Are these zebra egg fertilized?

Discusion · Post by **Discusion** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:23 pm

I found a egg bunch outside one off the males cawe yesterday. I put them in a breedingbox in front off one pump.

But the big question are the eggs fertilized?

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:23 pm

Hi Discussion

How old are they? After the third day you should be able to see a tiny little red line. This will eventually turn into the fry itself.

If you have a torch, shine it throught the eggs and take another picture for us, that should highlight any sign of life.

Make sure you have an airstone quite close to create water movement

rob

Discusion · Post by **Discusion** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:39 pm

The eggs are 1-2 days old i think.

I can try take bether pictures of the eggs. The breeding boxs isplaced in front off a Eheim filter that blows 600 l/h thru the boks. Its the same metod that I use with my ancistrus.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 7:58 pm

Sounds Good

I look forward to seeing them.. Good luck mate.

rob

du ma · Post by **du ma** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 7:06 am

did the eggs hatch? im curious. if so post up some pics

Discusion · Post by **Discusion** » Mon Nov 29, 2004 9:48 pm

The eggs got fungus

Soo ther was no fry. But I culd see that they was fertilised.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 4:14 pm

Sorry to hear that you lost the eggs to fungus, check out this thread on how to keep eggs and fry clean.

http://www.zebrapleco.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44

Better luck next time.

Post by **Barbie** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:44 pm

I've never had a first spawn from my hypancistrus that was fertile. They don't know what they're doing, they kick out the eggs, they eat most of them, and just generally freak out. Don't worry about adding anything to keep the eggs from fungusing, they just won't next time. I've never had fertile pleco eggs fungus. The male mouths them to keep any detritus off and help them hatch. Yours were just a test drive and it usually means they're figuring it out!

Barbie

Des · Post by **Des** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 9:05 pm

Barbie,
How long did you have to wait for the second spawn on your Hypancistrus?
Des.

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 9:25 pm

The first spawn of my Zebras were fertile. Mind you they did fall out of the cave while they still had the youlk sack, but I managed to catch three of them, which I still have today, well and alive.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 11:29 pm

My first spawn had 2 fertile eggs and only one survived. I still have the one, named george, who has an unusuallt "Blunt- stubby" head.

The second spawn happened about 2 weeks late, of which all abr one of the fry survived.

Rob

P.s. before anyone starts to think I'm going soft, all my fish are called george!

Post by **Barbie** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 4:29 am

And you guys are sure you didn't miss any spawns? Larry Vires is the one that told me not to expect the first spawns to be fertile and neither of them were for my L260, nor the L46. I assumed I missed the first spawn in my "spares" tank when they started churning out fry too.

Mine spawned again within 2 weeks. I hadn't expected it so soon, so actually didnt' realize they HAD spawned until I saw tails wiggling in there with him.

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:45 am

Barbie wrote:And you guys are sure you didn't miss any spawns?

I know I didn't. I've kept a very close eye on them since the day I got them. I even have one quarter of my screen reserved for the web cam, so I can see them at all times

I immediately noticed when the male got a visit, so the three babies are from the first spawn, no doubt about it.

Post by **Barbie** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:18 am

Did you grow yours out from juvies McEve? Or were they adults that anyone else had worked with? I don't doubt you didn't miss them, I'm just trying to figure out why the experiences would differ is all. I was very heartbroken but I've now had 3 or 4 experienced breeders tell me that a first spawn that isn't fertile is nothing to worry about. I'd love to do whatever it is different to have them get it right the first time. Just not sure what that would be!

Barbie

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 7:27 am

I got the females from one place. The male that is the alpha male and father to all the fry was bought from a different store together with another male. They had been together for 2 years (in a show tank, they weren't really for sale, but I managed to talk them into selling them LOL), so I doubt that he had ever been part of any hanky panky before

The fact that the fry fell out of the cave while still wrigglers also indicate that he wasn't an experienced father. He didn't make any mistakes with the two subsequent spawns.