Journal - 29G Black Schultzei Corydoras Breeding Project

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/31/2022 at 5:58 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

See @nabokovfan87? You don't have the snails your tank needs! 🐌🐌

I totally wanted to order about 50 amanos yesterday. I miss the crazy feeds with them going bananas. 25 is the most I've had and I think I'm down to about 8-12 right now with a few right on edge of lifespan.

I was doing the math in my head on cost.... Very tempting.

I was also told nerites won't touch the stuff I have, so the snails don't get to join this fight.

[nabokovfan87]

This was the view of the problem spot treated on sunday.

Finally.  A decent sign I'm doing something right for once.  Photo looks pretty much like little aliens if you zoom in. 

[nabokovfan87]

With the cold weather rolling in, heaters added to the tank, WC on sunday was likely cool enough and the rain this week...  I woke up to an amazing surprise from the big corydoras! (cc @Ken Burke @TeeJay )  I am sure others would love to see this, but I know you two have been on this corydoras journey with me trying to get eggs for so long.  This is my second spawn since moving and all I can hope for is enough fish to share and hopefully pay some bill down the line.  I literally don't have words right now...





I don't really know if it was smart or not, but I found another set of eggs on the back glass, some in the substrate that had fallen off the glass (and were viable).  Every time I would fill the tumbler I found more and more....  It's been about 2-3 hours or trying to get the tumbler set, get it adjusted correctly, and then get used to moving eggs around.  I don't know if I should knock the eggs off to be tumbled or how to get them to "unstick" to one another.  I have so many questions! I will end up making a thread in the breeding section begging for some help, but right now I am just trying to hope I didn't screw things up and some of these survive.

My last spawn happened a bit ago and is logged in here. I had issues getting the tumbler on hand (arrived with a cracked lid) and the eggs all fungussed over.

Fingers crossed..... If I had to guess.  somewhere around 30-50 eggs.

[nabokovfan87]

Just went to check flow, they are spawning right now!

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea might not tag ya because it's an edit not a post. But this is what I was working on 🙂
 

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[nabokovfan87]

@TDee 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Wanted you to see the fun too.  I loved watching your corydoras hatch and grow up.  Hope all is going well with them.

[TDee]

On 11/11/2022 at 4:23 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@TDee 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Wanted you to see the fun too.  I loved watching your corydoras hatch and grow up.  Hope all is going well with them.

Awesome Cories and lovely tank!  Thank you of thinking of me.  My VO cories are doing well, but so to sell so have heaps!  I don't mind tho as so cool to watch.  

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/10/2022 at 7:42 PM, TDee said:

My VO cories are doing well, but so to sell so have heaps!  I don't mind tho as so cool to watch.  

Very nice color on them. That orange shines well.

I want fry like a bad habit! 😂 The last fry I had all I got was a blurry photo and I want one in focus this time!!! 

[TDee]

This little fella survived community hatching as well as been sucked up when I cleaned the tank 2 weeks ago.  Hadn't seen him till yesterday.  Alive and well

[Odd Duck]

Weather change and a cool, almost cold, water change!  Works like a charm!  I’ve always gotten the best spawns when that happens.  When the tap water is too warm, I barely get spawns unless I add ice to my barrel to cool off the water for the water change.  Sometimes I’ll cool off the water just so the bronzes will spawn when the girls get to looking uncomfortably eggy.

Oh, and Congratulations!  🎉 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Odd Duck

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:20 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Just went to check flow, they are spawning right now!

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea might not tag ya because it's an edit not a post. But this is what I was working on 🙂
 

 

Thanks for sharing this! I've spent many a time doing schoolwork in front of my bedroom aquarium in the hope of catching a corydora spawn!

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/10/2022 at 9:26 PM, Odd Duck said:

Weather change and a cool, almost cold, water change!  Works like a charm!  I’ve always gotten the best spawns when that happens.  When the tap water is too warm, I barely get spawns unless I add ice to my barrel to cool off the water for the water change.  Sometimes I’ll cool off the water just so the bronzes will spawn when the girls get to looking uncomfortably eggy.

Oh, and Congratulations!  🎉 

Thank you!

I have done ice and we've had storms and so many different things.  Whatever the dice was that rolled the natural 20 this time, I'm good with it.  I have that one big female (no joke, she's probably pushing 5" long I feel like) and I think she only really lays when conditions are right and she's absolutely stuffed with eggs. 

It was definitely a learning experience, and has been, trying out this species of corydoras.

