Angelfish keep eating eggs

[Brandon p]

I was away and the night I got back and did an quick walk around. I was surprised to this a pair for angels payed eggs. The following morning I did a more thorough look and the eggs were all gone. The following day more eggs. Next day gone. Then last night they layed more eggs and were still laying as I went to bed. This morning I see to eggs. Can I remove the eggs to hatch on there own. I have not had this problem before. Please and help would be  grateful

[HH Morant]

I have had the same issue with my angels. I see the eggs and think "I will take them out tomorrow." Then tomorrow they are gone. 

Once they have been fertilized you have to take them out. I have my first batch of free-swimming angelfish fry now in a 10-gallon tank. Initially, I took the eggs out and put them in a 5-gallon bucket, where they hatched. After 3-4 days, I moved them to the 10-gallon tank before they started free-swimming. They are about a week post-hatch now and they are all free-swimming.

I have heard that mature angelfish can raise their fry. My angels are only a little over one year old, so maybe they are not mature enough.

[Odd Duck]

Angels are notorious for eating eggs, especially new parents.  Some never get to the point where they will raise their fry, some do.  Removing the eggs is what’s typically done by most breeders.  Doing all kinds of things to give the pair more privacy and making them feel more secure could help.

Plants, especially big swords, can be helpful.  Covering part of the tank so they don’t see activity outside the tank.  Any tank mates should be removed, of course.  Having fairly dim lighting and a dark room would be important.  Using some tannins in the water might even be helpful, too because it can reduce fungus in the eggs and funguses eggs will sometimes trigger them to start eating eggs.  They’re supposed to eat the fungused eggs to reduce risk to the other eggs, but then some get carried away.

[HH Morant]

If you put them in a bucket until you have a chance to set up a 10-gallon tank, you will need an air stone in the bucket to maintain a flow near the eggs, and you will probably need a heater. When you move them to a tank, same thing, plus a sponge filter.

There are several you-tube videos that you will find helpful.

[StevesFishTanks]

I found this article pretty helpful. I have tried the rearing jar they mention and recommend the ziss breeder box over it. 

How to breed angelfish

[Brandon p]

They are fairly young fish and a really new pair. I had them pairs with others and switched the male(and educational guess) and the laid in the first few weeks. Ok I have a 10 gal set up. With a sponge filter. I’ll try moving them next time.

[anewbie]

I'd give them a few more months to see if they have it right. Also make sure you have m/f and not f/f which sometimes happens. Last but least it helps a *lot* to leave the room lights on at night.  I have a rough and tumble community aquariums and my angels seem to have no problem raising the eggs to free swimming without too much effort but it took a while for them to learn. Sadly once they babies start flying off everywhere the other angels, loaches, tetra, ... you name it well you can use your imagination.

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If they can't get it right after a month or two you can remove the eggs use a bit of meth blue et all; but really it is so much easier if you can get the parents to do all the leg work.

 

Oh and both parents take care of the eggs; in my case the female tend to directly care for the eggs while the male keeps everyone away.

Edited October 27, 2021 by anewbie

[Brandon p]

I moved the pair to a 20 Gallon. That’s where they ate the eggs the second time. I do have a tank ready for fry or eggs. It does have some Blue Dragon Indgo guppies in there. They are used to warm temps a have muck bucket ponds by the pool in south Florida. I can easily remove the guppies 

[Brandon p]

All my fish are feed well. Since some are getting ready to breed or have fry. They are on the bottom rack the three sides are blocked with colored paper. So if I walk by or have to stand on the step stool they woo the be bothered. 

[rjv23]

try a breeding cone. then buy some plastic garden mesh, make a circle a little bigger than the cone then use zip ties to stitch it together in the circle. this can fit over the cone when the eggs are laid and then the fry can get out when they hatch. there is also a vid by LRB aquatics where he visits a fishroom. the owner had a plexi holder that fit over the edge of the tank and the slate attached to this. easy to remove and replace so the parents dont freak. I made a couple of these and they work much better than slate. I also made a version with split tiles and ran aeration up the center to fan the eggs after laying. this works well for angels and discus, again, shape a mesh to slide over the angled slate after laid. benefits are that it is off of the tank floor and can be removed very easily. my fish always used this, even pairs that would lay on pumps and strange places changed to this after I started using it.

Edited April 10, 2022 by rjv23

[Brandon p]

I have a pair of doubles blacks that I have been asking the eggs and I think tat I was feeding to much I fed 3 times a day 2 drops of bbs. A slime quickly grows on the bottom and a lot for fry get caught and died. I stopped taking the wigglers and left this last pair and so far so good the parents have the fry out swimming  in a ball.