jwcarlson Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 (edited) I've got a handful of CPDs... five of them. Four are males, one is female. Luck of the draw from Aqua Huna shipment, I guess. A couple of weeks ago there was a lot of spawning type activity with rubbing of bodies and whatnot. She started getting chunkier... and chunkier... and chunkier now. I don't know if she's egg bound or what, but she is enormous. I keep expecting her to finally spew out a bunch of eggs, but it hasn't happened. I lowered the temp down a bit (to 71 from 74). I separated her to a QT tank this morning. Haven't fed for a couple of days so she doesn't explode. Should I drop the temp more? Do a water change or anything? Epsom salt soak? I was thinking of moving a couple of the males over with her tonight right before lights out. Is that the right move? I don't care to get fry (unless it just happens)... but I don't see how she survives if she doesn't lay soon. I suppose it could be something else causing her to be all bloated, but the timing of everything with the spawning like activity seems suspicious. I should have taken a picture this AM, but I completely forgot. It's possible they have been scattering eggs for some time and I just never noticed the mating activity as the light was setup to come on from like 2-8 PM, and I wouldn't be home for the "morning" for them. Recently I reprogrammed the light to come on from 5-9 and 4-8 so that I could feed/observe before work and after work. So maybe that had something to do with it... but she was pretty plump before that. Edited February 10, 2023 by jwcarlson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 I have bred these for a few years. The girls spawn every 2-3 days. Do you have photos? She will not drop eggs without a male present. A clump of moss or bushy plants on a cup of gravel is all you need. There really is no trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 10, 2023 Author Share Posted February 10, 2023 (edited) I don't have a picture, but I can get one tonight. She doesn't look pineconed to me and is getting around fine and will eat. My goal is to move the males over tonight around lights out time and see if that doesn't get them excited to spawn again. I don't know if there's too many males with her now or if the furcatta rainbow is making her hold (when they were doing the spawning dancing the rainbow was also joining in. I isolated her because I'd read a thread elsewhere and someone mentioned separating them and then combining them after a bit will sometimes get them excited to breed. I think I'll only put one or two of the males in with her. They're in pretty heavily planted tank with suswassertang, guppy grass, hornwort, other stuff. QT tank also has some plants in pots from the Co-Op that I just haven't planted yet. I did put a small plastic cup in main tank and filled it with suswassertang thinking maybe they just didn't like any of the other places to spawn. I guess I can move that over too just in case they don't like the water lettuce, anubias, and dwarf sag in the QT tank. It was just weird, everything was ramping up and I figured they would be spawning (maybe they were, but it was pretty new behavior for them) and then she just started getting bigger and bigger. Probably should have done something earlier, but I've never had CPDs so wasn't sure if it was normal. There's no way this is normal at this point. I have no idea why I didn't take a picture this AM. I had her in a net and everything. I was just heading out the door to work so I didn't fully think it through. Edited February 10, 2023 by jwcarlson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 10, 2023 Author Share Posted February 10, 2023 (edited) @GuppysnailThis first picture makes her look worse than she does. But you can get the idea, I think. All taken tonight. Edited February 10, 2023 by jwcarlson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 She looks like she is still young. The red line is the shape that’s a bit exaggerated. My girls get huge bellies but in the shape of the blue line. Just before the girls lay when they are signaling the male it’s time to spawn they get a distinct red line like this. If you want to just scroll photos of my journal I have photos of some girls just minutes before they spawn so you can compare. The girls in my photos are 2 years old or more so it’s pretty easy to see. If your girl is eating and swimming fine I would not worry but that is a lot of boys for 1 girl. Each boy will mate daily so I usually keep 2-3 girls per boy that may be stressing her and she may be holding onto her eggs. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 Yes, I know the ratio is all off. It was "luck of the draw" from Aqua Huna. I have been thinking of ordering 8 more and keeping any females and giving away the males. Or perhaps giving away some of the males I have. I put two males into the QT tank with her tonight, catching these things is such a pain in the rear. In any event, I appreciate you looking. She is most likely young, I got them in... November. I was surprised to see them slithering all over each other, but... fish will be fish, I suppose. Locally I haven't seen any CPDs, but he usually lists them. They must sell fast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 Lots of spawning-ish behavior this morning. They started up high and got progressively farther into the plants. Wish I would have read your reply sooner I would have left it at one male. I will probably remove one of them tonight. I could see how she tires of them following her around. But she was initiating some interaction as well. Guess we'll see. I will just not feed too much. Do you think me changing the lighting schedule from one solid 6-7 hour chunk to two separate periods might have caused an issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 On 2/11/2023 at 11:07 AM, jwcarlson said: Do you think me changing the lighting schedule from one solid 6-7 hour chunk to two separate periods might have caused an issue? I have no set light schedule. I do allow them to wake up with natural sunlight in the morning. That’s when they do most of their spawning for me. If the room has no natural light it may have contributed but her being so outnumbered due to circumstances not of your choosing is the main stressor. If there is natural light then they don’t care. Some days it early up sometimes they get a siesta. They operate on whatever schedule I’m on that day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 11, 2023 Author Share Posted February 11, 2023 Well, she looks pretty significantly smaller this afternoon. I have no clue if she spawned or pooped, but I'll take it. I have no clue what eggs look like, but I am reminded that I got a pinch of pool filter sand in the QT tank a few weeks back. 