I am new to the website-I have visited several times before, but did not join any discussions or sign up. Now I did, because I am coming to all of you experts for advice. I have been trying to get baby oscars for years. Now I have a pair of oscars that is laying eggs. THey have laid about five times now. When I leave the eggs with the parents they eat them and when I take them away -I only get a few that hatch. Last time I took them-I got about 40 that hatched and this time even less. I have raised many baby fish in the past and have never had this problem. I put methylene blue in the water and did also put in a stream of bubbles that run parallel to the eggs. Still only a few are hatching. Does anyone know what I can do to get more to hatch?

There may be a possibility that some of the eggs are not really that good which is why they don't hatch, or maybe the male is not fertilising all of them properly. The fact that some of them are hatching obviously means you have a male and female that are quite willing to breed together. If the fish keep eating the eggs then you will obviously have to remove them as soon as they have laid them, obviously you want to wait for the male to do his business, but then remove the eggs. Five times isn't very long, it may be a case that the more you do it, the more success you will have.

Okay-thank you. So we just all need to keep trying. Is there anything else I can try? Maybe a different kind of chemical?

ava1205 wrote:


Hi..I am no expert but I can share my current experience. I have a male in with two females. They were eating the eggs so a month ago I took a batch of them and using the same procedure as you, I have managed to get around 700 babies from that batch. (More because I have 700 now) Two weeks ago the other female laid eggs and I did exactly the same thing. There were heaps more bad eggs that time and the fungus got to most of the eggs overnight before day 3 and the ones that did manage to wiggle off eventually got swamped by the fungus too. So I think at the end of the day it is a bit hit and miss and next batch you might get really lucky...or not....

Re the chemicals, to my (limited) knowledge meth blue is good because unlike the chemicals that some professional breeders use, it does not render the babies sterile. If you find anything about another chemical please let me know because I just could not control that fungus last time. Keep trying! Shaz

I think you are doing everything right, you say you have already had at least 40 eggs hatch, that's not bad going you know? Fish will lay eggs but sometimes they are not always good eggs, especially if the fish have not been sexually mature or for very long. Hang in there, and keep us posted on your progress, I know a lot of people will be very interested and follow you along the way.

ava1205 wrote:

Sounds like you are well on your way. Just keep trying. I must admit that I am from the "show me State", and I would love to see some pics and/or vids of your fish with eggs/babies.

my previous pair had laid eggs more than a dozen times... and i just allow
them to hatch with the parents... since i am not particular in raising fries,
i did not bother to rearing for them... i just let the angel fish do the
population control... Luckily, i was able to save a single o from the offspring
and that one is in my signature...

recently, my new pair had spawned and able to hatch some eggs... i am now
watching them at my two gallon glass bowl....

in my own opinion, any hatchling is already an accomplishment if your o spawned.

Okay-thanks-I guess i am just impatient. I have about 10-20 babies again this time. I just keep wondering wha i am doing wrong-but maybe it isn't me-it's them. They seem to be doing it right though-she lays and he follows behind her. I guess I will just give them time.