Advice needed on breeding mop for peppered corys

[KittenFishMom]

I am breeding some peppered corys in a rather bare tank. I have added some small plants and driftwood. The female seems to spend a lot of time looking for the right place to lay the eggs. I bought a green yard spawning mop. I have never used one before.  I'm wondering about the best placement (floating sinking drifting) and if the eggs can hatch in the mop and the fry can find their way out. I don't want to collect the eggs.

Any advice is very welcome !

Thanks

[Lowells Fish Lab]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:33 AM, KittenFishMom said:

I'm wondering about the best placement (floating sinking drifting) and if the eggs can hatch in the mop and the fry can find their way out. I don't want to collect the eggs.

I'm a fan of placing mops in a fixed position closer to the surface than the tank floor and in the direction of water flow like the outflow from a filter. The cory species I've bred so far have all shown a preference for depositing eggs in a region with some distinct water flow. Not 100% of the eggs end up there, but a solid majority. Regarding eggs left to hatch on the mop, I think you'll find that the fry can find their way out, especially if the mop is moving around a bit because of the water movement. On the other hand, some eggs placed in a great spot initially can get covered and smothered as the strands shift.

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:33 AM, KittenFishMom said:

I'm wondering about the best placement (floating sinking drifting) and if the eggs can hatch in the mop and the fry can find their way out. I don't want to collect the eggs.

I put a small rock in the end and let the "tails" float up. I also tend to try shorter or longer ones to see what's easiest for them.

This past week I took some moss that was about 3-4" long and buried that in the substrate on one end so it can start to grow. Fish enjoyed it, I'm assuming it would eventually house eggs but also be very easy to "uproot".  The method I generally prefer is to use a rock with moss as well as other plants that make sense. Have cover for the fry, they tend to then see enough food, then spawn (in that order) for me. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes it takes a little bit of effort.

@TeeJay has some peppered corydoras and might be of some help as well for this species.

Here is another fun thread to check out as well.

 

[TeeJay]

I haven't really put much time into getting my Paley's to breed yet. Been getting wrapped up in other projects. I did have one baby Cory show up in the 29 gal killi tank. So that one obviously survived hatched out and found enough food on its own to grow. I have never found any eggs so I'm not sure where in that setup they layed the eggs. 

[rockfisher]

I make my mops from top to bottom. If there is a little on the bottom that’s ok. There floating under corks. The fry have no issues getting out. I just pull the mops and put the in 10 gal with a glass bottom. You can leave the mops in the same tank if it’s a species only tank. Also if you can keep snails out of the tank. They love fish eggs.  That said the best luck I have ever had is in a tank that had very tall ground moss in it. It reach almost to the top of a 55 gal. The entire tank was cover in it. I plan on get a a used 55 and doing this again. 

[KittenFishMom]

@rockfisher Thanks. What is "tall ground moss"?  How do you catch the fry when the time comes, if the are still in with the adults and the moss?

[rockfisher]

This post has some pics of the moss in the middle and near the end of the post. You can see how tall it is on the sidewalk. 

 

I now I let the fry grow a little and then remove the mop and net them and move them to the grow out. I don’t have the 55 gallon moss tank anymore. I killed the moss by mistake. Now it’s and Angelfish breeding tank. However I have Sterbai in a 20 gallon will moss that covers the whole bottom. I don’t have mop in that tank because I have plecos in it and they can get caught in the mop.

[KittenFishMom]

@rockfisher Where did you find the moss? Can I buy it? Where might I find it?

[rockfisher]

I got at Tennessee wholesale nursery online.  It hair cap moss. I have ordered it once and a friend ordered some. When I got it I had a lot of dirt on it. It was more like a rooted plant it’s in that post. My friend got it and it was shorter. About 6 inches. It takes a lot of hight light to keep it growing and trimming but small amounts. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 3/18/2023 at 11:33 AM, KittenFishMom said:

I am breeding some peppered corys in a rather bare tank. I have added some small plants and driftwood. The female seems to spend a lot of time looking for the right place to lay the eggs. I bought a green yard spawning mop. I have never used one before.  I'm wondering about the best placement (floating sinking drifting) and if the eggs can hatch in the mop and the fry can find their way out. I don't want to collect the eggs.

Any advice is very welcome !

Thanks

I use lots of spawning mops in my tanks and specifically for 2 different species of cory. Sinking is best for cory. You can use a rock or piece of decor to let them sink. Basically anything heavy. I have found actually that sometimes once they become water logged they will sink on their own and no weight is needed. I find mops far more helpful than moss because it's easier to remove and search for eggs. 

Here's a pic of my main tank along with the 2 spawning mops in it. 

[KittenFishMom]

@Cinnebuns If I don't want to move the eggs, do you think the fry will do OK in the mops? They don't seem to be spawning as much as they were in the other. I think they like to hide the eggs on glass behind plants. I thought they might like the mop. which 2 types of corys to you use them with?

[Cinnebuns]

On 3/18/2023 at 9:43 PM, KittenFishMom said:

@Cinnebuns If I don't want to move the eggs, do you think the fry will do OK in the mops? They don't seem to be spawning as much as they were in the other. I think they like to hide the eggs on glass behind plants. I thought they might like the mop. which 2 types of corys to you use them with?

Yes the fry would be fine in the mops. I have raised lots of fry without moving eggs as well. 

The 2 are panda and concolor. 

[rockfisher]

@KittenFishMom if it was me I would try the mops first. I love the moss but it can be a hassle to get and take care of. My fish loved it. I’m not sure what your situation is with you tank/s but I have a lot and have room to set up a 55 with only moss. I have 20+ tanks so if some are just for me to be a fish nerd no care care. I don’t have to explain why my tank looks like it’s on big weed. If you can as some point the tall moss is fun but it does work as week if the whole tank is not covered in it. 

[KittenFishMom]

@rockfisher My 55 is a big jungle. I was having trouble with water flow, so I put in a bigger HOB today. It swept a lot of the semi rooted plants around. I'm going to re do the placement of the plant once I am done catching the bulk of the corys in that tank. No point it making it pretty and then trying to net fish out.