GBR breeding in High PH and Hardwater

[bumzc]

GBR breeding in High PH and Hardwater Journal

My PH is over 8.4 and water hardness is crazy high.

My GBR has spawned and I have over 50 eggs. I moved the eggs which were adhere to a small piece of rock to my 5 Gallon hatching tank with water from parent’s tank.

I have goggled and read numerous posting on how GBR will not breed and eggs will not hatch in high ph/water hardness. This is their first spawned so I wanted to test if the theory was correct. If the theory is correct then next time I will use RO/DI water for hatching the eggs.

12/4- eggs were laid in 55G community tank

12/5- eggs move to 5G hatching tank (lost some to fungus)

12/6- eggs has black dots which goggle said are fry eyes (lost some to fungus)

12/7- This morning I notice some of the eggs vibrating and some had a little line sticking out of their eggs. Fry tail maybe?

Hopefully when I get home all the eggs have hatch. Will update after my 9-5 job.

 

[bumzc]

12/7-PM- Got home 30 min ago and looks like I got hoppers. All the eggs that was fertilize hatch so hopefully they will survive to free swimming stage.

Looks like this coming week will be the determining factor if the fry will survive or not as I read the first week is the hardest.

 

[Cornstar]

This is super amazing, keep us updated!

 

[bumzc]

12/8-am- A few died over night, remaining fry's still wiggling. Micro-worm starter package came in last night. Started a new batch and should be ready to go in a few days.

 

[bumzc]

12/9- fry are doing well but the only thing that is off is that some fry has fuzz attach to them. It might be the shell but I'm not really sure.

 

[bumzc]

12/12 - A few fry's are free swimming. Threw in a handful of java moss so they can feed on the micro organism. Notice last night GBR pair were digging pits and cleaning buried rock. I expect eggs within a couple of days.

 

[bumzc]

12/13 - all fry's are free swimming now. Tried feeding microworm last night but they just ignored it.

I'm getting a break out of white cotton like substance all over the fry tank. I'm not what it is and will have to search the net for a cure.

Edit- Seems like the cause of the white cotton like substance is a mini-cycle. darn, hopefully the fry survive until I get home do a 50% water change.

 

[bumzc]

12/14 - Last night I tested the tank and found .25 nitrite and 20 nitrate. Did a back to back 50% water change and brought everything back to normal.

Fry still does not want microworm so after an hour I suction up as much of the worm I can see.

GBR Pair laid again last night but this morning all the eggs are gone. Hopefully they moved it but I doubt it.

 

[bumzc]

12/16 - ALL FRY'S ARE NOW ZOMBIES!!!!!

GBR's are able to breed, spawn and hatch in hard water as I noted in this thread. The ideal condition would still be soft water with a low ph.

PH- over 8.4
Hardness - 22 GPG

-end