Owengsi

Hi Guys and Gals i've got a couple of Bronze Cory's and i believed them both to be male (unsure of how to really tell the difference) - however one of them is developing quite a 'belly' and i think nature might be trying to prove me wrong. I've had these previously and they bred (well laid eggs) quite regularly but the other fish always ate the eggs before they hatched, so really what i want to know is

a) how do i distinguish between males and females?

b) does the female develop a larger belly (between side fins and in front of under belly fins but she/he has no black spot to signify pregnancy)

c) whats the best way to encourage breeding and keep the fry alive?

Thanks for your help in advance

Shawnie

welcome to fishlore!!!

the way ive sexed them is females are definitely more round and bigger bellied...males are more slim...breeding can happen from a change in water temps, a water change, feeding more on the lines of meaty foods like frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp (thawed of course)...and the best way of survival is scrap the eggs off the glass carefully with a razor blade or cut the leaf they are spawned on and put them in their own small, heated, filtered tank with an air stone...you want to keep the tank prestine with allot of water changes as well as keep the air stone near the eggs to keep the fungus from taking over ...good luck

Owengsi

Thanks Shawnie - so it would seem i've got a male and female then - cool.

aquarist48

Hello Owengsi. Best of luck for some healthy fry! Keep us posted.
Ken

Shawnie

thats awesome! ive also read that the more of the species together, the more they entice breeding as they feel more relaxed and safe with some of their own..how many do you have ?

Owengsi

I'll keep you posted although i'm leaving the tank in the care of my wife while i'm away with the Navy so be prepared for a few posts entitled "HELP!" lol

Owengsi

Only 2 at the moment Shawnie, i did have a couple of aggressive Gourami which were finishing a few of them off, so the Gourami went to a friend instead.

Shawnie

ahhh well thats what gouramis do ..nawty things ..sorry for your losses ..is this for your 20 gal? and are all the fish listed under your info in there still?

Owengsi

Yeah it's for my 20 gal (although not sure it is 20gal 36x12x12) and the fish listed are current stock

Shawnie

ok...its about 20-22 gals ...and severely overstocked so if you want to breed the cories and have success, you will have to re home some fishies or get another tank(more tanks are always a bonus!!)....do you know what kind of plec and loach you have?

Owengsi

Yeah i knew i had too many fish, i 'homed' the mollies from a friend yesterday as they can't stop them breeding and were going to *ahem* flush the fry - a new tank is in the pipeline for when we move in a couple of months (or maybe 2 new tanks at this rate)

The Loach are Kuhli and the Plec are Gold Spot (only about 2" long)
i believe so will need to get a HUGE tank next time

TedsTank

Thats our Shawnie!!!...I think she has invested in a tank company!!!.....lol

She gave you good advice, you are a bit overstocked....and ya have a couple of predators in there, little cory's may not last long.

Owengsi

Predators?? Arrgh they're sneaky buggers - i assume you mean the Angel fish?

As for the Cory's, they're pretty hardy and seem pretty established, the other fish ignore them most of the time

Shawnie

what a great idea...i think i need to invest in aquarium company's

your loaches and plec will eat your cories way before you angel will ....i worry more about them being stunted (which can cause major internal issues) and the waste they all produce spiking ammonia/nitrites....but with the tank now, I dont think your cories will breed as the bottom feeders are just going to cause too much stress in such a small space

Owengsi

I can see it now, i'm going to end up with half a dozen tanks and fish everywhere.

ATKINSON

Welcome to Fishlore!! 6 tanks...!! Please, you will end up with between 6-25 tanks depending on your stage in MTS and the money you have availabl!!! LOL

TedsTank

Oh yea!!!! Welome to FishLore!!!

Sorry, I was referring to any baby corys should they happen along....getting eaten. For little tiny fry...most fish are predators..but someday maybe soon you'll have a breeder tank too...and don't forget a grow out tank.

Shawnie, do I get a tank discount credit??...I did mention another tank......lol
I can see now in lights, SHAWNIES FISH and TANK Corp. of New Hampshire