Unbelieveable - 1st spawn

An area for anything related to spawning. Share your experiences with the rest of us here...
User avatar
McEve
Hypan-guru!
Posts: 2871
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:33 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Post by McEve »

Are they F1's or WC?
nesolb
Obsessed!!
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat May 14, 2005 1:47 pm
Location: Leeds

Post by nesolb »

They're F1's.

Bye the way the webcam looks great. :)
User avatar
princess_pleco
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 9:29 am
Location: California, USA

Re: Unbelieveable - 1st spawn

Post by princess_pleco »

nesolb wrote:I'd been watching my zebra's eating, as I always do, and I'd noticed that one of my cave dwelling males hadn't been out to eat, he's always out eating without fail. My first thought was to be worried and I wasn't able to see him in the cave cos I couldn't find my torch.

Today I've managed to find the missing torch and after looking in his cave found that he's actually guarding some eggs. :D I'm gobsmacked and excited at the same time, very strange feeling, cos I was certainly not expecting to have a spawn this quickly. I've not been able to determine whether any are fertilised at the moment and I don't want to stress him by constant torch attacks so I'm just gonna keep an eye on him.

I suspect the spawn took place on Sunday as I was at my sisters wedding all day and the house was empty. I think being undisturbed has certainly helped.
Wow! Congrats! and I'm happy for you nesolb. Keep us posted..P_P<><
User avatar
McEve
Hypan-guru!
Posts: 2871
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:33 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Post by McEve »

nesolb wrote:They're F1's.

Bye the way the webcam looks great. :)
Thanks nesolb, let's hope there will be more activity there too :roll:

Your fish being F1's explains why they spawned while still rather small, it's known to happen with other fish species too. Seems like tank raised fish start spawning at a younger/smaller size than WC.

Congrats again! Remember pictures when they come out of the cave :D
Adam
Moderator
Posts: 1604
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:50 pm
Location: London, UK

Post by Adam »

Ni Nesolb,
nesolb wrote:Adam - Do you think having two spawns may be due to my tank set-up being partitioned? I think this may, in effect, make up two seperate territories.
I would say that your zebras have formed two colonies due to the tank being partitioned. I take it that the partition is not water tight and that water flows freely between both sides. Out of interest, what have you used to make the partition? I was thinking about doing the same in one of my tanks but haven't managed to get around to it yet. I was going to use a piece of acrylic drilled with loads of holes as I couldn't find an off the shelf divider big enough for my tank.
nesolb wrote: I've been holding back on checking the caves again as I don't want to upset the males. I'm going to just leave them alone for the moment but just keep checking the movement within the caves to get and idea of what's going on.
By reading your male's behaviour you will know if they still have their spawns. If they are tending to eggs/fry they will remain deep in the cave, normally they are half out trying to attract a female.

Interesting point McEve raised about F1s spawning at a younger age. It also looks like they may not require a lot of stimulation to induce spawning unlike WCs. Being F1s it will be interesting to see how good their parental skills are and whether the possibility of being artificially raised has any bearing on their success rate.

Cheers.

Adam
User avatar
McEve
Hypan-guru!
Posts: 2871
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:33 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Post by McEve »

I'm sure they'll show excellent parental skills. If artificially raised fish will loose their instincts I think it will take a few generations with artificially rasing them before we see that happens.

The reason I raised that question was to see if we could get a discussion around what should be the norm - to take them, or leave them with the fahter - as a generel rule and something to strive for as a norm. To avoid problems in the future, after several generations...
nesolb
Obsessed!!
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat May 14, 2005 1:47 pm
Location: Leeds

Post by nesolb »

We've got wrigglers!!!!!!!! :D

I've checked on them both this morning and I noticed that the male I suspect to be the alpha was making himself look big at the front of his cave. I looked again a few minutes later and some how a wriggler has got past him and was just sat there on the tank floor. He's now in a fry trap on his own for the moment.

I'm now thinking whether I should try and take the wrigglers from dad or just get them as they get kicked out of the cave. What do you think I should do?

I may of confused you Adam in one of my last posts, my tank isn't actually partioned as such; more segrogated. I'll get a pic of the tank and the little wriggler when the light comes on and you'll see what I mean. The pic will probably be rubbish tho cos I don't have a digital camera, just a camera phone.

I'm gonna keep a zebra diary from now on noting any changes I do which I hope will be of use to other forum members hoping to get these little fellas spawning.
User avatar
McEve
Hypan-guru!
Posts: 2871
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:33 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Post by McEve »

well first of all CONGRATS! you're past the first hurdle :D

Secondly, I guess everybody knows my opinion on leaving or taking the wrigglers :) I'd pick up the ones that got kicked out, but leave the others. Once the yolk sack is used up by the escapees I would put them back in the main tank, having had them in a floating fry trap made of acrylic in the main tank all along.

