Breeding Mops Usage

[nabokovfan87]

Hey Everyone,

This is my second time trying to use breeding mops.  The first time around the fish in question didn't respond to them in any way.  I've done some research and found out about different techniques for different fish.  Some will want a white/yellow yarn and some will want black or green.   The one I have now is nylon, a green color.

I really need some guidance for technique here to make sure I'm doing the correct things.

1.  Do I need to constantly have the mop in there, is there a reason to remove it?
2.  I check the mop every 2 days or so.  Is there any timeline where I should try something else? (example, after a 2-4 weeks of no success, a month of no success)
3. After I get eggs on the mop, the plan is to move the eggs to a tumbler or breeding box. Any advice on either of these methods?
4. What am I missing about mops and using them for breeding? What is it I should know, but don't?

Thanks again everyone for all your help!

Edited April 27, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Fish Folk]

What are you breeding?

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/27/2022 at 4:43 PM, Fish Folk said:

What are you breeding?

corydoras

 

[Fish Folk]

I can share photos of mine. They'll sink if there's not too much flow. At first, they accumulate air bubbles and have to get properly water logged to sink. I also tie stones to mine to make them sink.

For floaters, you can tie to a cork. But I'd suspect Corydoras would sooner go for lower ones. Honestly, our Corydoras Aeneus would just throw eggs everywhere in the tank.

Some ones I tied recently with stones to sink in my Darter tank...

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/27/2022 at 5:35 PM, Fish Folk said:

For floaters, you can tie to a cork. But I'd suspect Corydoras would sooner go for lower ones. Honestly, our Corydoras Aeneus would just throw eggs everywhere in the tank.

Yeah. I'm going to have some moss and I have anubias lower in the tank. On my pandas they did go on moss I had on hardscape. I'll have it on wood for my black cories.

The mops right now are floating, these guys have been up and down the glass. There's a brief video in my vlog from a few days ago. Because they keep doing that I lowered the flow slightly and added mops so they'd feel a bit better about laying eggs in that side of the tank for me.

I'll try to find some rocks in case I need to go that route, that's another technique for sure I need to try.

[nabokovfan87]

The big question being from the OP:

When do I swap mops out or switch tactics and offer different mop setups if they don't feel enticed to use the ones I have currently.

On 4/27/2022 at 4:06 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I really need some guidance for technique here to make sure I'm doing the correct things.

1.  Do I need to constantly have the mop in there, is there a reason to remove it?
2.  I check the mop every 2 days or so.  Is there any timeline where I should try something else? (example, after a 2-4 weeks of no success, a month of no success)
3. After I get eggs on the mop, the plan is to move the eggs to a tumbler or breeding box. Any advice on either of these methods?
4. What am I missing about mops and using them for breeding? What is it I should know, but don't?

 

[Tihshho]

On 4/28/2022 at 2:05 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The big question being from the OP:

When do I swap mops out or switch tactics and offer different mop setups if they don't feel enticed to use the ones I have currently.

 

1) Depends on the species. Depending on the species some ideally should get moved as for the parents to not predate on the eggs or to move the eggs to a hatching container with methylene blue to prevent fungusing.

2) If your introducing the mop to a tank with fish you've previously spawned in said tank, I would leave the mop in for a few weeks. Cory's tend to spawn with a cool water change and even more so readily if said waterchange is coorlated during a barometric pressure drop. I would leave the tank and mop alone for a week with established fish that you know have spawned prior at least before checking.

3) I wouldn't use a tumbler or a breeding box for Cory's. I would pick the eggs and roll them onto a jar or specimin container wall and lightly aerate it. Depending on what method you believe you can keep up with water changes on the container or use a drop or two of methylene blue to fight fungus.

4) Again depends on the species. Easiest way to look at it is that it's an artificial and removable media for them to spawn. You can add it and remove it as necessary and steralize it if need be. Some people leave eggs on them with a rotating process for hatching. Others leave the mops in the breeding tank and remove the breeding fish. I've seen people setup a row of tanks with mops and move the breeding group down the line of tanks over a few months and then place the parents back into a larger tank in order to focus on rearing the babies in said tanks. Others will remove the mops to hatch elsewhere. Processes are determined by species care, space/tanks available, and whatever method you've found works best for you. There isn't a guideline for mops that's a one size fits all.

