# EGGs!!!!!!!!



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Almost had a heart attack when I saw them.

*ps. sorry, they are not of the L260s...I wish...*

But as I was rescaping my planted tank so I can remove the zebra danios. I realized this:









note the eggs stuck to the wood.

Then I freaked...and was sooo pissed that I disturbed the female 

So I ended up removing all of the fish aside from the male and female. Here are some more pics.

male shafted to one end:








female guarding:

































the opening of the cave was facing the back...so it was ackward getting my arm in the back..:/

This is not the pair's first spawn, but it is their first spawn under my care. Hopefully everything is still fine. I was not prepared for them breeding right now...so I will be reading A LOT tomorrow and tonight. But any tips on what now? If the eggs hatch and use up their egg sacs....should I just leave them in there? how/what should I feed the babies...or should I remove the babies...if so...how? I cant just net them out....BAH!!

Thanks for lookin 

oh, forgot to state. They are Apistogramma hongslois


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Congrats on the spawn!

I'd pm Chris_S - I think he raises a lot of apistos.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

thanks 

Ill pm him once I finish reading a couple of articles.....so I dont look like a total nob.


----------



## flanneryc (Jul 25, 2009)

Awesome!! Congrats Hitch!!!! Sorry, i have no advice and would wait for Chris S to tell you what you really need to know.. But CONGRATS!!!


----------



## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

Congrats! 
Those are nice Apistos.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Thanks 

Im still unsure if this spawn is a good thing or a bad thing. Its good that they somehow managed to spawn in hard toronto water with pH of 7.6, no live food for conditioning and such. But the bad thing is that: i dont have the newly hatched brine shrimp to feed the fry, dont have another tank handy for grow out, and the biggest problem of all, I have to leave for London in a week and I doubt a 3 hour trip is going to be good for the days old fry.


----------



## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Leave em be. If you can't raise them, then let nature take it's course this time. Who knows, some of the fry just might survive


----------



## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Congrats! 

You heading to Western for school? I know a lot of fish people in London!


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

So woke up this morning to check on the eggs, and found that the female is no longer aggressive to the male and she is no longer showing spawning colouration (ie, the deep yellow with block dot in the center).

Realized that something is wrong, I checked on the eggs and they were all gone :/, had to double check to make sure the eggs didnt hatch.

So ya...the disturbance in the water last night must have been too much for the female, and I am guessing ate the eggs.

O well...at least I know they can breed without me using RO or even conditioning them for that matter...lol



Cory said:


> Congrats!
> 
> You heading to Western for school? I know a lot of fish people in London!


Thanks, and yap, finishing my last year. I dont think I know any fish people there, aside from the pet paradise people (but thats more like a customer-fishroom person interaction). :/


----------



## Jackson (Jan 30, 2009)

Nice 

Are all the eggs still there?


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

nah.....all gone this morning....But the pair is courtshiping again.


----------



## rush2112 (Apr 5, 2006)

Louis,

If you go to Pet Paradise say hi to Tony for me. 

Gino


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

rush2112 said:


> Louis,
> 
> If you go to Pet Paradise say hi to Tony for me.
> 
> Gino


will do


----------



## Cory (May 2, 2008)

Mark and Tony at pet paradise are two awesome fish resources, I haven't seen them since last summer. I know a few other hobbyists you could hook up with too. The London Aquaria Society is a great club to join also, that's how I met most of my fish friends there hehe.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

ya, I have conversed with them. Very nice guys. I am debating about whether or not to join the London aquaria society...since I am only there until April :/


----------



## Cory (May 2, 2008)

LAS is definitely worth it. Its a more active club than a lot of the ones in the GTA and you get a nice discount at the local fish stores for being a member. The president when I was a member was Ron Bishop and he was a stellar guy. He recruited me into LAS when he stopped by to buy some swordtails from me heheh. Lots of interesting and rare fish amongst the club members.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

hmm...Ill attend their auction this fall..and hopefully will be able to decide.


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Congrats! I'm assuming you got those honsloi as locally bred from a local pet store?  

Many apistos don't really need any special water parameters to breed (while others REALLY do). They will breed again, and likely soon. Make sure they have a cave or cave like area for her to spawn on (they spawn on the roof of caves/driftwood/etc.).

Once they become free-swimming, the female will take diligent care of them. Unless you are breeding them for profit, leave the eggs in and let her clean and take care of them. She will eat the dead ones and fan the fertile ones to keep fungus from attacking them.

You can remove the male, if you want, after she starts herding them around. If he wants to breed again while she is taking care of her brood, they are liable to be eaten.

The female will take excellent care of them, likely better than you can. It is best to leave the little'uns with her for at least 2 weeks, but anywhere up to a month is great.

Disturbances like you mentioned often lead to the females eating their clutch. This is due to a perceived threat - instinctively she will eat them to regain her own strength and get ready for her next, hopefully less tramautic spawning attempt. The eggs in the picture all look fertile, so she must have been taking good care of them.

Good luck!


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Chris S said:


> Congrats! I'm assuming you got those honsloi as locally bred from a local pet store?


no.........ya..........



Chris S said:


> Many apistos don't really need any special water parameters to breed (while others REALLY do). They will breed again, and likely soon. Make sure they have a cave or cave like area for her to spawn on (they spawn on the roof of caves/driftwood/etc.).


Ya, made some natural places where they can breed...the pair is courtshipping already.



Chris S said:


> Disturbances like you mentioned often lead to the females eating their clutch. This is due to a perceived threat - instinctively she will eat them to regain her own strength and get ready for her next, hopefully less tramautic spawning attempt. The eggs in the picture all look fertile, so she must have been taking good care of them.


Ya.....that part came true...all eggs are gone. Still kicking myself for disturbing her. :/

But I am looking forward to their next spawn.

Thanks for all of the tips and guidance.


----------



## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Let me know how it goes. I find them one of the most interesting fish, mainly because of their courtship and broodcare. I swear they are smarter than many humans I meet everyday.


----------



## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Chris S said:


> I swear they are smarter than many humans I meet everyday.


LOL.

but ya, I will def keep everyone updated if they spawn again.


----------

