Sterbai Cory spawned

[Fresh Princess]

Thanks to the tropical storm that passed this weekend, my Sterbai had their first spawn in my community tank. I have 4 (unsexed) and it seems like there was always 3 dancing together (but not always the same 3). Then is saw her laying eggs here and there under leaves. She didn't lay many eggs, and no thanks to my SAE, t I was only able to get 10. 

I had a floating enclosed breeder box and put them in there, but saw online that people were using net boxes. So I got a Penn Plax from AMZ and transfered them in there. I then said to myself "what would Cory do?" and saw a video that Dean did about Zisss Breading box, so I ordered that too.

Currently my 10 are down to maybe 6 or 7. 

My question is, would the eggs be better in the one than the other? Or is there an order in which you start with one and move to another after hatching?

I am not new to breeding Angels and Discus, but have never tried to raise eggs for a fish that has no husbandry/parental care for eggs.

[TOtrees]

I use a ziss egg tumbler, in the main tank. IME a decent amount of flow is important, and the tumbler provides that. I also remove the tumbler daily, rinse out the sponge, change out the water (to remove organic debris) and give the eggs a 15 min soak in diluted hydrogen peroxide (can't recall the rate, but I add 2mL H202 to the tumbler and let it sit without agitation for the 15 mins, then return it to the main tank). 

After hatching, I use a hang on the side breeder box, try to keep the floor really clean or debris, and feed really lightly 2-3x per day with a fine powdered fry food until they're old enough for bbs. I drape a finer screen over the breeder box outflow, because the fry seem quite able to get through the plastic screen that comes with the box. 

[Fresh Princess]

well, darn ... that would make breeder box #4...  was hoping to utilize the ones I have/ordered already.

 

[TOtrees]

Other methods (and devices/boxes) work, I'm just sharing the details of what works for me 🙂  Definitely recommend seeing what other replies come through before clicking "buy now". 

[monterey]

i use a reusable coffee filter and just float it in the same tank

[Fresh Princess]

OMGosh, lights are on in tank and I just saw a wiggling egg! I'm a Grandcory!

[TOtrees]

On 9/25/2023 at 4:17 PM, monterey said:

i use a reusable coffee filter and just float it in the same tank

I love re-purposing non-aquarium items!!! Nice hack. 

[Fresh Princess]

Well I had two hatch, and wiggling around yesterday. But last night could only see one moving, and this morning both gone! Not dead...gone. 😞 It appears that the penn plax bottom, where the bottom snap into the sides has tiny gaps on all sides. I can literally see the bottom of my tank. So somebody probably had a nice late nite snack.

But the female is heavy again, so hopefully I will get my Ziss box before she lays eggs. If I see them dancing again, I will put some silicone in the gaps of the net box temporarily.

 

[tolstoy21]

On 9/25/2023 at 12:08 PM, Fresh Princess said:

My question is, would the eggs be better in the one than the other? Or is there an order in which you start with one and move to another after hatching?

I just recently started breeding these as well, so my answers will be those of a Corydora newbie. But this has been my process and so far it has been working . . . .

After collecting the eggs I put them in a specimen container (aka catch cup) with tank water and 2 drops of methylene blue. I keep a gently running air stone in the container to provide circulation. After a couple days I begin monitoring the container for hatched fry. If I find any, I siphon those out with a pipette (one I cut a bit off the end of so the opening is larger) and then transfer these into a breeder box I have in the parent's tank.

I did try the egg tumbler method, but I am finding I am having better success with the container and meth blue.  I'm also trying to hatch them in half quart mason jars, since I need my catch cups for their original purpose. I am also going to start using Alder cones instead of meth blue, as per the advice of Robert McLure given in th presentation he gave for the Aquarium Co-op Club.

Anyway, just sharing my neophyte experience for what has worked for me over the past few week. 

Still growing out maybe 2 dozen fry right now, so I guess we'll see how it all turns out.

Edited September 27, 2023 by tolstoy21

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/25/2023 at 9:27 AM, Fresh Princess said:

well, darn ... that would make breeder box #4...  was hoping to utilize the ones I have/ordered already.

I have the same sort of predicament.  😞

I like the tumbler and ziss breeder because they both can be used inside the tank with the lids closed.  For some reason I have some fish that love to jump and whatever box I end up using, I need to have them covered.  In the tank, I think it's a bit more secure as well.

