as the title says - my oscars have laid eggs.. They have been cleaning the piece of slate for what seems like months (they last laid eggs in Feb this year). In the last week or so they have been very very protective on their half of the tank - almost drawing a line in the tank and not letting any other fish over the line.

So, last night I looked over at the tank and low and behold they were laying eggs.. It was so easy to see the difference between the 2 fish too, definatly one male and one female but what to do now?? I dont really have the tank space, or the know how to try and raise them, but I would also like to give it a try. I could move the baby cory's from my little tank for starters, and see if I can get the eggs to hatch..

anyway - If the eggs are still there when I get home from work today I will make a decision (they did last over night, which they didnt do in Feb when they last laid them).

Cheers
Leone

Congrats on the eggs!

If you don't have the space, or desire to have 700+ babies, with daily water changes... Just leave them in the tank.. They will be gone soon enough.

Congratulations, it's exciting isn't it! You have two choices...leave them in the tank and you will end up with nil survivors or a couple.....OR set up an incubation tank and be prepared for the possibility of several hundred and a lot of work....if you decide on the incubation tank I am happy to share my experience.....Shaz

congratz on the babies!

keep us updated on the progress.

well, I have just got home from work and the eggs are still there.. so they have made it through a night and a whole day without getting eaten (by parents, or Angels, or Clown Loaches).

Still undecided what to do!!

parent fish are doing a great job at the moment looking after the eggs, taking it in turn to fan them etc. What are thoughts about leaving the eggs with parents until they hatch, then taking some of them out to see if I can grow them up separately, and leaving the rest in the tank to see if any of them survive?

cheers
Leone

lovemyfish wrote:


I like that idea...let me know how it goes. I can see some logistical issues.

1. The parents are feral at me taking eggs so I can only imagine how they will be if fry hatch.
2. The reason the parents eat fry / eggs is usually because they perceive a threat so that might be a problem if you mess with the fry.
3. For the first 4 or 5 days the fry just wiggle on the ground, they don't swim up until after that and they would be difficult to scoop while on the ground especially with Mum and Dad chasing you. You would have to take out the Angel fish because that would be a huge predator (just ask Paul).
4. I would imagine that fry would be more sensitive to environmental changes than eggs, so a new tank might be a big adjustment.

But I like your idea. I would be stoked if my Os would raise their own babies. Minespawn about twice a month and I leave every other one to them to see what they do but they always eat the eggs. My hatching pursuits range from none to too many...keep us updated..shaz

no expierence with eggs but i have a mate who breeds lots of fish and he goes well dividing the tank, he just used a plstic lid that fitted into place and he still breeds them and sells them, i think there called red jewel cicilids.

its an idea anyway

quick update on the eggs.

So, I got up this morning and the eggs are still there, and Rex(dad) and Tex (mum) are almost savagely protecting them. So much so, that when I walked past they knocked a fairly decent sized rock down, almost onto the slate that the eggs are on.

I decided I needed to move the rock, partly to keep the division in the tank partly to get it off the slate - I had to use a net to move it because both fish were just attacking me. I did manage to move it, but there is not a hope in hell that I will be able to get the slate out.

So decision made, I will leave it there, let them hatch and then see if I can net or siphon some of the wrigglers out, and see if mum and dad can raise some. I will take the Angel fish out of the tank tho to give them a bit of a chance.

cheers
Leone

If they have made it this far without being eaten it sounds like you have a great shot at Rex and Tex bringing them into the world. Start thinking about what you will feed the fry...you can go with liquid food or frozen baby brine shrimp...or you can get some brine shrimp eggs and set yourself up a hatchery to give them fresh live food that will be better for your tank water. Their egg sack will get them through the first 4 or 5 days, so you have a few days to plan......Also start strategising a baby proof cover for your filter inlet....oohh it's so exciting!!Shaz

Nicki--Sue wrote:


what "gets" them - the filter? do the parents end up eating them? other fish in the tank (because the parents can't possibly protect all of them)?

I'm hoping mine (assuming their a pair and not two girls) go through this someday:)

MeghanR wrote:


All of those things are very real dangers for the fry... Most often the parents eat them.

well, I woke up this morning to find the slate moving!!

There are eggs with tails.. EVERY WHERE!! on the slate, on the bottom of the tank amongst the small amount of substrate. VERY exciting.

I have emptied a small tank and filled it with water from the big tank, I will see if I can siphon some of the babies (wrigglers) out and see what happens.

cheers
Leone