But that's just my opinion :)
NetsuaiAngel
Obsessed!!
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:04 am
Location: Las Vegas, NV - USA

Post by NetsuaiAngel »

McEve wrote:well first of all CONGRATS! you're past the first hurdle :D

Secondly, I guess everybody knows my opinion on leaving or taking the wrigglers :) I'd pick up the ones that got kicked out, but leave the others. Once the yolk sack is used up by the escapees I would put them back in the main tank, having had them in a floating fry trap made of acrylic in the main tank all along.

But that's just my opinion :)
Just curious...

Do you take the kicked out wrigglers in case they may rapture their yolk sack? Have you experienced any wrigglers become stressed when they're placed in a breeding net (different environment)?

Good luck nesolb!! Look forward to reading more about your babies!
nesolb
Obsessed!!
Posts: 167
Joined: Sat May 14, 2005 1:47 pm
Location: Leeds

Post by nesolb »

I've checked the second spawn this morning and it would seem that the eggs weren't fertilised, I think the male's probably eaten them.

The suspected alpha male wasn't guarding anymore wrigglers so I've just ended up with the one. I'm certainly not complaining tho cos I wasn't expecting either spawn to be fertilised, I'm sure they'll get better with practice. :)

I've tried taking a pic of the little fella in the fry trap but the pics are really bad, you'd struggle to see it properly. I'm gonna try and borrow a mates camera so I'll get a pic up asap.

Once the egg has been consumed what should I feed the little fella? I've read a few other threads where people have used tetra prima, crushed or not, but the JMC food I give the adults is finely ground. Do you think I'd be ok using that?
User avatar
McEve
Hypan-guru!
Posts: 2871
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:33 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Post by McEve »

NetsuaiAngel wrote: Just curious...

Do you take the kicked out wrigglers in case they may rapture their yolk sack? Have you experienced any wrigglers become stressed when they're placed in a breeding net (different environment)?
Their yolk sack is very very delicate. If they do get kicked out of the cave (which btw musn't have any sharp edges, you have all checked for that right :D) it won't take much to rupture it. They're far safer in a fry trap, in the same tank (not a different enviroment in other words) than in the tank itself. Especially if you have, like me, substrate in the tank.

I wouldn't use a breeding net BTW, It's much better to use the acrylic ones. If you provide shelter of some sort, a piece of bog wood, a piece of coconut shell or other, they won't be, or I haven't noticed them, being stressed by this.

I can imagine they don't like being suspended in the "air", and being so much closer to the light is probably something they don't like either (shelter) but all in all it's much better to put them in a fry trap than leaving them to fend for themselves as long as they have a yolk sack. IMO - others might think differently of course.

BTW, the adults don't seem to be of any danger to them. I've never seen an adult show any agression towards a fry, no matter what age the fry is.
INXS
Obsessed!!
Posts: 160
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:03 pm
Location: Litchfield ,CT
Contact:

Post by INXS »

I put several wigglers from a recent batch that got kicked out in a net breeder and they didn't make it so I would reccomend as others to use a solid acrylic fry trap. I think the rough edges and relativley high watermovement damaged the yolksac.
Good luck
NetsuaiAngel
Obsessed!!
Posts: 211
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:04 am
Location: Las Vegas, NV - USA

Post by NetsuaiAngel »

Great info! :) Yes edges of caves need to be sanded and smooth. Cheap nail files help smooth those edges ;) But rinse well!

Good luck nesolb! Sorry about the second spawn. Practice will get you there, it's exciting that your tank had two spawns though. That's a rarity from what I hear!

I'm not familiar with JMC food, but I'm sure others here have some baby food suggestions for you!
zebra046
Obsessed!!
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:24 am

Post by zebra046 »

nesolb,
a heated thin wire to make holes should solve the ragged edges from the holes also put holes about an inch above the base of the container specially if you have flow going in the fry normally stay on the bottom of the tank, then when feeding them the food won't get stuck in the holes as to food types any high quality high Protien sinking food but you need to keep an eye on the container if you don't have flow it will fowl quickly and there is the newly hatched Brine Shimp turn off the flow and or raise the airstone just below water level so that the shrimp will stay in the bottom for the fry to eat. good Luck
fishboy
Groupie
Posts: 88
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2005 11:40 am
Location: Wichita,ks

Post by fishboy »

How old are yours nesolb. I am getting 6-8 F1's in the spring that will be 8-10 months, depending on when i get them. So, since f1's spawn earlier, can i expect them spawning when they are 2.5-3 years old and when they are 2.5 inches
Post Reply