Best path forward for cory eggs on glass

[KittenFishMom]

My peppered corys have been laying eggs on the glass. From what I have read it will take 3 days to find out if the young males are old enough to father fertilized eggs.  I am planning to leave the eggs where they are.

I want to know if there is anything I can do to help the eggs and fry make it to adulthood without removing them.

I just built the tank and have been floating and planting plants. I added java moss bits all over the bottom, not attached to anything. The water flow in the tank is very low right now to give the plants a chance to root. 

Should I add Methalyne blue to the 55 gallon tank? Should I increase the flow? Should I add more IALs? Should I try to get some green water going in a jar in a west window?  

I have a sponge filter and a small HOB filter. I have been cleaning the filter media in the HOB, but not disturbing the sponge filter which was from a cycled tank. The tank has organic potting soil under the sand. I don't use charcoal in the filter. The tank has corys, neon tetras, kuhli loaches, a male platek betta, and a bunch of snails in it. I haven't added the flagfish. They are still in quarantine.

These wasn't meant to be a cory breeding tank. But the eggs appeared, so I would like to give them the best chance I can, but I know I can't care for the eggs and fry outside that tank right now.

Thanks so much

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I know others have said they’ll see eggs and then fry in their tanks, but I’ve only ever been successful with Cory’s by pulling and hatching the eggs in a separate container. 
 

If the eggs aren’t eaten, I think it’s very likely that the Tetras and the Betta will pick them off. However, you never know until you try!

[KittenFishMom]

@AllFishNoBrakes My disabled son is moving out of our home into an unfurnished apartment in the next few weeks. I plate is too full right now, to add caring for the eggs and fry outside the tank. I just wanted to try to do what I could for the eggs while leaving them in the tank. The temp is 78 on the top water and 76 near the bottom. If they don't make it, so be it. Maybe I can raise some eggs in future spawnings, but I can't right now.  I did raise about 70 or 80 day-old wild bullhead fry 2 summers ago.  So I think I can do it, but the timing is bad just now.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I feel ya! My life is super hectic right now as well. Best of luck having some little guys around from this batch!

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

Ive never done metheleyne blue with corys and i have had plenty hatch left in the tank if there are enough plants and cover to hide.  

I have done a breeder box to let corydoras hatch. When i did that i just rolled the eggs onto my finger from the glass and then stuck them to the inside of the breeder box and let them grow and hatch. 

In a limited time situation You could probably do that with a fine net or cheese cloth etc just as easy. I put an airstone in the container /net for flow.

Id consider either finer aquarium net and would hang in the water with enough depth to cover the eggs. If i did a net id put a chunk of driftwoork or decoration in the net and roll the eggs onto that to limit fish eating them through the mesh. 

Some eggs fungus so i space them out. I would just release them from the net whenever they seem big enough to not be eaten or too cramped in the net. Corydoras fry have eaten everything for me i have grown them on flake food and just crush it in my fingers to the appropriste size. 

[KittenFishMom]

Thank you so much for your help and support ! ! 

I have been fluffing and moving java moss around the bottom of the tank. I will be planting more of the floating plants tomorrow. I have hornwort and lake plants that I picked out of the lake before it went down too much.   I have been sticking stem plants through bio ceramic cylinders and stuffing them into the sand. It works well, and there is no lead in the water. I even think it slows the corys down when they try to dig under the plants looking for yummy tidbits. I have an HOB breeder box, but I don't think it would get enough water flow. I may try it next time they spawn. 

Thanks for your thoughtful kindness ! !

[AndEEss]

Why do you need to do anything? Just let the other fish do their job and keep your population in check. 
 

Unless you can bring in new genes, you’re likely going to be compounding a growing problem (inbreeding) in the hobby.

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:36 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

I know others have said they’ll see eggs and then fry in their tanks, but I’ve only ever been successful with Cory’s by pulling and hatching the eggs in a separate container. 

First tank I had them spawn in, marimo moss balls of 2-3 sizes and the fry were perfectly fine.  Second tank, seiryu stone with moss attached.  The fry would hide in the cracks in the rock, it was really awesome to watch their behavior and avoiding the adults in the tank.

Third tank.... similar to what you're reporting.  Eggs were eaten by a pleco, by flow of the filter blowing the eggs off the glass, but the biggest issue was simply algae.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@nabokovfan87 I’ve seen some pretty big spawns of albino eggs in my 29, but never once have seen fry in that tank. The Glowlight Tetras, Dwarf Gourami (at the time), and now the GlowLights, Peacock Gudgeons, and Praecox Rainbows mean the eggs don’t usually last long and any fry are for sure a tasty snack. 

