My angelfish laid eggs

[bossteck]

Hi all,

2 pairs of my P. Scalare (Eimekei) (I think) had laid eggs last night. For 1 pair, this is the 4th time they have done so, (the previous 3 times ended with all their eggs eaten), for another, this is the first time.

Now I have 4 aggressive angels in my community tank, which houses 3 pencil fish, 3 cherry barbs, 3 small plecos, 4 corys, 6 other angels.

This morning, I woke up, unlike the previos 3 times, the eggs are still intact and not eaten.

One pair had spawned on a leaf of a plant, the other pair on the outlet tube of my filter, both can be remove if there's a need.

My question is, what can I do to maximize the chances of survival of the eggs?

I remember reading about 'practice' spawning, where the parents will end up eating their eggs. How can I tell if it is the case? How to tell if the eggs are fertilized?

Would it be a good idea to relocate the parents and eggs? If so, what size tank would be sufficient?

Any one with experience in this?

[kpete4]

Even if you can get the eggs to hatch you'll never get the fry to survive in the tank with the other fish. Angels will eat their fry if they feel there is any threat at all. If you look at them wrong through the glass, they'll eat their fry. I've had eggs hatch in a community angel tank, but the fry never survive unless you get them out of there. If you want to keep the parents with them (you don't have to), i'd use a 20 gallon tall to start, with a sponge filter. You could do it in a 10 gallon if you didn't bring the parents

[bossteck]

Hi kpete4,

Thanks for your response.

Is there any way for me to tell if the eggs has been fertilized? Reason I am asking is because during one of the previous spawns, I noticed that the eggs were white instead of transparent.

I did cut off the leave holding all the eggs during one of the previous spawns as well, left it in a bucket (about 10 gallons) with no filtration. After about a week, nothing happened, so I threw everything away.

How long does it normally take for eggs to develop into frys?

[mickthefish]

going of your temps in SG, they should hatch in 3-4 days, and a further 4days to become free-swimming,
if you take the eggs out that are on the leaf put them in a bucket with an air-stone creating a mild current of air near the fry that could work.

mick

[bossteck]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for the advice. You make it sound really simple.
Keeping my fingers crossed.

[mickthefish]

eric
once youve done it a couple of hundred times it is easy, i only do them that waywhen the pair keep eating the eggs or fry though.
there's nothing better than seeing the pair trying to keep their brood in a group, it's the commercial breeders fault all their angels are on a production line for optimum yeild of fry.

mick

[bossteck]

Hi Mick,

Yup, all the eggs got eaten up when I returned from work.
Well, at least I know what I should do next time then.

Thanks for sharing!

[stormhawk]

Eric, if you do get them to spawn again, try and remove the eggs out. Do not expose the eggs to the open air, especially when removing them from the tank. A mild solution of methylene blue with the original tank's water should be sufficient. They will require some form of aeration, in which an airstone placed beneath them with a gentle stream of bubbles should suffice.

In my experience, the eggs start hatching on the 2nd or 3rd day, maybe later, depending on the conditions. The fry become free-swimming on the 4th day and will follow the parents around. By this time they are able to fully feed on newly hatched brine shrimp. From then on, they will grow very fast, very quickly.

Cull the weaker ones, because after so many years in captivity, some of the angelfish fry can be born with deformities.

[bossteck]

Hi stormhawk,

Thanks for the advice. Seems like I should set up a breeding tank because base on my observations, there should be eggs in the next couple of days.

Will update if there is success.

[armani]

i've bred angels before... from the experience, i realised as long as there's no provokation or human traffic, the eggs will hatch successfully. what you should do is set up a tank; maybe a standard 3ft or a 2x1.5x1.5ft tank... cover up the tank with oyama or maybe styrofoam so that the angels won't feel threatened... ensure that the water is well aerated and the angels are fed with good food, i would suggest frozen bloodworms... then just maintain good water quality through water changes maybe once in 2 days and also add in a breeding cone or slate...

once they spawn, you will realise that they become very aggressive when u go near the tank... now, do not feed them yet and also do not change the water... let them take care of the eggs peacefully... fertilised aggs are usually opague... next day, try to feed lesser amount of food just to ensure they are not too hungry that they have to eat up the eggs... in about 3 days, the eggs wil hatch... you will realise black spots on the place where they have laid eggs... these are the fries... you can either choose to remove the parents now or wait till the fries begin to free-swim in about 2 days... then remove the parents and feed the fries with freshly hatched brineshrimp...

hope this helps... any more problem just ask the brothers/sisters here... all the best bro...

[bossteck]

Hi armani,

Thanks for sharing!

[armani]

Hi armani,

Thanks for sharing!

no problem bro... all the best for your next spawn...

[Mikagami]

hey can i ask like if u remove the eggs to another bucket, do u bring the parents along too??? or can u just leave the parents behind in the riginal tank???
another side questions is ... What do you do when you have too much of them?? do you sell them off and who will buy them? any good people that will take care of my fish cos no point breeding so much when i do not have so many tanks and there is no one to take care of them ... thanks for the reply Cos iactually my angels keeping on spawning for about 5 times but i choose not to care cos i am afraid i cannot find any ood owners for the baby fishes...

[mickthefish]

mikagami, you leave the parent in the original tank just take the eggs out.
in the UK we can sell them in the lfs no problem at all, over in SG the best is to ask at the shops if they'll buy them of you.
you have a lot of dedicated fishkeepers over there why not have a fish auction at six monthly periods in a central place so you can get new blood lines or just to get rid of unwanted fish

mick

[Mikagami]

Hey thanks a lot Will tell you when the breeding is successful

[armani]

hey can i ask like if u remove the eggs to another bucket, do u bring the parents along too??? or can u just leave the parents behind in the riginal tank???
another side questions is ... What do you do when you have too much of them?? do you sell them off and who will buy them? any good people that will take care of my fish cos no point breeding so much when i do not have so many tanks and there is no one to take care of them ... thanks for the reply Cos iactually my angels keeping on spawning for about 5 times but i choose not to care cos i am afraid i cannot find any ood owners for the baby fishes...

yes mikagami... like what mick said, you just take out the eggs and put into another... but one thing u must make sure is that the water is off very gd condition... i would suggest draining out water from the breeding tank into the ggs holding tank... then add in an air-stone so that air can circulate... and just for precaustionary measures to prevent fungus, you might want to add in abit of methylene blue which can be bought from fish shops easily; just follow the instructions on the box...

as for the excess angelfish you breed, you can choose to sell it in the buy/sell section for the members who might want to keep some angels in their planted tanks or you can sell to fish shops as told by mick...

[Mikagami]

ok sure.
Thanks for all the valuable comments!!! really appreciate it