Can vinegar eels harm fish eggs?

[Karen B.]

I am breeding Clown killifish for the 2nd times. The first egg finally hatched and gosh I forgot how tiny these fry are!

The eggs are in a plastic container, with « brown » water from catappa leaves and an air stone. The container is floating in a bigger tub with a heater, a sponge filter, lots of plants (I throw my trimmed plants in there). I am trying a more « natural » kind of breeding vs the one I did the first time in a breeding fluval container that hang on a main tank. 
 

I saw the first fry today. Took me 5 minutes to spot him in the small container! I know the first 24 hours they feed on their yolk sack. But they are soooo tiny I don’t know if he hatched before and I didn’t see him. So I put a few drop of water with vinegar eels.

But then I wondered… can the vinegar eels harm the unhatched eggs?

[Fish Folk]

On 11/23/2021 at 9:33 PM, Karen B. said:

I am breeding Clown killifish for the 2nd times. The first egg finally hatched and gosh I forgot how tiny these fry are!

The eggs are in a plastic container, with « brown » water from catappa leaves and an air stone. The container is floating in a bigger tub with a heater, a sponge filter, lots of plants (I throw my trimmed plants in there). I am trying a more « natural » kind of breeding vs the one I did the first time in a breeding fluval container that hang on a main tank. 
 

I saw the first fry today. Took me 5 minutes to spot him in the small container! I know the first 24 hours they feed on their yolk sack. But they are soooo tiny I don’t know if he hatched before and I didn’t see him. So I put a few drop of water with vinegar eels.

But then I wondered… can the vinegar eels harm the unhatched eggs?

When I add my vinegar eels, I mix with a pinch of baking soda to chemically balance the acid.

Here’s a video that might help you out. Good luck! I love Killis…

 

[Karen B.]

On 11/24/2021 at 8:21 AM, Fish Folk said:

When I add my vinegar eels, I mix with a pinch of baking soda to chemically balance the acid.

Here’s a video that might help you out. Good luck! I love Killis…

 

Thanks for the video! I harvested them the way Cory showed - long necked bottle with floss and water.

What I wonder is if the worms themselves can harm the unhatchex eggs

[Fish Folk]

On 11/24/2021 at 9:55 AM, Karen B. said:

Thanks for the video! I harvested them the way Cory showed - long necked bottle with floss and water.

What I wonder is if the worms themselves can harm the unhatchex eggs

That’s a great harvesting method! You’ll get less acidity, but with small spaces, I like to take care for pH.

No, vinegar eels shouldn’t trouble fertile eggs.

[Odd Duck]

Vinegar eels are so tiny I can’t imagine that they could damage an egg.  They are eating the microscopic flora and fauna in the culture solution or tank.  As long as you are using the eels with the vinegar diluted, or rinsing them if you do the pour through the filter method, you should be fine.