Help Needed!

[missigfunk]

Well I guess it's sort of spawning.

My female is dropping eggs without them being fertalized and then she is eating them. She has a male in there with a perfect (but little) bubblenest and he seems to be trying to get her attention, but she is fixed on releasing and eating her eggs.

Is there anything I can do to 'entice' her into the nest so her eggs can be fertalized?

My other spawn went bust, that's why I had a 'back-up', incase one didn't work out.

 

[chefrossco]

so she is just dropping the eggs befor or after they wrap?

 

[missigfunk]

She isn't even under the nest with him! The poor bugger tries to get her attention and waits patiently for her, but she is too occupied eating her eggs!

I know it's not spawning exactly, but I sort of had to get the attention of people before it was too late.

I've taken out a divider and blocked off the area she wouldn't leave alone. Hopefully she will go to his nest.


But to answer your question...

She is dropping them before they wrap.

 

[MaddieJ]

There really is nothing you can do. If she isn't interested in the male and his nest, no amount of him trying will get her to 'play ball', at least as far as I know. She certainly won't release every single egg in her body without them being squeezed out by his wrap, so don't be worried that she will 'run out'. As long as niether of them is being battered by the other I would leave them to it. Sorry I can't be more help I'd say Netty might know what to do but she is away for the day and I'm actually dog sitting for her at the moment. If nothing has changed by the time they get back later I'll let her know about the thread x

 

[missigfunk]

Thanks Maddie! Your a sweety

 

[MaddieJ]

No worries hun. How long have they been together? How long was she kept in the chimney/jar/divided area and how long free swimming with him? How do they act when near each other? Does she have breeding bars and does she pay any interest at all in the male? Or is she just in one place, releasing eggs and eating them?

Lot's of Qs lol! sorry x

 

[missigfunk]

Well, when I received the advice from Bronze and Laura, I left her in her chimney for 2 days, then let her out for a few hours before bed time. The next day I did the same thing, and the next day I let her out. So it was about 4 days before I released her.

At first she seemed real interested, but the male was chasing her away (not in the good way).

When I got home today, I noticed they were both at the bottom 'looking' for something (which I thought was strange). Then at a closer inspection, I saw little white eggs and they were both eating them. That's when I started this thread.

Since blocking her off from where she kept releasing them and wouldn't leave from, she seems a little more interested in the male now, but still isn't going under the nest.

I guess time will tell.


**fingers crossed**

 

[MaddieJ]

I've found patients is a big part of spawning. The were times with Teqs and his sister that I though nothing was going to happen. He would chase her away and pin here in a bottom corner of the tank, it looked really vicious at the time! After they sawned though, taking her out, she didn't have much damage at all. So just keep with it. Some girls will loose the majority of their fins before 'submitting' and sme males get battered by females who are ready although the male doesn't know what he is supposed to do.

Keep with it for a few hours, if nothing happens then it won't hurt to jar her again x

 

[missigfunk]

Hmm...

Now the male won't even go under his nest! He is hiding in the plants while the female is out in the open!

What the crap is going on!?!?!?! lol

 

[MaddieJ]

It's all part of what they do hun, just keep going. You'll get there, just leave them to it as long as they are both not too damaged, it'll be fine x

 

[Netty]

As Maddie said.....just keep at it and be patient. It's very tempting sometimes to inferfere too much and whip the female out too quickly. As long as they have been conditioned well beforehand they should be fine. If the female isn't conditioned enough then she wont be responsive to the male and that will lead to her being chased and nipped even more than normal.

Good luck

 

[newfishy]

sometimes my first time spawners are just not to bright and need the practice. even if this spawn "fails" they still got the much needed practice for next time.

 

[missigfunk]

I woke up this morning to see that Moey had made a WHOPPER of a nest! It wasn't under anything though? Just in the corner? Although, part of the towel was covering that area, so maybe he thought it would be secure there?

I couldn't tell if there were any eggs in the nest (incase they spawned in the morning before I woke up). I came home today and I STILL can't tell if there are eggs in the nest. I guess there isn't because they would be pretty obvious right?

Since it's been a few days since they have been in there, I have started to feed them again. Last night I fed them together, sort of like a romantic dinner lol. I guess it worked though, he made a big nest the next day haha

 

[MaddieJ]

How are they acting towards each other? Eggs may or may not be obvious, it entirely depends on light, position of the eggs in the nest, the nest itself, blah blah blah lol. Mine were fairly obvious, as you'll know from the pics on the thread, but most pics I have seen show what look like empty nests. It's so hard. The males behaviour will be a big give away, he really will keep her away and he will be moving the eggs and picking them up from the bottom. He'll keep expanding or renewing the nest and moving the eggs about and so on, they work tirelessly, shame human men aren't the same really..

 

[missigfunk]

Ok well the nest is disappearing.

I think I'll give betta spawning a miss for a while, it's too hard to deal with failed spawns constantly. I'm thinking about just putting my snakeskin guppies together, atleast then I know I'll definately get fry in a months time! lol ( I laugh on the outside but crying on the inside )