[KittenFishMom]

@AndEEss My corys came from different stores, a year apart. The original corys have regular fins. The corys I got this summer are hi-fins. I think chances of inbreeding are really pretty slim, very slim. I own a few neon tetras that I don't expect to produce fry. The chances of the male bettas, or the female flagfish producing fry are also very very slim. I am not a breeder. I never sold a fish, and I don't plan to ever sell a fish.  I put in a huge effort to rehome all the guppies that were born while I was primary caregiver for my terminally ill Mom. 

I don't want to increase the number of corys in my tank by very many, but I have had a very rough year, and seeing a few new corys, would give me a smile. I asked for advice because I could use a smile now and then. I'm sorry if my questions gave you the impression I was planning to line bred or inbred my corys. I studied genetics at university, I wouldn't do that to any animal.

Thank you for your helpfulness.

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:43 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@nabokovfan87 I’ve seen some pretty big spawns of albino eggs in my 29, but never once have seen fry in that tank.

Show me a photo of the tank!

 

On 12/8/2022 at 9:43 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

The Glowlight Tetras, Dwarf Gourami (at the time), and now the GlowLights, Peacock Gudgeons, and Praecox Rainbows mean the eggs don’t usually last long and any fry are for sure a tasty snack. 

Definitely doesn't make it easy. I would still expect, depending on setup, the corydoras will learn good spots to hide eggs and get some fry. Eventually....

On 12/8/2022 at 9:58 PM, KittenFishMom said:

I don't want to increase the number of corys in my tank by very many, but I have had a very rough year, and seeing a few new corys, would give me a smile. I asked for advice because I could use a smile now and then. I'm sorry if my questions gave you the impression I was planning to line bred or inbred my corys. I studied genetics at university, I wouldn't do that to any animal.

If it's the same species, normal vs. high fin, that's not inbreeding. It's just a gene trait.

Let me know what the setup looks like and we can make tweaks to give the fry a chance, if they do make it. 🙂

Not kidding, I've seen fry only and just about every time I remove substrate on a tank. It's super crazy when that happens and you see this very small thing scatter to the corner.

Nature finds a way. There are things you can do to "help with" colony style breeding and slowly but surely get a herd going.

[KittenFishMom]

@nabokovfan87I'll get some good photos tomorrow. There are eggs on the glass and on the java moss, and probably other places too.  I need to get some videos with the moonlight ponds on. The fish are active and it looks very magical.

I will keep the flagfish in the QT until we have given the cory fry a fair chance. Watching the flagfish hunt in the QT, I don't think cory fry would have much chance once I add the flagfish to the 55. As I say, I don't want a lot of cory fry, but a few babies would be fun to watch grow. I can put the betta from the 55 gallon tank in the qt with the flagfish and see how that goes. I'm leaning towards rehoming the bettas. 

I've been getting the photos of the 55 build organized and scaled. I was going to write a journal about it. but now I am not sure I am up for a lot of negative comments. I have so much going on and spending the time on that to get shot down doesn't seem to be worth the effort. I am beginning to think  "It is better to sit in a corner and be thought a fool rather than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

They say "If you believe all you problems are the result of bad luck, you luck won't change"

Time for bed. Thank so much for your help and kind thoughts.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/8/2022 at 11:50 PM, KittenFishMom said:

  I need to get some videos with the moonlight ponds on. The fish are active and it looks very magical.

Sounds awesome.

 

On 12/8/2022 at 11:50 PM, KittenFishMom said:

I've been getting the photos of the 55 build organized and scaled. I was going to write a journal about it. but now I am not sure I am up for a lot of negative comments. I have so much going on and spending the time on that to get shot down doesn't seem to be worth the effort. I am beginning to think  "It is better to sit in a corner and be thought a fool rather than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

I don't think that's how the forums here operate. If you want to make a journal, go for it.

It's a very good quote. Very profound one I mean. It's one of those quotes that gets tossed around philosophy classes to make a point for certain topics.  Have you heard of Walden?

Description:

"Walden details Thoreau's experiences over the course of two years, two months, and two days in a cabin he built near Walden Pond amidst woodland owned by his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson, near Concord, Massachusetts.

Thoreau makes precise scientific observations of nature as well as metaphorical and poetic uses of natural phenomena. He identifies many plants and animals by both their popular and scientific names, records in detail the color and clarity of different bodies of water, precisely dates and describes the freezing and thawing of the pond, and recounts his experiments to measure the depth and shape of the bottom of the supposedly "bottomless" Walden Pond."

A quote from his mentor, definitely some inspiration for the journey....

Edited December 9, 2022 by nabokovfan87

[KittenFishMom]

Another quote I like a lot is "you don't learn nothing the second time you are kicked by a mule" Really, try to learn everything you can from the first time you make a  mistake, If you don't, it will happen again

I love "sleep faster, we need the pillows" It mean there are many thing you can do faster. but there is no way to sleep faster. Something just take time.

I need to get to bed. it is 3:00 am. What time zone are you in?