For eggs only, I think using the tumbler is great.  Then transfer that to whatever box/method you like.  If you don't have a tumbler, then something like the ziss is nice (or the hang on marina/fluval ones) because they have the ability to circulate air.  The "floating style" ones and mesh styles ones have their use, but I just prefer something a little bit more technically advanced.  It makes it easier to clean. 

For most fish eggs you can add some neocaridina shrimp to the tank and they are used to keep the eggs clean.  Keeping them in the box, goes back to that lid situation. 

Moss is also a big key point for me as well.  The powdered food sticks to the moss and then the fry can graze on that.  It works really well.

[Fresh Princess]

My Ziss box is due Saturday, so I hope she holds out a little longer.

I do not have a catch basin or a tumbler. I only have a PennPlex net box and a floating box. I guess in a pinch I could silicone the holes in the Penn Plax, or use a fine net inside the floater temporarily.

Is the Ziss box a safe way to hatch the eggs? (i.e. no holes for the them to swim out)

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/27/2023 at 12:25 PM, Fresh Princess said:

It appears that the penn plax bottom, where the bottom snap into the sides has tiny gaps on all sides. I can literally see the bottom of my tank. So somebody probably had a nice late nite snack.

Been there. This caused me to either hatch in the Ziss Tumbler and then move them to a 2.5 gallon tank with a small (seasoned) sponge filter and Java moss, or hatch in the tumbler and then move them to the Ziss breeder box. 

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

@Fresh Princess Cool congrats. The Ziss box is safe for the sterbai and puffers i have hatched in them. It is a very fine mesh (0.7 millimeter = 0.0276" = 22 gauge) sterbai eggs are typically laid at 2mm so way larger than the mesh and the fry here have been bigger than that once they hatch out

On 9/27/2023 at 6:00 PM, Fresh Princess said:

My Ziss box is due Saturday, so I hope she holds out a little longer.

I do not have a catch basin or a tumbler. I only have a PennPlex net box and a floating box. I guess in a pinch I could silicone the holes in the Penn Plax, or use a fine net inside the floater temporarily.

Is the Ziss box a safe way to hatch the eggs? (i.e. no holes for the them to swim out)

I have done the ziss most often for sterbai. I generally roll the eggs onto the plastic portions of the inside of the box so that other fish do not try and eat them through the mesh.

The mesh is small enough that puffer fry dont get out maybe a little bigger than a new hached baby brineshrimp. 

ThIs is a breeding ring but same idea. I will feed in the ziss or ring until i think they are ready to be released. The ziss has great flow ive hatched a high percentage of sterbai eggs just with that. I also have used the specimine container and 2 drops of methelyne blue i will hang it inside the tank to keep temperature if i do that method and start changing water as soon as hatching begins

I am a big fan of java moss in the breeder box for cover and some micro food options for the fry

Edited September 28, 2023 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 9/27/2023 at 6:00 PM, Fresh Princess said:

Is the Ziss box a safe way to hatch the eggs? (i.e. no holes for the them to swim out)

Should be good to go. The air stone provides a nice circulation/flow (not as good as the tumbler in my opinion, but still really nice) and my Ziss breeder box has no holes that the fry can escape through. The mesh on the sides is fine enough to allow water to flow through, but not fry to swim out in my experience. 
 

Shout out to @mountaintoppufferkeeper for the more technical/actual size of the mesh and eggs! Also with the tip to roll the eggs on the plastic so other fish aren’t picking at them through the mesh. Brilliant. 

Edited September 28, 2023 by AllFishNoBrakes

[Fresh Princess]

I knew it... I just knew it! Around 6pm I saw my female gliding across the back wall leaving a small cluster. (She didn't use the wall last time) but I couldn't get the eggs. Then she went to the red tiger lotus and layed a few here and there on the underside. Those I got and put them in the floater because I put silicone on openings on the bottom of the PennPlax net box, and its still tacky. I know that I have at least 3 days before they hatch and the Ziss will be here by then. I got 9 eggs but the light are off now so guess thats all I will get for now.  

