Sticky, Sticky Eggs!

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NEONCORY

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I knew this gonna happen sooner or later since I got these group of C.Melanotanias. I don't mean to be cocky or nothing but I saw them pretty excited few minutes after I put them in the tank. But I never thought it would happen this quick.
I didn't see them perform but I just collected 62 eggs. :hyper: :bday: And they were beautiful snow white. But boy, they are so sticky. There is almost no way, you gonna drop in the water after you roll them to your finger. Actually, sometime they are so sticky that you need to wipe your finger to the container couple of try to transfer. But I must say, I like these guys already. Because the female is so considerate that she neatly placed almost all the eggs in 2 spot. Some were almost stacked up. Talk about the easy harvest. She left 43 eggs on the top corner of the front glass about 2~3" from the surface and another 17 eggs on the top corner of the back glass. I also found 1 egg on the Java/X'mas moss and another 1 on the tip of the Java Fern.
Although I have no idea how many eggs would hatch or how hard to raise the frys or how often they spawn.,etc. I am pretty excited about this spawn since this is the first time for this Cory for me.
Also make me want to buy another Corys I saw at the not so local fish store I went today. I saw several C.Metae for $3.99(which is good price around here let alone you don't see them often)and they looked like young adults. I may gonna go back and get some if I can set the tank for them. Of course, I need to research a bit to see what kind of water they prefer first.

I just hope those pearly white eggs would hatch in 4~5 days(since they are floating in the cool tank.

:fish: :fish: more :fish:
 
Oh wow.. that's so exciting! I hope they hatch for ya and the fry grow to be healthy! Keep us updated!
 
Brilliant. That is just great news. You said in your other thread they looked like they were going to do something. That's great.

Good luck and look forward to your Melanotanias spawning and raising diary.

:good:
 
Thanks for congrats Bozza, Amunet, AlexandCarmen and Madattiver,

Yes, I do hope to grow them to be at least miniture adult colored frys. That is when I feel good about their chance. Since they are in the same water and tank, I think I will grow Pandas and Melanotaenia(this is the right spelling, sorry I always miss spell) together. Luckyly they are in the tank without heater so it is easier to set another tank up. I probably can keep them with cherry red shrimps which I probably need to split the tank population also. Of course, I will nurse them for a while at least 2~3 weeks after they hatch. I probably set small tank this weekend and let it run so it will mature by the time I will put some frys or shrimps.

And Madattiver, I am sorry but I don't think I can take picture. They are pretty close coloring of C. Aeneus. As a matter fact, I was not sure until I saw them if they are indeed C.Melanotaenia. Although I am not Cory I.D. expert but I am almost certain that they are what they are. They are similar to C.Aeneus but the C.Melanotaenia have more elongated(longer) body which is quite noticable in males than females since the males are skinnier. Here is the specie profile link for you if they interest you.


http://www.scotcat.com/factsheets/corydoras_melanotaenia.htm
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/speci...?species_id=111

And his article is the only breeding info I can manage to find and his picture seem show darker colored Cory but I imagine either lighting or there are varietion of color like C. Aeneus.

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breedi...lanotaenia.html
 
lol.. I know what they look like.. I have 5 of them myself.. I just always like to compare fish and see what others look like.

Sorry Madattiver, I don't have digi camera nor the high capacity comp. I barely be able to check and post textiles. Not to mention, I am so out of new technology. And have way to many fish projects on my hand. I have empty 55G need some canopy build, would like to build some background with stylaform and cement, also like to make some sponge filters.,etc.
I know we all like pictures but I need some time and money before I post some pictures. :/
 
Boy, these guys like to surprise me. And they did it AGAIN! ^_^ I just went to change the water of the container which keeps eggs and feed the fish. I noticed that they left more eggs. ;) I guess they were not quite done yet last night. They must made those eggs after the lights out. And I suspect these eggs came from different female.
Anyway, I found 70 eggs(3 on the leaf of the Anubias which is located near bottom with a stone tied to, and rest of the eggs were on the bottom and side of the container I placed on top of the tank). :D :rofl: :cool:
They were less stickier than the eggs I collected yesterday evening. I imagine they lose stickyness over the time, I must collected not long after they were laid yesterday.
They are not fungused or nothing but they do look sort of milky white. I hope they are good enough to hatch. Although I have no idea that this is my first time I get eggs from them. I guess I just have to wait and see. If not, that would be a shame.
And here is the water parameter I checked this morning.