 

On 11/10/2022 at 10:40 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Thanks for sharing this! I've spent many a time doing schoolwork in front of my bedroom aquarium in the hope of catching a corydora spawn!

Glad to help! That's awesome.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/11/2022 at 7:45 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Thank you!

I have done ice and we've had storms and so many different things.  Whatever the dice was that rolled the natural 20 this time, I'm good with it.  I have that one big female (no joke, she's probably pushing 5" long I feel like) and I think she only really lays when conditions are right and she's absolutely stuffed with eggs. 

It was definitely a learning experience, and has been, trying out this species of corydoras.

 

Glad to help! That's awesome.

Are the fry also as black as their parents at the start?

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/10/2022 at 10:46 PM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Are the fry also as black as their parents at the start?

There's a pic way back in the thread but I'll re-post.  At first they are clear!  After a few weeks this is what they look like:

Squint and it'll make sense 😂



Here is someone much better than me with them who has them a bit younger.
 

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/10/2022 at 5:20 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Just went to check flow, they are spawning right now!

@Chick-In-Of-TheSea might not tag ya because it's an edit not a post. But this is what I was working on 🙂
 

 

That is so cool!! HOW EXCITING!!! Let’s tag @Guppysnail, she’s had a fair amount of cory raising. Perhaps can lend a tip here & there.

On 11/11/2022 at 1:45 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

rolled the natural 20 this time

We still play!  My husband is DM. He loves it.  I’m a cleric this time around. There were 10 of us playing at one point, but over the years numbers have dwindled - got 6 or 7 of us now. I started playing when I was 14. The DM I had at that time was awesome. He would create soundtracks to go with the adventure, had a fog machine, oil lamps; we played in the dark. It was a tiny apartment but man, was it immersive the way he incorporated those props.

Also, this is how I feel when I try to talk to Stranger Things fans about the epic campaign they’ve been watching, and their stare goes from confusion, to blank, to eyes glazing over:

Sorry…. I went off on a tangent. (!!!) #triggered

I’m a nerd AND a NERM. 🤣🥲

Back to the cories! Can’t wait for more updates!! LOL

Edited November 11, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/11/2022 at 8:13 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

There's a pic way back in the thread but I'll re-post.  At first they are clear!  After a few weeks this is what they look like:

Thanks! 

 

On 11/11/2022 at 10:54 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Let’s tag @Guppysnail, she’s had a fair amount of cory raising. Perhaps can lend a tip here & there.

How's cece the tadpole Cory doing?

[nabokovfan87]

After 24 hours:

[Anjum]

Best of luck with fry!!! 

[nabokovfan87]

I went ahead and added the Methylene Blue tonight.  I dosed the tank because there is the eggs in as well as outside of the tumbler.  I count 6 on the glass that look viable with fish inside and then another 20+ on the right corner again. We'll see what happens.  That tank is literally an algae fest and so I kind of need to do as much as I can to protect them.  I've resigned myself that if.... IF I get a good enough hatch out of these then I will end up moving the 29G and setting up the 75 in it's place. 

Not ideal, but necessary because I want these fish to have good enough water and make it a bit easier on them as they grow.  I'm totally excited for about a bazillion fry, but we'll see how it goes.  I have the tank, filtration, basically everything to support a 100-150 corydoras herd and that's the tank I would enjoy having.   It'll be real fun doing the WCs in 20 degree weather with snow outside.  😂

After the eggs hatch I'll do a good size WC and go from there.

[nabokovfan87]

Pretty sure the Methylene Blue died that moss that was killed to a blue-green color now.  Very bizarre looking right now. The wood looks discolored slight too, so that's frustrating.

Algae is still there though!  When I first dosed it, it was super evident how severe the algae is (yet again).  I might cut back the lights again or something. Unsure.

It's maintenance day, which is slightly frustrating because I have to do a lot of work and I have eggs in the tank.  I can try to have water aside, ready to go, but the goal is to keep the eggs submerged and to not dislodge them.  There was 6 eggs on the glass literally right next to the tumbler and I am seeing them slowly fall off.  there's 3 left.  There is a ton of eggs in the tumbler and I still am unsure which are good or bad.  I am trying to keep an eye on any sort of fungus, but even the eggs that looks solid white have some spots inside that might be eyes.  I just am unfamiliar with them to know what to really look for.  Some of the translucent ones I might be seeing the coloration through the egg and that's why it seems fertile.

As part of the ongoing filter work, I need to swap out the filter back to the normal one (skimmer sealed off) and then I will feel a lot better.  Who knows, might find some eggs in there too. 