[Maximus]

Exciting! I had a similar experience and wasn't really ready for handling the fry. I ended up trying a few methods and settled on using the Ziss tumbler and then moving the fry once they hatch to the breeder box. I put both of these in a 20 long that has the adults. It's a lot of gear to cram into a tank, especially with a filter, power head, and/or heater in there and whatever plants/hardscape you have. I found having the tumbler has been nice because it is easy to take out and put back with it's design (the Ziss one, specifically). This makes it less difficult to remove eggs with fungus and to move fry over to the breeder box, and easy to slot back into place. it also lets you direct the output stream so that is good to create a bit extra current for the cories. I found they are laying eggs around the tumbler now, too (and on the breeder box, for that matter).
 

Good luck and keep us updated!

Edited September 29, 2023 by Maximus

[Maximus]

If you want to keep them in spawning mode for an extended period of time, I've had a lot of luck using Dean's feeding cone trick with tubifex cubes.

Right now trying to figure out the least amount they really need to feel comfortable spawning consistently.

[Fresh Princess]

I kinda think the eggs I got last night might not be fertilized, I will watch that carefully. But today was a busy day. I have been sitting in front of tank grabbing eggs just as fast as I could, as other fish were doing the same thing and sometimes beat me to it. But the 20 that I did get, in addition to the 9 last night, are safe for now. And I know that most of todays were fertilized.

I can't be sure but I think I might have 2 males and 2 females. And I think both females were laying eggs. Gets kinda hard to tell them apart when they are that busy. But things have finally slowed down. 

New question, I were to get a small tank to grow out the fry, could I do that in a 5 gallon? (I know a ten would be good but just don't have a lot of room.) I have an extra seasoned nano sponge filter I put in my 55 gallon months ago for emergencies. 

On 9/29/2023 at 3:15 PM, Maximus said:

If you want to keep them in spawning mode for an extended period of time, I've had a lot of luck using Dean's feeding cone trick with tubifex cubes.

Right now trying to figure out the least amount they really need to feel comfortable spawning consistently.

HAHAHA, great minds think alike!  I already made one 2 months ago!! Works great!

[Maximus]

If you plan on letting the cories go at it in the community tank, you probably won't be able to pull a ton of eggs. If you're fine with that, you can probably get away with a smaller grow out tank. For cories, though, it's more about bottom footprint of the tank than overall gallons, and also how clean you keep it. Smaller tank that is overstocked is going to need cleanup or the cories will die of infections due to bacteria on the bottom of the tank. Also, it leaves less room for any plants etc.

You can choose whatever grow out size tank you want, and then only pull out enough eggs (+ some % margin for die off and culls) to be comfortable for the grow out tank. Then, if they spawn again, you just leave the eggs as food and don't pull again until you are ready to release the juveniles.

 

[Fresh Princess]

I haven't really thought this through as yet.  I have raised Angels (successfully) and Discus (not so sucsessful) many moons ago, but those I put in a smaller tank with the parents for a while. I might see how this goes and talk to my small LFS where I bought the parents and see if they might be interested if things go right. 

I think I will go for the 5 gallon.  I wasn't planning on putting any plants in the grow out tank, nor any substrate.... basically bare bottom tank. I could ad some floating plants but nothing permement.

 

[Maximus]

Yeah, I feel ya. At the time, I was not ready to dedicate a grow out tank for Sterbai (but wanted to), but they decided to spawn anyways. Kindof just have to do the best with what you have to go with for now. I also have a 55, and if I was low on space for tanks I might consider trying to do DIY a wider and longer breeder box and use that to grow them out. Sort of like how Dean does the fry tray system but one larger one instead of multiple smaller ones along the top of the tank. Just an idea.

[Fresh Princess]

I know I've seen Dean do something a while back. I'll have to go look for it.  Dean is so creative. 

[Fresh Princess]

So as I suspected, there were a lot of white fuzzy eggs. But what truly surprised me... was this morning there were two fry with egg sac still attached!  Can eggs hatch in 24hrs? 

[Maximus]

24 hours seems fast, but I know it can vary on water temp and other parameters. They will have that sac attached for a while and spin around aimlessly until they straighten out.

[Maximus]

The fungus is a bummer, but I was seeing some success with using botanicals like alder cones and indian almond leaves. If you have alder trees in your area, this is about the time of year to go collect some.