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/28/2022 at 7:12 AM, Tihshho said:

Cory's tend to spawn with a cool water change and even more so readily if said waterchange is coorlated during a barometric pressure drop

This is exactly how mine are. 

I appreciate all of the insight. A lot of what you're saying makes some sense.  Last time I left the eggs in the tank and they definitely grew some fungus and others were eaten by tankmates (not the corys).  I know that if I get the eggs to hatch, they will be fine. Beyond that, I'm really not concerned with the fish themselves eating their young.  In all they seemingly tend to be pretty good parents.  I got the tumbler to help with the fungus, I have a gang valve so I can very tightly adjust the flow on the eggs. Then move those to the breeder box, same thing, I can adjust the flow as need be.  That was my plan initially.

I have some botanicals arriving today to add to the tank. I have some methlyene blue whenever I end up ordering from amazon again. The tank has had some pretty severe algae issues I've been working through as well, which I'm sure didn't help the hatch rate on the eggs.

Edited April 28, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[Tihshho]

Hatching in the same tank doesn't always provide the same yield. As for parenting, this isn't a thing for egg scattering species. They spawn and then move on with their lives. All fish are semi opportunistic, so if you want the best hatch rates and survival hatching and rearing in another tank/container will get you the best odds. No competitors for food, no predators, and easier to tailor tank maintenance to them.

[Cinnebuns]

I noticed you are doing this for cories. I have been breeding cories using a spawning mop successfully for a few months now. 

1.  I keep them in constantly so it's always there of they choose to spawn.  You only really need to remove it when checking for eggs. 

2.  For best results you really need to pull eggs shortly after they are laid. Almost all fish will eat the eggs. I have seen a female lay and immediately another female go in and chomp. If you can't stay up late enough to collect while they are spawning, the next best thing is to check in the morning. I will let you know tho that i have found my numbers DRAMATICALLY decrease when waiting for morning. The largest amount I collected in a night was 23. The largest I've gotten from collecting the next morning is 3. 

3.  I do know some people will hatch cory eggs in a jar with some methalyne blue to prevent fungus. I personally put them in a breeder box. After they hatch I leave them there for a day or 2 before moving them to a grow out tank. Cories do not need to be fed the first 2 days as they still have the egg yolk to nourish them. Using this method you do need to check the eggs daily. Some will be infertile and get fungus. These need to be removed so the fungus doesn't spread. This is also a good reason to spread the eggs out. Fertile eggs will become beige within 24 hours and slowly turn black over the next few days. Infertile eggs will turn white and remain white. 

4.  One tip is to use 2. This not only gives them options, but allows you to check for eggs while they still have access to a mop. Depending on what specific kind of cory you have, you can expect a different amount of eggs each time they spawn and amount of times they spawn per week. 

Here's a pic of my 2 spawning mops in my tank. 

[nabokovfan87]

That definitely helps me out to see how you're using them.  I have two I can toss in for floating, one short, one long, and then this is what I've switched to currently to try to give them more of the moss on rock interaction.

[Cinnebuns]

On 5/8/2022 at 12:16 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

That definitely helps me out to see how you're using them.  I have two I can toss in for floating, one short, one long, and then this is what I've switched to currently to try to give them more of the moss on rock interaction.

I had a floating one in for a short period of time more to act like a floating plant than anything and the cories ignored it. I would def recommend sinking ones. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/7/2022 at 10:18 PM, Cinnebuns said:

I had a floating one in for a short period of time more to act like a floating plant than anything and the cories ignored it. I would def recommend sinking ones. 

you'd never think they could be so particular, but mine are looking for silk sheets or something. 😂

Last time they spawned they had 3-4 different spots, the bottom of plants as well, which are not in the tank. And they did lay on floating anubias (under the leaves).  They spawned on the glass.  It was a massive spawn.

Edited May 8, 2022 by nabokovfan87