Is It POSSIBLE...... Borneo's have spawned!!!

[Wendie]

Shari has a point. The last time I had cory's lay eggs they were everywhere you could possibly imagine. I was lucky enough to have some on the front glass of the tank so I could watch the development of the eggs.

[Sthn75]

Morning All (well at least morning for me)

Thank you all for your comments.... They are much appreciated...

Now I will try to answer some of your questions (before i've got to head off for my meeting)

shari2

When you have time tomorrow (or is that today?) can you give us your water parameters? (pH, KH, temp, ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte)
What filtration do you use? Do you have a powerhead in there or a bubble wand? What do you feed them? Lighting schedule? Plants/decor?

pH:6.5, Ammonia:0, Nitrite:0, Nitrate:20-40 (lighting wasn't that good last night when I tested & was hard to tell which), Kh: 2, Gh: 8

Temp: NOW: 25 Celcius ......

Previously: I've had trouble with the heater in the tank, it has been set at 25C but was holding the temp at 28Celcius, which I knew was high for the 'Borneos', but they didn't seem to mind & were extremely active. However, about 5 days ago I noticed that the temp had climbed to 29Celcius and the heater was ON. I thought, Nah, Can't have this and so switched the heater off at the Power Board.

Over the next 36 hours the temperature dropped to about 22-23Celcius, and then I turned the heater back on until the temperature was at 25-26Celcius which was when I turned it off again at the power board. It was about 36 hours ago when I managed to pull the heater out & reset it's temperature to 21Celcius and place it back in the tank & turned it on at the Power Board. The Water Temperature has been a constant 25 Celcius ever since. But it was when I reset & replaced the heater that I noticed all the eggs.

Filtration: The tank is a JEBO R3100 which has a powerhead & the over head filtration unit in the rear part of the lid. In this is ceramic noodles, Aquasonic Nitrazorb & Ammonia sponge, Fluval Zeo Carb, and Fine & Coarse Filter Pads. I do have a 120cm bubble wall & a medium bubble ring in the tank.

Food: My fish are all spoilt.... they primarily get fed fish flakes & granules, but also, freeze dried bloodworm, FD Tubifex worms, FD Krill (crushed), Wafers (for the bottom feeders) and also every 3 days or so they have treats of frozen Bloodworm & / or Frozen Brine Shrimp. They get fed 3 times a day - Morning Afternoon & Night.

Lighting Schedule: Lights are usually turned on about 7.30am (sometimes earlier if my son gets up early & turns them on. They are turned off at 8.30am & they then get the daylight filtering in through the windows. Lights are turned on again at about 3.45pm (or abit later depending on when I get home from work) and are usually on until about 12AM.

Plants/Decor: There is 3 pieces of driftwood, 1 Huge flat rock with holes & crevices through it (which the Kuhli's love to hide in), a couple of small flat rocks, Barrel, small plastic plant pots & plants are Java Moss & Vallis (looking to get more).


I have managed to get more pics & will put them up abit later when i've got the time.

[Sthn75]

lf11casey

Could it be cory eggs? Don't they usually lay on the glass?

I actually wouldn't really have any idea (I will have to do some more research, so thank you for the suggestion)

However, the cory's have taken to hanging out in the plastic plant pot caves or under the crevices of the driftwood, when they're not scouring the tank for food. And I have not noticed any unusual behaviour from them. However, I don't even know what sex the 3 of them are. So I guess it's always possible.

And from further pics that I will put up... the ONLY fish constantly hanging around these eggs are the 'borneos'. I have never seen the cory's even remotely in the vicinity of the eggs.

[Sthn75]

mikev

Am I blind or this image from above
shows a Cheni? Or is it an Ocellatus? Certainly not G. Ctenocephalus/G. Scitulus

There are Two Borneo's on the barrel... I believe (but i'm no expert) that the one in the foreground is a G. zebrinus and the one in the background is a G. Ctenocephalus/G. Scitulus.

But like I said, i'm no expert I have just been comparing them with the pictures on Loaches Online Articles.

[Martin Thoene]

Wow! I've been out and everyone went nuts on this!

Some thanks are in order.

Firstly, let me say an official "Hi!" to Wendy (Sthrn75) and thanks for posting your stuff here. It's very refreshing to have somebody new come to LOL and provide such comprehensive information. This is so helpful to us all in making determinations or recommendations.

Thanks also to everyone else for reacting just as I knew you would, which is why I asked Wendy to post her info here. She sent me an E-mail reply to my earlier questions and some of that she's included already. I'll paste over other stuff which will answer Q's that others have asked.

There's a general vibe here that confirms my personal suspicion that these are Corydoras eggs. I really, really want to be wrong, but the following makes me fairly confident in that.

Sthrn75 wrote:

The temperature I have actually been having trouble with, as I put in a new heater a few months ago. It was set at 25celcius yet the water temperature was held at 28-29Celcius. Way too high especially for the Hillstream Loaches I know. But it was not affecting them at all, they were still rummaging all over the tank. A few days ago, when the temperature actually climbed over 29Celcius, I decided that was it I really had to do something about it. And I turned the heater off at the power board. It is winter here now and our overnight temperature has already dropped to as low as 3Celcius, although I do have my reverse cycle air conditioner on heat setting at night time to keep the house warmish.

