crazy4fids
Aquarium Advice Regular
I have a bonded pair of angelfish who spawned in my 29 gallon community tank almost a year ago. They raised them to a size large enough for me to rehome. It was so rewarding to watch them spawn, protect and rear their eggs that we would like to experience it again. Unfortunately any successive spawns have been unsuccessful. I had moved them to my large 90 gallon community and now they are back in my 29 gallon with just 3 panda cories and 4 platies.
I have no idea what conditions made them spawn to begin with. They were originally my daughters. We gave her 3 juveniles for Christmas last year and they spawned in July. The were in a tank with a multitude of tetras and a couple of cories. The tank was pretty much neglected. The water level would get 1/2 way empty before my husband would add a bucket. The light was broken and the only light they got was from the window. The two paired off and spawned on a large piece of driftwood without notice. I didn't think too much of it because I have had angelfish pair off and spawn only to eat the eggs. This time I got wigglers!!
We fished the majority of the larger tetras out and rehomed the odd man out. We ended up with 14 babies to rehome.
All future spawns have ended with the eggs turning white and the parents eating them. They spawn approximately every 10 days. I have tried to replicate the same conditions. The only thing different now is I added in a sponge filter instead of the large HOB filter (I think we lost lots of babies with the HOB) and now they have live plants. They have spawned on a rock, on a piece of wood and now the HOB filter intake. pH is 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10-20. After 24 hours the eggs start turning white. There is plenty of water circulation in the tank with the sponge filter and the HOB (which I plan on shutting off if I ever get wigglers again).
The only thing I can think is different is the amount of light which is now accommodating the plants (if that, it's a pretty weak light).
Any suggestions?
I have no idea what conditions made them spawn to begin with. They were originally my daughters. We gave her 3 juveniles for Christmas last year and they spawned in July. The were in a tank with a multitude of tetras and a couple of cories. The tank was pretty much neglected. The water level would get 1/2 way empty before my husband would add a bucket. The light was broken and the only light they got was from the window. The two paired off and spawned on a large piece of driftwood without notice. I didn't think too much of it because I have had angelfish pair off and spawn only to eat the eggs. This time I got wigglers!!
We fished the majority of the larger tetras out and rehomed the odd man out. We ended up with 14 babies to rehome.
All future spawns have ended with the eggs turning white and the parents eating them. They spawn approximately every 10 days. I have tried to replicate the same conditions. The only thing different now is I added in a sponge filter instead of the large HOB filter (I think we lost lots of babies with the HOB) and now they have live plants. They have spawned on a rock, on a piece of wood and now the HOB filter intake. pH is 7.5, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 10-20. After 24 hours the eggs start turning white. There is plenty of water circulation in the tank with the sponge filter and the HOB (which I plan on shutting off if I ever get wigglers again).
The only thing I can think is different is the amount of light which is now accommodating the plants (if that, it's a pretty weak light).
Any suggestions?
My hypothesis is that it's the removal of sperm from the water too quickly via an HOB that decreases the fertilization rate. Obviously I am not taking water and counting sperm but I have had numerous instances of higher hatch success with a sponge filter over any HOB. I can only conclude that it's because the sponge filter is not a removing filter while a HOB is. 
