Angelfish Eggs Are Imminent

[Akasha72]

I've been watching my angels for a couple of days and noticing the breeding behaviour. I've seen them lip-locking quite a bit and then cleaning leaves. I've been trying to get a good visual on my female's breeding tube and I've slowly watched it start to decend over the last couple of days.
Now, my female has done this before and then changed her mind and so up until this morning I wasn't getting excited! I've got up this morning to a fully decended breeding tube and both angels much much darker in colour. They are also chasing my other fish away from an area on the left side of the tank.
 
It looks like I'm going to be seeing eggs either over this weekend or early next week. I suspect she'll lay them tonight or tomorrow but she might surprise me and wait until Monday!! We shall see.
 
So, why am I excited. Well these two angels have been with me a year and in that time they've had about 5 spawns and each one has been a failure. The first spawn went well to begin with but then after 24 hours they left the eggs unattended and the tetra's swooped in. The next 4 spawns my male went in and ate the eggs just as the tank lights went out. I put all this down to them being far too young and inexperienced.
This time they've gone months with no spawns at all but in that time they seem to have strengthened their bond with each other and become far more relaxed instead of fighting and bickering and now they just seem 'mature'.
 
I have high hopes that this spawn will work out - at least until free swimming fry stage. If I can get some to that stage I can go in with my turkey baster and remove a few to raise seperately away from predatory tetras!
 
Wish me luck!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Good luck
 
Hope it works out this time and the male leaves the eggs alone this time as well as the tetras of course :x

 

[Akasha72]

thanks ch4rlie so do I!

 

[frapadoodle]

Fingers crossed, Akasha.

 

[Akasha72]

nothing yet ... she's gonna make me wait!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If you want to raise some fry, you really need to pull the eggs. Not only do other fish see them as food, but the angels will eat their own eggs rather than allow something else to do so. When angels are first free swimming they tend to go to ground, especially over night. This usually makes them easy to find.This is what spawn looks like when newly free swimming (tank is a 2.5 gal. into which the eggs were pulled).
 

As you can see, they are a tasty morsel for almost any fish.

 

[Akasha72]

Hey TTA ... yes I am considering pulling the eggs. My male on each occasion in the past, has gone in and eaten the eggs as the tank lights have gone out. He even did this when they were in a tank all alone. Now they are back in the community tank he's likely to pull the same stunt again.
 
Yesterday I bought a spawning cone. I was hoping they'd look at it and think "ooh this is a nice spawning spot" ... that would have made the eggs easy to pull. But instead they have completely ignored it! They are guarding a spot currently. She's not got her breeding tube down completely yet - it's about half way. It's not moved any more today so she seems to be holding back for some reason. I've just glanced into the tank and the male is cleaning a leaf in the area where they are guarding so it's now just a waiting game. 
 
I have a small 30 litre tank, I have a sponge filter and spare heater so I am ready to go once I see her laying eggs. The 30 litre should be fine for a week or two but then I've got to consider where I might be able to get a larger tank for any fry to grow out in. One step at a time though for now. I want to see if I can get the eggs beyond hatching and wriggling before I consider the next step.
 
All fun and games!!!

 

[frapadoodle]

My pair spawned again yesterday. About every two weeks or so. They get them to free swimming, but by day three of that, all gone.
Had a chance at a 113 litre, but my cohort said sold, before I could open my mouth. I should have popped him in the jaw. It's sitting empty at his place, where it would have made a great breeder for me.

 

[Akasha72]

my two don't spawn that often. I think it might be down to me keeping them at 25 degrees as this heat wave seems to be what has brought on this spawn

 

[frapadoodle]

Could be, but that is about were I keep my tank. Could be they are still young. I have had mine close to two years now. Mine are also pigs. They do there best to swallow a shrimp pellet whole.
My other two spawned a few times about once a month, until he rejected and abused her. She is the runt of the four, but a beautiful Golden Sunset. Would like to try breeding her, but she is very maternal. Actively looks for fish to attack when she has eggs or fry, and eve lept out of the tank to attack me during a waterchange.

 

[Akasha72]

I've had my pair a year now so they're probably about 18 months in age - so yes, still young. They have got my tetras and harley moved to the opposite side of the tank ... they're all just sat there watching the angels. Any attempts to come near them has the offender pushed back to the other side. The bottom dwellers are fine though, the cories can go where they like without the angels bothering them.  It's just the mid to top dwellers they've put in the corner

 

[simplyfish]

In the past I've sometimes found a larger than average water change can bring on the egg laying.
 
I normally do about 20% per week, but I did a 50% change and 24 hours later I had eggs!
 
I'd be interested if you did separate the eggs to see how you get on with them, I've only tried this once, without a huge amount of prep and gradually lost all the eggs.

 

[Akasha72]

I'll keep you all posted. Still no eggs. She's gonna make me wait!

 

[simplyfish]

Is she still holding the eggs?
 
Do you think there would be a health limit on how long they can hold them - more thinking will the eggs be reabsorbed / delivered infertile than harm to the fish...

 

[Akasha72]

I've still not got any eggs. Two scenario's come to mind
 
1 - she's already laid them in the night and the tetra's swooped in and ate the lot or Dad did his usual trick and ate them
 
2 - she's still holding em!!
 
Her breeding tube is still visable. I just can't work it out