Anyway, the water temperature in the tank dropped to about 22C over the next 36 hours or so, and seeing as how it was night time again, I turned the heater back on to raise the temperature abit. I turned the heater off once the temp had gotten to 25C. It had dropped to 24C about 24 hours later. Which is when I pulled the heater out of the tank & reset the heater temperature to 21C and put it back into the aquarium. It has been holding the temperature at a steady 25C for the last 28 hours.

It was after altering the heater & replacing it that I saw the eggs.

Now this would be absolutely typical changes that might trigger Corydoras to spawn. Laying them on the glass is very typical although as others have stated the eggs appear to be yellower than one might expect from Corys. However, there is a general yellow tone to the photographs in general.

In answer to my question: Where are the eggs?

Stuck to the side of the aquarium, under the inflow of the water from the filter

Wendy, I think the reason that the Gastros are hanging out near the eggs is because it's the area of highest current in your tank, not because of the eggs. As you've seen in my articles your tank could not be termed ideal for them.

Water parameters are:

Haven't changed in a long time. The tank has been set up for about 4 months now. Ammonia:0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate:20ppm, Kh:2. I don't know why but my GH test wasn't working, but all previous tests it has been Gh:8.

Wendy sent me a video link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c0KdXPzqHo

This clearly shows two fish engaged in a territorial battle. I'm not 100% certain, but I think they are Gastromyzon scitulus males. They show typical "warpaint" marking when these guys really get into it.



Sthrn75 wrote:

Believe the Red Blue Columbian Tetra's are a real threat of the baby fry, maybe the paradise fish (although he is very very quiet and hides most of the time as I think the other fish are just to boistrous for him), the scissortails, and the coloured widow tetra's.

I doubt that the Corys will harm the eggs, nor (probably) the Gastros. Everything else are possibly of risk to the eggs, but the greatest danger to small fry will come from the Danios and the Rasboras. These are suprisingly effective hunters. The tetras pose more risk to free-swimming fry than bottom-living ones IMO. Paradise are opportunistic hunters. They will stalk around and anything that moves will get their attention.
So anything that hatches is at risk in this tank. Teeny Corys might have more chance due to armour, but only by a bit until they get larger.

So basically, you'll have to sit back and see what happens. Moving them is not really an option and will likely result in casing damage to the eggs due to being adhesive.

We don't know enough about Hillstream Loach reproduction, but knowledge of Pseudogastromyzon, Liniparhomaloptera and Sewellia would tend to suggest that adhesiveness is not a property of Balitorid eggs. However, I would not discount it because it seems quite a logical property to have given the natural habitat.

So let's see what happens. In the interim, as you've seen we have a freshwater forum which can help with Q's regarding your other fish and the Off-Topic Forum which is for anything else, carries a large 'Government Health Warning', but given the missing part of your E-mail address name I somehow think you may have what it takes to survive there

Martin.

[Sthn75]

Time for my meeting ... but i will answer more questions after I get back...

Thanks again for your comments... they all really do help..

[Martin Thoene]

What day IS it? I see you're awake again Early evening here in Canada.

Martin.

[Sthn75]

Hi Martin:D

It is currently 2.14pm on Saturday here is South Australia. And i've finally finished my meeting

Although at the time that you posted that query... it was approximately 8.30am Saturday Morning

[Emma Turner]

Good morning Sthn75 (it's very early here!).

Are the eggs still there?

Emma

[Sthn75]

Hi Emma, Yes the eggs are still there but there is not as many. I am not sure if the borneo's are eating them or if they are being blown off the side of the aquarium by the flow of the water.

I have got more pics to put up once i've reduced their size.

[Sthn75]

Ok.... more pics....

Firstly the 'borneos' in the community aquarium..










Now 'borneo' amongst the eggs...









The Whole Tank....

[Sthn75]

Thanks Martin for your comments...

So far all fish are ignoring the eggs except the Gastro's. And I believe they are either eating them or helping to dislodge them from the side of the aquarium as there is definately less & less eggs there as time goes by.

If the eggs to become unstuck from the side & end up settling elsewhere in the tank, what are their chances of hatching? If they are not found & eaten before-hand by any of the other inhabitants.

In regards to breeding I am an absolute complete novice. The only fish i've bred so far is guppies.... and I think we all know how difficult that is

[Martin Thoene]

It's funny how a photograph conveys mre about your tank than just the list of fish. The visible stocking density and type of fish doesn't really bode too well for egg or hatchling survival. Too many potential snackers and not really enough density of cover to provide a good chance.

The one fact that might lead to a few surviving is the regular feeding schedule you operate. Fish with full bellies are less likely to be looking around for something to eat.
Have any of the eggs changed colour? i.e. gone whiter in appearance?

Martin.

[Sthn75]

Hi Again Martin

No, the eggs when I look at them are more of a yellowish off-white colour. Definately not white like this font colour.

I am thinking the same about the predators if any babies manage to hatch which I am thinking is less & less likely. The amount of eggs on the side of the aquarium has already reduced by half.

I did buy some more plants today which I was intending on planting in that area of the tank where the eggs are. In order to hopefully give any potential fry more of a chance of survival "out of sight out of mind" mentality

[Sthn75]

Well it's only been a few hours since my last update post but.... sadly all the eggs bar a few are all gone... I don't know what happened to them.

Earlier they were there... but now practically none left...

Oh well.... maybe next time.... when the tank is abit better set up and there are less predators or at least more hiding places. And NO darn snails...