Angel Fish Advice

[paleeagle]

Hi.

Not sure if I am posting this in the correct place, but I have looked and cannot find any other place to put it.

On Monday evening I noticed that my pair of Angel fish had laid about 100 eggs(this is a guess for reference sake) on an Anubus leaf. There were one or two white "chalk" eggs which I understand are dead eggs.

The Angel fish were caring for them all very well cleaning and defending the clutch of eggs.

On waking Tuesday morning I would say that about 10 of the eggs had turned white and by the evening about 25ish. The Angels were still looking after them very well, and I was planning on going up the fish centre today to buy a tank divide and some brine shrimp to feed the fry that I thought were on the way.

However on waking this morning about 60ish of the eggs had gone white and most of the rest apart from maybe 8-10 had just disappeared. They are still protecting the eggs but I am fully expecting the small number that are left to also turn white which like I said I believe means they are dead.

Apart from the single pair of Angels I have 10 Platies which the Angels have driven to one end of the tank. Six algae eating shrimp and two Assassin snails which are carnivores. But I rarely see them as they spend most of their time in ambush mode buried in the sand.

I am assuming that the shrimp or Assassin snails have had the missing eggs but why would all the rest have turned white overnight? the speed of this also means that by tonight all the eggs will be gone or dead.

Any advice on this would be great so I can avoid this in future.

Tank is 150 with trickle filter heavily planted with java fern/moss and Anubus. Current temp is 25-26degreesC

 

[chrisbassist]

You'll probably get a better answer in either tropical discussion, or new world cichlids (which angels are). But I'll do my best.

Those White eggs don't really mean dead. There are a couple of things.

Firstly, it can be a fungus. And if they are left, it can spread to the others. But usually, when leaving the parents to care for them they would remove them themselves.

Secondly. It's also possible that they weren't fertilized by the male. Or even because they're not both fully sexually mature yet. The first few batches of eggs from angels usually doesn't have anything hatch.

Hope that can answer the question.

 

[paleeagle]

You'll probably get a better answer in either tropical discussion, or new world cichlids (which angels are). But I'll do my best.

Those White eggs don't really mean dead. There are a couple of things.

Firstly, it can be a fungus. And if they are left, it can spread to the others. But usually, when leaving the parents to care for them they would remove them themselves.

Secondly. It's also possible that they weren't fertilized by the male. Or even because they're not both fully sexually mature yet. The first few batches of eggs from angels usually doesn't have anything hatch.

Hope that can answer the question.

Thanks for that. It is the first batch. I dont think it is fungus as the parents have been fantastic at looking after them. They quite young, I bought them just before christmas and they were about the height of your little finger. Now they are twice that big.

 

[almondfish]

You'll probably get a better answer in either tropical discussion, or new world cichlids (which angels are). But I'll do my best.

Those White eggs don't really mean dead. There are a couple of things.

Firstly, it can be a fungus. And if they are left, it can spread to the others. But usually, when leaving the parents to care for them they would remove them themselves.

Secondly. It's also possible that they weren't fertilized by the male. Or even because they're not both fully sexually mature yet. The first few batches of eggs from angels usually doesn't have anything hatch.

Hope that can answer the question.

 

[almondfish]

Hi I have had a breeding pair of Angels and although they have laid hundreds of eggs I have only managed to breed about a dozen.To me the eggs that turn white are not fertalized. I found that the angels ate the eggs themselves.The only way I could get them to hatch was to take the leaf out of the tank and breed them artificially.You need good airation on the leaf at all times.If they stay clear for about three days then you should be able to watch them.If you get a magnifying glass you will start to see them moving.I made the mistake of thinking that once they left the leaf that they could swim, but do not have any gravel on the bottom of the tank and it will take a couple of weeks for all of them to swim.It takes time believe me. The only problem now is that my only male had died.It is a fabulous feeling when you finally get it right. Good luck as I am sure they will mate again. If fact they seem to lay eggs on a regular basis.

 

[nottosalty]

Hi I have had a breeding pair of Angels and although they have laid hundreds of eggs I have only managed to breed about a dozen.To me the eggs that turn white are not fertalized. I found that the angels ate the eggs themselves.The only way I could get them to hatch was to take the leaf out of the tank and breed them artificially.You need good airation on the leaf at all times.If they stay clear for about three days then you should be able to watch them.If you get a magnifying glass you will start to see them moving.I made the mistake of thinking that once they left the leaf that they could swim, but do not have any gravel on the bottom of the tank and it will take a couple of weeks for all of them to swim.It takes time believe me. The only problem now is that my only male had died.It is a fabulous feeling when you finally get it right. Good luck as I am sure they will mate again. If fact they seem to lay eggs on a regular basis.

Hi
Best just to let the angels learn them selves,its just practice.They will probably lay a couple more times without any fry appearing and the eggs will be eaten or unfertilized,its all part of there`s and your`s learning curve.Once the angels look after them untill they hatch you will be inundated with baby angels.
Regarding feeding the fry,you can buy a powder that you just sprinkle in the tank and that will sustain them for a week or so and then start introducing flake but crush it up to make the pieces smaller.
Hope that helps
Regards