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I could not tell you what the eggs look like. They were always too tiny for my old eyes to see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 (edited) Tough to tell from the pic, but she's a little more slender and she's now developed that bright red stripe, Guppysnail. I suppose she's laying eggs in their tank now, but doubt they'll survive in there. I also have really hard water, so not sure they would even be viable. The reason d actually goes down midbelly and it very noticeable in person. Edited February 23, 2023 by jwcarlson 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 I have guppy grass everywhere and liquid rock hard tap. I find fry sometimes. This guy I found a few weeks ago vs parents, Pygmy Cory, 14 melini Cory. They are survivors. He is about 3-4 weeks old I’m this photo. Look along the top 3 inches along the back walls and in the water back there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 Interesting! It's pretty well planted and a good stand of guppy grass, a homemade moss ball, and some susswassertang. Plus whatever is in the pic, plus hygro, and probably others... Hornwort. Little wider shot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 Have you considered doing the strategy where you move the female to get own container to condition then move a male in for a few days then pull both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted February 23, 2023 Author Share Posted February 23, 2023 I moved the female for a day then moved a male over with her a day later. They were alone together for about a week. She is actually not getting harassment that I've seen since she got back to the main tank. Prior to moving her they were mobbing her a bit... Including the furcata rainbow. If I decide I want to try some fry I would probably clean out my QT tank including all the snails and set up something designed for that process. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted March 10, 2023 Author Share Posted March 10, 2023 Female was HUGE Wednesday evening, so I put her and male with brightest forehead into separate tank Thursday morning. And this afternoon she looks like a deflated balloon compared to yesterday. And... Tough to see them and I have no idea if they're fertile or gow to attempt raising them should I feel inclined. Going to have to do some watching of videos! I know these can be difficult because of how small the fry are. I do have vinegar eels, but not sure if even that is small enough. Have baby brine daily and fry powder somewhere, I think. Might give it a shot. I suppose the snails will eat them if I don't move them? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 @Lowells Fish Lab has a great video on raising CPD https://youtu.be/bVZq2xVmfR0 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted March 11, 2023 Author Share Posted March 11, 2023 On 3/11/2023 at 12:33 AM, Schuyler said: @Lowells Fish Lab has a great video on raising CPD https://youtu.be/bVZq2xVmfR0 I know! Lowells Fish Lab is my favorite fishtuber, stoked that he's on here, didn't even know! I watched this again last night. I need to get a hangon breeder box of some sort. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted March 11, 2023 Share Posted March 11, 2023 (edited) On 3/10/2023 at 5:33 PM, jwcarlson said: I know these can be difficult because of how small the fry are. I actually find these to be incredibly easy. Grab every stitch of algae you can find and some fast growing plants. Squeeze out a few sponges or media to really get the microfauna ramped up. They cling to the floor and walls for 1 -2 weeks so I do not vacuum just water change. I moisten a toothpick then wipe with a paper towel just so the food lightly sticks. I dip it in sera micron and swirl in the tank 3x a day I start this on day 3 of putting eggs in the tank to help feed the microfauna they don’t move after hatch right away they absorb their egg sacs then stay for a day or so more eating what falls near them. They are fabulous micro predators. From the time they are free swimmers they hunt. I have them survive in parent tanks getting no fry food. I had one free swimmer I put in a tank then never saw so did not feed for 3 weeks. Little bugger emerged from a mess of hornwort with a nice plump belly. Edited March 11, 2023 by Guppysnail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 @GuppysnailHow big of a tank or box are you keeping the fry in? I'm worried about effectively feeding them in the 10 gallon the eggs were in. I went to the LFS and bought a breeder box since I don't own one. Then I went after the eggs with a pipette. My 10 year old daughter helped. I counted 35 or 36. They're tough to see. She looks chubby again this afternoon, so wonder if she'll spew out another batch. Hard to believe she could have laid that many eggs in just a couple of days! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 When I hatched regularly I hatched in an 8.75g. They do fine if you swirl the sera micron through the water it puts a small dusting everywhere. If you are using a hatch box I would let them loose as soon as they are completely free swimming. I can never keep water quality high enough in hatch boxes for my comfort. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 (edited) I guess it's hatching time. Boy... They're small. They look dead. But watching for long enough and occasionally one in an egg "kicks" or one of the tiny tadpole-looking fry will twitch up off the bottom. It almost looks like they hatched too soon, but what do I know? 😄 Edited March 13, 2023 by jwcarlson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Is there anything else in the tank with the adult CPD. I have poor eyes and have never been able to locate or see the eggs. The new hatches seem large. But that might just be because the yolk is still attached. I never can see them until they cling to the wall. The I basically see eyeballs with a tail. 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcarlson Posted March 13, 2023 Author Share Posted March 13, 2023 On 3/13/2023 at 10:56 AM, Guppysnail said: Is there anything else in the tank with the adult CPD. I have poor eyes and have never been able to locate or see the eggs. The new hatches seem large. But that might just be because the yolk is still attached. I never can see them until they cling to the wall. The I basically see eyeballs with a tail. 🤣 Right now these little ones are in an attached breeding box with air driven uplift and it discharges back into the tank. Like a little HOB. All that's in the tank are some pest snails. I moved the pair of adults back to their main tank yesterday. There was one still partway in the egg shell, I would say they'd be near impossible to see at this age. Yoke still is on these, but they're mostly white and wiggling inside the eggs. I cannot see eyes, BUT it's quite difficult to see them... Let alone their eyes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now