Oops, they did it again..

INXS · Post by **INXS** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:56 pm

Maybe I just got really lucky or it is the time of year but the zebras spawned for a third time in the last two months. It also looks like there are more potential females ready to go as they are really fat.

Did a cool water change last wednesday , two days later there were two zebras trapped in a cave for 2-3 days and last night I came home to the male being solo with a small clutch of eggs.

Seeing that the last two spawns have just about dissapeard in the tank, I'm wondering if I should set up a breeding trap and rear the young for the first few months to ensure that they eat well and more important that I get to see them

I was toying with the idea of putting the entire cave with the male and eggs in the breeding trap - any thought there?

How long should I keep the young in the trap if I do this?

When does everyone else usually remove the young into a trap (I know this has been discussed but I figured I would ask again)

Thanks

Post by **Barbie** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 2:45 pm

I just put a rock or something under the leading edge of the males cave to tip it back, until the wigglers are almost out of their yolks, then I swipe them. Then again, I designed caves with removable backs, which I think you did end up getting, right? So it shouldn't be a problem. Without the removable backs, you could just move the males cave into the holding container at that point too. Now you see why we end up caging the fry. Just so we can see they're still in there!

Barbie

KenW · Post by **KenW** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:32 pm

INXS,

When you say that the 2 previous spawns just disappear, are saying that the male ate the eggs/fry or did they leave the cave and are now in the tank?

What I do depends on the male. I have one male that takes care of the fry until they leave and with this male I usually take the babies when they are around 18 to 20 days old and place them in a floating breeding trap.

With another male I remove the eggs once the fry has broken out of their shell, which is usually around 5 to 6 days. The reason I do this is several times I have left the eggs with the male but he would eat/destroy most of them and he would end up with only 1 or 2 survivors. By removing the fry I have been able to save 8 to 10 everytime.

I usually have the fry in the trap for about a month or two or until the next spawn. At that time I move the fry into a 10 gallon with the older siblings.

Removing the cave/male into the trap is up to you. I prefer to move only the fry into the trap so the male can go about eating and resting before the next female is ready.

Ken

INXS · Post by **INXS** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:29 pm

Thanks Barbie and Ken,
who would have known that Barbie and Ken settled down and started breeding zebra plecos ....

OK, this clutch looks small - maybe 3-4 eggs but he is very protective and won't even let me have a look.

Ken - the fry may be in the tank somewhere , they just dissapeared into cracks and crevices.

jerms55555 · Post by **jerms55555** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:41 pm

GREAT JOB INXS!!
What I noticed as well is that if i take the eggs out and float them in a bredding trap they tend to grow slower......but the ones that are left in the tank with the parents grow alot faster! My last eggs were eaten by the father...i dont know why?? And thats why I took the latest eggs, but if your father is raising them well I would leave them and thats if you dont have other fish in your tank!

INXS · Post by **INXS** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 10:39 pm

Thanks Jerms55555,
I have no other species with them but there are about 13 zebras in the tank - will that be a problem?

I was actually thinking of taking the cave with the father and the eggs and put it in a breeding trap so he could take care of them and when they decided to leave the cave I would remove him and the cave leaving the fry in the trap - any thoughts on this?
THanks

but if your father is raising them well

my father doesn't even like fish - unless they are fried that is

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 1:23 am

Congrats on the spawns INXS.

Personally I wouldn't risk disturbing the male, if he is sufficiently spooked he may well eat the spawn. I do what Barbie does, I swipe the fry from the male at the wriggler stage.

Well done mate.

Adam

Hmm, the talk of fried fish has made me hungry , I'm off to raid the fridge.

jerms55555 · Post by **jerms55555** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 7:08 pm

I have the same number of zebras in my tank as well and they dont bother the fry! Those suckers are fast!!! ISometime when I feed them a baby and an adult go for the same food but the adult chases hiim off but he is like a bullet!!! So dont worry too much about that! I was alos thinking about moving the cave with the male as well but i heard that if the male thinks that the eggs will be in any danger he will eat them! So put it this way if its not broken dont try to fix it!! FIGHT THE URGE!!!!!!!!!!!!

ITS HARD BUT YOU CAN DO IT!!!

alga · Post by **alga** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:53 pm

Back to the question of the father eating the eggs. I have a friend who breeds angelfish. He had a spawn and noticed both parents eating very young wigglers. To save the brood he removed the parents and artificially raised the babies. From the batch most were developmentally not right, missing fins etc. Sometimes the parent(s) just know best. I know this is not always the case but an interesting observation in other fish. Subsequent spawns from the same pairr were parent raised and no developmental problems.