68F 6.7ph sorry not test kit for gh/kh. And I know during the day water will warm up a bit from the lights.
 
Unfortunately, I don't think any eggs would hatch. :sad: It has been more than week. I wonder why that is, are the eggs were too old( I mean they were in the female body for too long), the males can't fertilize the eggs or did I kept in the wrong water condition.
I heard that Tetra eggs sometime don't hatch if the water is too hard or alkaline. And Cory eggs hatch easier I think. Beside my water is acidic and temperature is usually same as where the eggs were laid. So I don't think water condition was problem.
So I figure the fish didn't produce the fertile eggs. I hope I can figure what is the cause and fix it before next spawn. But if the medication they went through is causing the infertility, it may take for a while.
I guess I just keep feed variety of food and frequent water change and hope for the best for now.
 
This morning I was looking eggs from the Pandas in the Java Moss, I noticed there are smaller but more crustered eggs in the Java Moss also. I guess the Melanotaenias decide to leave me eggs also. I don't know exactly how many since they are all sticked together like a bunch of grapes so I didn't bother to seperate them. Hope they will hatch this time around. I guess I have to wait and see.
 
I did collect 50 eggs(15 on the glass and 35 in the Java Moss) from Melanotaniasthis evening. And I saw them forming T for first time. Last 2 batches I wasn't there when they made those eggs. They sure hold many eggs in their egg basket. I saw her hold like 10 eggs in her fins.
As you know first batch, no eggs hatched. And 2nd batch which was few days ago, I think some hatched but I don't know how many. Since I didn't have much expectation and space and timing, I put in the same container with Panda eggs. I know I put 20 Panda eggs and about 40 Melanotania eggs. And I see 21 frys now. So I believe I have some fry(s) from Melanotanias. It could be 1, it could be 21 which is unlikely since Panda eggs hatch pretty good. I think it probably 5~6. I just have to grow them and see.
And tonight I put them in the home made egg tumbler to see if I can improve the hatch rate. Also I did seperate th eggs as much as I can although they lay eggs in the bunches. But I noticed the bad egg spoil the good eggs next to it. I would be pretty happy if I can get fry from half the eggs for now. I should know in 4~5 days, I guess.
 
Last night, I noticed there are some eggs on the leaf of Java Fern but I was already in the bed so I decide to collect them in the morning. (Yes, I sleep with fish. Unlike mob story, they sleep in the tank and me in the bed. :lol: ) Anyway, so I started to collect those eggs this morning(I know they are from Melanotanias although I'm not sure when they were laid or if I missed last time.) Anyway, I also notice there is some eggs in the Java Moss.( And I know those are from Pandas because of the egg size difference)
And of course, I was in a kind of hurry to get things done and get ready for the auction. I don't mean to complain but I think I need the better system for collecting eggs.
 
Last night before I go to bed, I collected 18 eggs. It can be cold to stick my hand in the unheated tank but I have to lift the bogwood with Java Ferns on it since I noticed some littlw pearls on the leaves. :crazy: Anyway, I didn't see any more eggs but on the leaves of Java Ferns this time.
Also after the first spawn, the egg number is only high teens but it does happen more often it seems.
 
Have any hatched yet?

I have sterbai, LF bronze (just the cutest things), melantoneaia, and Brochis splenden in the same tank. They are all very active and swimming in the current of the Eclipse III filter. They have been ecstatic ever since I set them up in the tank. There is one of the melantoneaia that is quite active and visible. There are only three and I don't know if there is a lady. I hope to add some later.

I have noticed that my new breeders seem to take awhile to get it right. Often the first eggs don't hatch. I am figuring that they don't get fertilized well. I thought I would add that idea.

I am getting hatchlings from that tank now after the first ones fungused, but I don't know for sure who all is contributing. I'm pretty sure the sterbai are active contributers and most likely the adolescent LF bronze.
 

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