Isabella

Butterfly, if you're reading this, my angels spawned again! On Christmas Eve, lol. So I got a nice Christmas gift from them! The strangest thing of all is that I can't tell they will be spawning until only a day or two before they actually do spawn. The breeding tubes started to be visible only one day before they spawned. I think I really do have a pair. Would two females become full of eggs regularly? Besides, the golden angel's tube was really thin and sharp-ended, just as the last time. And the blue blushing angel's tube was rather rounded, also just like last time. It's gotta be a pair. But the bad news is that I wasn't there to see them spawn again Unfortunately I wasn't home at that moment. The good news is that I transferred the angels to a separate tank just before I left my house knowing they will spawn anytime soon.

So! What do I do!? I didn't remove the parents this time. And they are not eating the eggs! I think I was wrong to have removed the parents the first time they spawned. Maybe they were not eating the eggs at all. I also observed the mom fanning the eggs all the time. You have no idea how CUTE it looks!!! It was so nice to come home and see the angels with their babies (well, not babies yet because I don't know if they'll hatch) on Christmas Eve

I am raising the temperature to 80-81F (It was 79F at the time they spawned). When should I start the 50% daily water changes? When to remove the parents? Plus, I will soon put a stocking over my filter's intake tube since I cannot find any good sponge filter in my pet store. Anything else I should do?

Butterfly

Congratulations!!!!!! When did you last do a water change? If in the last couple of days wait a day or so and then do one. Be prepared for mom and dad to attack you The stocking should be fine on the filter.
I would wait until their free swimming about 3-4 days before removing mom and dad.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Carol

Isabella

Hi Carol Merry Christmas to you too! I hope you have a wonderful time with all of your loved ones

The last time I did a 25% water change in my 10g. tank (where the angels and the eggs are) was about 1.5 week ago (can't remember the exact number of days). Does that mean I should perform a 50% water change with a gravel vac. today? Or wait longer?

Butterfly

Do a 50% today and vac, and continue doing water changes. Good Luck!!
Carol

Isabella

No need for water changes. The eggs are gone - the "mom" ate them. I think I've had enough. When I separate the parents, the eggs turn white. And when I leave the parents with the eggs, the parents eat the eggs (more precisely, it was the mom who ate them). What's strange is that all this time she was also cleaning and fanning them, eating a couple every now and then. And now, there are no eggs left.

I don't know what to do anymore. They'll surely spawn again, but that doesn't help anything since the eggs won't make it -they'll die one way or another. So should I just leave the angels in the main tank next time they breed? It doesn't matter if other fish will eat the eggs, because if the other fish won't, the parents will. Besides, if they were to spawn successfully every time (which is about every month) I would have nowhere to keep the fry in. I don't have 5-10 tanks, but just 2 of them.

That's it for breeding. I won't be posting anything about breeding if they spawn again. I already know how this will end.

Butterfly

Make sure they haven't just moved them. Sometimes they hide them and you think they have eaten them.
Don't give up!!!! It may take them a couple of times to get it right.
Carol

Jason

Maybe they are both females and are not being fertilized. The one laying one wil still pass over them and nothing will happen.

Isabella

Carol, I searched the whole tank and I can't see the eggs anywhere. Besides, the tank is only 10 gallons and it's relatively empty. I think it would be easy to spot the eggs. So, they're gone.

J-Man, is it possible that two females would spawn regularly? And if they're both females, why does only one of them lay eggs? And their breeding tubes look exactly as Butterfly described - one rounded and the other sharp-ended. I do think it is a pair. But I will be 100% sure after I myself have seen them lay and fertilize the eggs. Plus, they were both fanning and cleaning the eggs (only later the mom ate them).

I am also wondering: How does the fertilizer with which the male fertilizes the eggs look like? Is it transparent? Whitish? I am asking because I want to be able to make sure that it's a pair when they spawn next time. And what if they're both females? Does a mom eat the eggs if there is no male to fertilize them? What should I do about it if they're both females? Won't it stress them out that there is no one to fertilize their eggs?

Butterfly

When the male goes over the eggs you can't see him spread anything. I think you have a pair also. they may spawn again as early as two weeks. Some times they just get stressed and eat their eggs, and sometimes it just takes a couple of times to get it right.

Yes two females will still lay eggs regularly but I still think you have a pair. Hang in there
Carol

Jason

Good Luck!!!

Isabella

All right then