Angelfish pair spawning tank

[Rossi94]

So I have a pair of koi angelfish in my tank, it is a 20 gal high tank and has one side and the back covered, I have been usually a 6" pvc pipe for my angels to spawn on but since I have 2 pairs my other pair has the piece of pipe, I had two but lost one, so my question is that I got a piece of granite/slate rock for them to spawn on.... However when I put the piece of slate into the tank, the pair then starts hanging out on the other side of the tank:/ thinking that they liked the feeling of protecting on that side of the tank and trying to make them feel safe to lay the eggs I have the piece of slate on the other side... Lone behold my pair starts swimming on the other side of the tank, they are doing their cleaning on my airline tubing and a thermostat inside the tank but not the piece of slate layed out for them. Has anyone encountered this problem of the Angels being afraid of the piece of rock ? Or am I **** out of luck lol? I'll post some pics


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[Rossi94]

Tank is at 82* , sponge filter running on the tank, and I feed them flake food in the morning and blood worms in the afternoon and evening


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[SushiRoll]

How long has the slate been in there? It might take them a little to get used to it.


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[Rossi94]

Ya it's been in the tank for about a week


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[Rossi94]

she decided to lay eggs on the air line tubing lol I guess their smart and don't have to fan the eggs


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[Andy Sager]

One potential issue may be the coloration of the piece. I have found that most Angels tend to prefer solid colors for spawning. The color itself seems to not be the issue but the pattern does. I've had Angels spawn on just about anything that was in the right position ( and some that even did it on the floor of the tank ) including PVC pipe, Slate, Shale rock, Clay Pots, Airline tubing, Glass heater tubes, driftwood, the wire to a submersible heater, etc. The one thing these all had in common was a solid pattern/color. That's possibility #1
Another possibility is that the stone is giving off a chemical that is disturbing to the fish and so they want to be as far away from it as they can get. If you see no other fish or even the Angels going anywhere near that stone, you might be wise to remove it from the tank and see if the fish act differently after a water change. That's #2

Another possibility is that the surface of the stone was either too rough or too smooth for their liking which is why they didn't spawn on it. That's #3.

If I were a betting man, I'd be going with #1 as the problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rossi94]

Yes!! All very possible scenarios that could be a factor, although I did think that the colour pattern or the very smooth texture could have been the result of them being scared, also maybe though cause their is no bacteria on the piece too.(hinting to a more clean/ chemical ) thanks for the help I'm going to leave it in there just incase they move the eggs from the small air tube to the piece or somewhere else.

I was just thinking, hey maybe my angels are getting smart cause now they don't have to fan the eggs as much ??


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[Andy Sager]

That's a nice thought but it's most likely yours and not their's. I doubt the piece scared the fish. And if it did, it wouldn't be for long. As for clean, I've put pieces of slate in tanks that just came out of the bleach and got rinsed so there was nothing on them and the fish just went to them a day later to spawn so I don't think that's the issue either. Smooth surfaces are not really what the fish like to spawn on. They do prefer a little texture, so that the eggs can better adhere to the surface. Totally slick pieces of rock or slate are not usually the site of choice. In actuality, even glass isn't 100% smooth but the surface is not easy for us to feel while the fish can feel it with their mouths and tubes.
Anyway, it's a nice looking decor so see what the fish do with it.

 

[Rossi94]

They moved the eggs to the top of the sponge filter. ;dance; This might be the first time they won't eat the eggs! ?


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[Andy Sager]

They moved the eggs to the top of the sponge filter. ;dance; This might be the first time they won't eat the eggs! ?


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Look closely, they may have hatched. Angels rarely move eggs but constantly move the fry once they have hatched. I used to get disappointed when I was parent raising them because I would think they had eaten the fry only to find that they stuffed them in a plant or piece of wood. Once I figured out to watch where the parent's attention was, I'd find the fry.
FYI: Unfortunately, this behavior doesn't guarantee they won't still eat the wigglers. Time will tell.

 

[Rossi94]

Update; GOING well!! About day 5 the wigglers have developed eyes and fairly long tails, I watched the male mouth one off the side of the sponge filter and plop him back with the rest, the female checks on all the eggs fairly gentle so my hopes are growing higher? ;double dance;


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[Andy Sager]

Just an FYI: You may not see them once they become free swimming. Look in the back corners. Use a flashlight if you need to. They should be in a cloud ( close formation) once they start swimming. Make sure you get food to them. I use a turkey baster to gently blow my baby brine shrimp right in front of the cloud. They should start coming to the front for the food after a few feedings.

Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Rossi94]

Swimmers swimmers and more swimmers!


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[Rossi94]

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[Andy Sager]

Congrats. Don't forget, when the time comes, to cull. I just came from a store with more Angelfish ( especially Koi colored) that should never have been kept alive. They looked more like fish with missing parts and twisted brillo pads for fins. We Angel breeders need to stop those from getting into the stores.