[Guppysnail]

On 12/9/2022 at 2:50 AM, KittenFishMom said:

was going to write a journal about it. but now I am not sure I am up for a lot of negative comments

I’m sorry 😞 if anyone has done that to you.
Critics are NOT experts and experts are not critics. 

I would love to follow along on your build. Ignore those who seek to be negative. Negativity is a no effort sport for the lazy and weak minded. 
Sharing positivity and others joy is a sign of a worthy human. 
 

Low to the ground carpet plants and things like crypts give Cory fry the best shot at survival. 
My fry hide under these. Though even in my Cory only tanks none read juvenile size without being eaten. 😞

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I got a few negative comments on my puffer coloniy videos on social media....from people who never kept a group of course. It is Positivity and encouragement here. Looking forward to your your updates

[Flumpweesel]

I just leave my corys to it and I gain a few every now and then, the biggest obstacle is stopping the eggs from getting eaten then if there is a lot of cover the strongest fry will make it.

Maybe leave this spawn because life is busy (and we don't want a 2nd situation like the guppies). Then when you have time to enjoy watching it pull some eggs and watch them in a breeder box.

My corys will spawn almost every water change especially in winter with the bigger temp change. So you'll get more chances 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@nabokovfan87 Here she is in all her glory:

 

This tank holds a special place in my heart as it was the third tank I ever set up, the first “big” tank, and one of the tanks I’ve learned the most with. I love this tank 

Edited December 9, 2022 by AllFishNoBrakes

[KittenFishMom]

@Flumpweesel I had no idea corys could multiply like guppies. Thank for letting me know. I will start working on rehoming the corys. I will miss them so. They are such fun to watch. 

[Guppysnail]

On 12/9/2022 at 11:21 AM, KittenFishMom said:

I had no idea corys could multiply like guppies.

You do not need to worry over this. I think the person who posted meant collecting eggs and raising to many separate will put you back in your guppy situation. 
Very few fry survive in their own in a tank. Corydora hunt and eat worms. The fry wiggle into substrate with a tiny tail sticking up. The first time I seen it I thought it was a worm. 
 

[Flumpweesel]

On 12/9/2022 at 4:21 PM, KittenFishMom said:

@Flumpweesel I had no idea corys could multiply like guppies. Thank for letting me know. I will start working on rehoming the corys. I will miss them so. They are such fun to watch. 

Sorry didn't mean to panic you, egg layers are nowhere near the  reproductive machines that live bearers are it was more just a caution that left in the tank you'll get one or two surviving if you start pulling them you'll get a lot more.

Most fish seem to really enjoy Cory eggs as snacks which really keeps the numbers in check.

[KittenFishMom]

@Flumpweesel There is a lot going on in my life right now. Some good, some bad. "This too shall pass". 

I was hoping to get advice to help a few cory fry make it before I moved the flagfish from quarantine into the 55 gallon tank. I think once I add the flagfish, the cory eggs and fry are doomed. In a while I might try raising a few cory fry in a breeder box, but I don't want the tank overstocked, so I really only want 3 or 4 to add to the tank. According to the tank calculator I used, when all the fish I have reach maturity, I will be at about 80% capacity.  The guppies were such a nightmare, thinking the corys could go that way really did panic me.

If I never get any cory fry to adulthood, that is OK. 

I rehomed the yoyo loaches and will probably rehome the 2 male bettas. I am trying to get the fish population down to something very manageable. I was thinking that watching a few cory fry grow would be enjoyable, but it is far from necessary.

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/9/2022 at 12:08 AM, KittenFishMom said:

Another quote I like a lot is "you don't learn nothing the second time you are kicked by a mule" Really, try to learn everything you can from the first time you make a  mistake, If you don't, it will happen again

I love "sleep faster, we need the pillows" It mean there are many thing you can do faster. but there is no way to sleep faster. Something just take time.

I need to get to bed. it is 3:00 am. What time zone are you in?

Hopefully you were able to get some rest. Pacific timezone for me!

On 12/9/2022 at 8:16 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

@nabokovfan87 Here she is in all her glory:

Ah I see.... Not a ton of cover on the substrate.  I would just add some ohko or seiryu stone.  Something with little overhangs or places for the fish to hide into.  That might be literally all you need once the fry hatch. 

There is lots of cover for mid and upper dwelling species, but for the corydoras it's basically an open scape concept.

Hopefully that helps 🙂

[AllFishNoBrakes]

@nabokovfan87 If/when they spawn and I want to hatch the eggs I do it in the tumbler to hatch and then move the fry to different tanks. Same with the Peacock Gudgeons. Same with the Rainbows. Definitely a “display” tank with breeding capabilities, but I hatch and raise in separate tanks

[nabokovfan87]

On 12/9/2022 at 8:16 AM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

This tank holds a special place in my heart as it was the third tank I ever set up, the first “big” tank, and one of the tanks I’ve learned the most with. I love this tank 

That's awesome. it's a very beautiful setup.