawn I made them a breeding tank. What do you mean by "digs"? I hope nothing is wrong with him.

It's worth checking every possible. "Digs" in NA refers to one's residence, may be a cultural difference here. His tank environment is the "digs."

If the two have not bonded, they may not spawn together. The fact that a male/female angelfish spawn once does not mean they have bonded; same holds for the rams and some others. Also, the first few spawns of commercially raised fish usually go awry, but the pair, if bonding, will be successful at some point.

 

[Guest132675]

Ah I see. How do I know if they are actually bonded? They have been doing a lot of twitching and swimming together. Should I just wait and hope for better results next time? Are my chances low for the future?

 

[Byron]

Ah I see. How do I know if they are actually bonded? They have been doing a lot of twitching and swimming together. Should I just wait and hope for better results next time? Are my chances low for the future?

If they live together peacefully without tearing into one another, chances are they have bonded. Their interactive behaviours is the key, you get to recognize these after years of fish keeping, though it can be hard to describe. They may nudge and twitch, that's fine; but if one of them drives the other down the tank and then attacks it, they have not bonded; and this can be male against female or female against male, and it can reverse alternately.

My last experience of this was a couple years ago with a pair of Bolivian Rams. They seemed to like each other at first, they spawned (cory catfish ate the eggs during the night), then the female told the male off and he was driven out of her sight, but they spawned again, cories ate the eggs. Then the male got angry and drove the female away, but after a couple weeks, spawning again. Fry appeared this time, but they got eaten by cories during the night. A fourth spawning occurred, with similar intermittent rough stuff, then the male had had enough and killed the female. At least I assume he was responsible. This was back before I understood the bonding issue. You can usually see likely bonded pairs in the store tank, the males will be shoving each other around but a female that is ignored near a male is likely a bonding pair.

 

[Guest132675]

I hm, I have seen absolutely no chasing except for a tiny bit the first days they met, so I'm fairly positive they bonded. But I still don't understand why he doesn't want to fertilize =( Another thing, I put an air pump in the tank, but on the opposite side from the eggs. Will it still be effective if the eggs do get fertilized?

 

[Byron]

I hm, I have seen absolutely no chasing except for a tiny bit the first days they met, so I'm fairly positive they bonded. But I still don't understand why he doesn't want to fertilize =( Another thing, I put an air pump in the tank, but on the opposite side from the eggs. Will it still be effective if the eggs do get fertilized?

If you leave the parents in with the eggs, they will fan them and eat any fungused eggs. If you remove the eggs or parents and artificially hatch them, the airstone placed under the base of the egg clutch will provide the currents, though fungused eggs will need to be manually removed.

 

[Guest132675]

Ok. But is there any point in oxygenating the water with the pump? If the parents do stay there.

 

[Byron]

Ok. But is there any point in oxygenating the water with the pump? If the parents do stay there.

It shouldn't be necessary, but it probably cannot hurt. I would suggest very quiet water movement though, but otherwise... .

 

[Guest132675]

Here's a pic of him and I'm a bit worried. He's mostly just hanging out in the corner and not eating. Someone else suggested he might have parasites, but I have no idea on how to identify the correct one or treat it. He also has his left fin close to his body a lot.

 

[Colin_T]

The angelfish has clamped fins, excess mucous and is really unhappy.

Check the water quality for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH.

Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate every day for a week.

If there is no improvement after 2 big water changes, get a broad spectrum fish medication that treats fungal, bacterial and protozoan infections and treat the tank.

 

[Guest132675]

It deeply saddens me to hear that =( Should I put him back in the community tank? The nitrite and ammonia is 0, the PH is around 6.8. I don't have a nitrate test kit unfortunately.

 

[Colin_T]

don't move him, just water change or treat him.

 

[Guest132675]

Ok, any advice on what meds I should get? Someone suggested he might have hexamita or capillaria. I'm so worried for him =(