I am just unsure of exactly, specifically how to handle some of the situations and I don't want to stress the tank right now.  The otos seem a bit lethargic, clamped fins.  The shrimp, swords, and the corydoras are all doing ok.  

In my other tank, I have a fish that potentially has some pretty severe fin rot (close to body rot) and that isn't great.  I dosed meds last night, but I'm just a bit drained with all of the stuff going on.  I need an easy week with the fish.... and algae to be nice to me.

I might try to turn up the tumbler ever so slightly.  If anyone has any advice on how to do the WC with eggs on the glass, much appreciated. 

Thank you!

EDIT: Very delayed update on testing 11/18/2022
Note: everything is a mess right now because I've changed to lean dosing and less light.
Temp: 71.1 (I'll end up bumping this up to 72 that way when it's colder things stay slightly warmer) 29G that needs 300W heaters feels ridiculous but that's how cold ambient is right now.
Phophate: N/A (did not test)
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm
GH: 300+
KH: 60
PH: 6.8-7.0
Chlorine: 0
 

Edited November 19, 2022 by nabokovfan87
added test results

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 11/13/2022 at 2:36 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I'm just a bit drained with all of the stuff going on

Hang in there @nabokovfan87 and don’t forget to sit down and enjoy the tanks for a little bit without doing anything to them, just to take a breather. You’re doing great.

Edited November 14, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/13/2022 at 4:23 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Hang in there @nabokovfan87 and don’t forget to sit down and enjoy the tanks for a little bit without doing anything to them, just to take a breather. You’re doing great.

For sure. I appreciate the words. The moss is growing, which makes my little grinchy heart grow 4 sizes whenever I see it. That's why I get so frustrated with the issues of the spot treatment killing a section, ordered glue to propogate it and it was all dried up, then now the wood and moss is died blue. 😂

What next.....

Alright so, water change is done. Filter is back to no skimmer (it started up so nicely@TeeJay) and I remembered to turn the heater back on this time.

Tank is at 72, water after the change was 66 degrees. Hopefully not too stressful on the eggs.

I'll spend some time this afternoon and watch the tanks and check everything. If I see things a bit better I'll go ahead and try to sort the eggs out. It definitely looks like an intimidating process at first and so I really give props to all those hobbyists with their decked out setups and the hard work they do to help put fish in the shops. 

Would be so nice to have a rack right now and a QT tank to spare. I need 3 actually....

Meds are on the way for the issue in the adjacent tank and I'll be spending some time tonight checking on that fish a lot and watching that tank a lot.

One of the female swordtails is actually a male and so that's likely causing the stress. With potential fin/body rot I don't want to move anything from that tank over. Either the male goes in the hang on breeder box, the female goes into QT section, or I do both.  Undecided right now.

Craziest thing to me is that I have 3 big box stores. 2 saltwater stores, 2 "other" stores that sell pet stuff and aquarium supplies and not one of them actually has meds that will help. Kind of pathetic.  Had to order them online and it's what literally should be a very common med, kanaplex.

Edited November 14, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[TeeJay]

On 11/13/2022 at 8:24 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

For sure. Moss is growing, which makes my little grinchy heart grow 4 sizes whenever I see it. That's why I get so frustrated with the issues of the spot treatment killing a section, ordered glue to propogate it and it was all dried up, then now the wood and moss is died blue. 😂

What next.....

Alright so, water change is done. Filter is back to no skimmer (it started up so nicely@TeeJay) and I remembered to turn the heater back on this time.

Tank is at 72, water after the change was 66 degrees. Hopefully not too stressful on the eggs.

I'll spend some time this afternoon and watch the tanks and check everything. If I see things a bit better I'll go ahead and try to sort the eggs out. It definitely looks like an intimidating process at first and so I really give props to all those hobbyists with their decked out setups and the hard work they do to help put fish in the shops. 

Would be so nice to have a rack right now and a QT tank to spare. I need 3 actually....

Stress is a killer my friend. Just watch the fish for awhile before you tackle the eggs. Get in the peaceful mind before you try and separate the eggs 👍

 

 

 

 

[nabokovfan87]

Watching this all night now.  I guess I'm not sorting eggs out.
 

 

[Levi_Aquatics]

How Exciting! Congrats!!

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/13/2022 at 8:03 PM, Levi_Aquatics said:

How Exciting! Congrats!!

Thank you! It's been a journey and it's so nice, so encouraging to see fry.