Eggsperimenting

[nix70c]

Hey friends,
Just pulled three batches of eggs. Fingers crossed. You ever feel like you are making something too darn difficult?

I cleaned up a 5g tank, filled her up and started it up with a couple guppies a week ago to get the water aged and ready.

Jon you mentioned keeping a light on them, do you just do that after they are free swimming or the whole time after they hatch out?



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[Mugwump]

...I leave the light on, not directly, when I pull the spawn...then slide it over after wiggling well....think vines.....if too bright, I toss duckweed on top...eats nitrates and provides a lower brightness.........it's really needed as they hop and free swim..it helps get them off the bottom and away from potential bacteria issues....

...if you have those small sponges that side mount...get one cycled...being small it only takes a day or so......when all are free swimming and they've had a first small feeding....do a 25% water change and add the small sponge running low/medium throttle near the top.......it works big time to keep the tank cleaner...but don't stop your nice daily water changes.....

[nix70c]

Boy I wish I knew where I was going wrong with these. That batch all hatched out and 3 days later everything turned white and died. Here's a new set, laid July 30. They are starting to bouncing around. One would expect that in the next 12-24 hours I would have free swimmers, right, I'm not messing up the timeline? By morning they'll likely all have turned white and died. I just feel like in missing something here. Is it possible I have some kind of bacteria and should be bleaching hatchery equipment between batches? 

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[Mugwump]

Yes, it's imperative to keep tour hatching tanks/equip very clean....that could be part of your problem....the other is the parent tank's water is too hard, high tds's.....and the eggs can't get properly fertilized...

Do you have RO available?.....how about a Walmart with a hyper-filtered water machine?

[LizStreithorst]

If the eggs hatched I don't think it's a water hardness problem.  It could be a cleanliness problem. 

[Mugwump]

If the eggs hatched I don't think it's a water hardness problem.  It could be a cleanliness problem.

How many eggs hatched Alex?

[waterboy]

If they are dying off chances are pretty good it is one of two things. Either ammonia buildup or lack of oxygen. In a new tank without a cycled filter, the ammonia can build up pretty rapidly. Be sure the water surface is agitated and there is good circulation in the tank. If the oxygen doesn't get from the top to the bottom they can drown in a hurry. Ask me how I know.

[Mugwump]

If they are dying off chances are pretty good it is one of two things. Either ammonia buildup or lack of oxygen. In a new tank without a cycled filter, the ammonia can build up pretty rapidly. Be sure the water surface is agitated and there is good circulation in the tank. If the oxygen doesn't get from the top to the bottom they can drown in a hurry. Ask me how I know.

True, but that can be controlled with timely good water changes too..but I'm thinking pre-spawn tank maintenance is the culprit...a dirty air stone, tank top ridges, corners, etc.....and, of course, a super clean slate each time...

but I'd still like to know the percentage of eggs that hatched.....a smaller amount could mean the water...or the pair?..or 

[nix70c]

Hatch rate is always very good, 90% plus when I pull the eggs. Fish room stays 80-82 degrees. When I pull the eggs I either use water from the parent tank or lately I've been using spring water from Walmart and an air stone stuck on rigid tubing. I figured it had to be the water but now I'm at a loss. 1/4 tsp of meth blue when I pull the eggs and change 50% of the water with fresh spring water daily. Heck I can hatch them out, give them a rinse and stick them in Angels Plus rearing jars in a 55g or 75g tank and they still turn white and die come day 6 or 7. Using spring water in a little gallon glass jar at least gets me to the point where I see them bounce around.

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[nix70c]

Three new batches of eggs laid this morning. I've kept the lights on this evening until I could sit down and figure out how to go from here. I'm all ears, got about everything and anything equipment wise.

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[nix70c]

P.S. - I've had two batches survive to free swim, immediately ate BBS and lead to very healthy groups of fry. Once using the rearing jars and once using the gallon jar with an air stone. It's just so demoralizing to work with them for a week and not get one survivor. Mind you I'm getting 6, 8 batches of eggs every 2 weeks..

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[Mugwump]

P.S. - I've had two batches survive to free swim, immediately ate BBS and lead to very healthy groups of fry. Once using the rearing jars and once using the gallon jar with an air stone. It's just so demoralizing to work with them for a week and not get one survivor. Mind you I'm getting 6, 8 batches of eggs every 2 weeks..

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...are you waiting til they all free swim before feeding?..their egg sacs are good for about a day after FS...are you feeding very lightly at first?....bbs doesn't live long, and needs to be removed if any excess is on the bottom after feeding...

[nix70c]

They never get to free swim so they don't get fed..

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[Mugwump]

They never get to free swim so they don't get fed..

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ok, misread the ps.....you did get a couple batches tho, right?...you're just struggling with getting more to go....

[nix70c]

A while back, no survivors in the past few months..

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