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How do I know.....
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 7:31 pm
by jerms55555
That my male is guarding eggs or not? I really dont want to stick my flashlight inside too see, I dont want to stress out the male and have him eat the eggs.....But this is how my story goes, on Friday i did a 30% water change....I have one cave all the way to the right of the aquarium in which none of the 12 zebras use!...So on Saturday i noticed one zebras inside it ...now on Sunday another one was inside it...one was kind of on top of the other....they stayed in there all of Sunday and Monday.....On Tuuesday only one was inside...but he was far inside I can barely see his pectoral fins.....Do you think i should take him out and get a turkey baster and wash if any eggs out into a breeder container And at what date should I chance taking them out?? After they hatch????
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:25 pm
by Barbie
If it was me, I'd leave them with the male. Sometimes the first spawn is healthy, sometimes it isn't. This will definitely be good experience for him. Wait until the eggs have hatched, and then maybe move the male up into a flow through container, cave and all. I know it's hard to consider letting the male eat any, but he really will do the best job of caring for them, and it's good experience.
With that said, I tend to take the fry when they have absorbed about half of their yolk sac. I'm not exactly well known for my patience!
Barbie
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 10:53 pm
by Des
Hi Jerms55555,
I personally would leave any eggs with the Dad until 1 or 2 days prior to free swimming, when they can be put into a fry brooder. Eggs taken away too early are more prone to fungus.
Good Luck
Regards,
Des.
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2005 11:01 pm
by McEve
My unfortunate experience is that artificially hatched eggs produce fry that are very weak. out of 20 eggs 14 hatched. Then about 5 days before the egg youlk was used I started loosing fry daily. At the age of 3 weeks I had 7 left. Only 3 of them are alive today 8 months old.
I think the male has some secret up his sleeve that we can't imitate with an airstone
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 2:45 pm
by KenW
Hi Jerms,
The way I usually can tell if the male has eggs is when he is deep in his cave. My males normally hang half its body or its tail outside of the caves attracting females and when he has eggs he is all the way at the front of the cave with the eggs at his mouth fanning and tumbing them.
Ken
Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2005 8:56 pm
by jerms55555
Thanks Barbie, Des and Mceve...I probably just leave them in there....
Ken,I noticed that he is always in the back..so yesterday I stood there and he would stay in the back for about 10 minutes and then i saw him come a little out of the cave not all the way and he fanned his back fins up and down and went back inside and did that a few times and finally went back in there and stayed in there......any ideas....oh yea this cave is never used !!! and this is the only time I ever seen a zebra inside......