A newbies angelfish breeding story

After reading and following the breeding journals of several other members on here I decided to start my own to keep track of events and hopefully get some feedback and advice from others.

It all started when I bought 2 koi angelfish from another member on here. I had always wanted to eventually breed angelfish after getting back into the hobby earlier this year. I planned on waiting a year or so until I started but these 2 had different ideas and paired up soon after I got them

after realizing they were pairing up I started to research breeding them. They are in a 90g tank with 2 other angelfish. They laid their first batch well before I was ready and I had nowhere to put them. They were quickly eaten. I began to set up a 5 gallon tank to be better prepared for next time. I then had to leave on vacation for a week and they laid while I was gone and presumably ate the second batch.

Heres the pair

the female
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the male
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so as I was waiting for the pair to lay a 3rd batch I noticed my other 2 angelfish had paired up! What are the chances. Here they are

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so now I had some aggressiveness in the tank with 2 pairs of angelfish. I knew all eggs from either pair would quickly be eaten so this was my solution.

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now 2 pairs are going to lay way more than I can keep up with but I didn't want either pair having un needed stress. It seems to help a lot and today I came home to this from my koi pair

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the parents weren't eating them but they weren't really caring for them either so I moved them into the 5g.

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I'm very excited to finally have some successful eggs and all seem to be fertilized. Seems that in the time of a few weeks as I waited for eggs most of the research I did has suddenly left my brain haha. So it's on to searching the forum and watching YouTube videos the next few days as I prepare!! Thanks for reading

 

Wow! Cool!

 

Wow!! That's fun that you ended up with two pairs out of your four angels what are the odds!

Good luck with the eggs! congrats!

 

Wow!! That's fun that you ended up with two pairs out of your four angels what are the odds!

Good luck with the eggs! congrats!

your journal may have been what inspired me to do my own haha.

 

I'm looking forward to following your journey!

 

Almost had a loss of the eggs. My basement got water in it so as I was cleaning it up yesterday and drying things out I turned a fan on and left it overnight. Well the fan was blowing at the egg tank and when I came downstairs this morning the tank was at 72! Just glad I caught it before I went to work.

So I now have wigglers! But most of them have fallen off the Rock and are resting on the bare bottom. Will they be ok?

 

So I now have wigglers! But most of them have fallen off the Rock and are resting on the bare bottom. Will they be ok?

Yes they will be just fine as long as there's nobody in there to eat them! When I move my wigglers to their own tank they have to just be placed on the bottom and it's never been a problem! Congrats on the wigglers!!

Side note I thought about you last night when the other two angels of my group of four in the 55 started spawning LOL it was a failed spawn...and for all I know they could both be female.... But I thought it was funny!

 

Awesome! Good to hear. I got a bbs hatchery today so we will see how that goes

I wasn't going to start daily water changes until they were free swimming is that the correct way to do it? Or should I start now

 

I wasn't going to start daily water changes until they were free swimming is that the correct way to do it? Or should I start now

I'd say start now. After what happened with that last blue batch of mine.... I will never wait for the free swimming Point again!

However I don't do daily water changes when they are wigglers in their parents tank....never had a problem there...so....go figure.

I'd say better safe than sorry.

 

Tried to get a few pics of the wigglers today

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I was going to start the bbs hatchery soon as I saw the first couple start to swim is that correct thinking? I've heard they don't need food for 24hrs and the shrimp should hatch well before then

 

I was going to start the bbs hatchery soon as I saw the first couple start to swim is that correct thinking? I've heard they don't need food for 24hrs and the shrimp should hatch well before then

In my experience they will not eat for the first 24 hours or so of free swimming. I've read that this is because they are still finishing their yolk sack. Mine usually start to go crazy for the BBS on day 2 or 3.

 

In my experience they will not eat for the first 24 hours or so of free swimming. I've read that this is because they are still finishing their yolk sack. Mine usually start to go crazy for the BBS on day 2 or 3.

ok. I've never done bbs. If something goes wrong I was going to try first bites until I got some bbs going. Ever had luck with this?

Here's a better pic of my second pair

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Pretty angels!!

No unfortunately I never had luck with first bites. I tried Ocean Nutrition instant bbs and frozen bbs. No luck. My babies only seem to eat the live stuff for the first few weeks.

Admittedly, I have not tried the other options with my last several batches. I have just stuck with the live stuff. Maybe my first few batches of angelfish babies were just extra picky lol!

 

Yeah that seems to be most people experience from what I've read. Cross my fingers and hope I can get the bbs first try.

Also once the bbs hatch do you have to feed them all at once before they get too big or will they last a few days. Thanks so much for all your help

 

I don't feed all the BBS at once. But the BBS doesn't live long. I can usually keep the extra in a bowl for approx 24 hours. I keep the bowl under the warm light next to the Hatchery itself..

 

Ok good to know. Looks like I need to order more eggs. I've only got 3 packets of the salt and eggs mix that came with the hatchery

 

Ok good to know. Looks like I need to order more eggs. I've only got 3 packets of the salt and eggs mix that came with the hatchery

That is going to get very expensive! It's much much cheaper to buy a vial of eggs and a thing of aquarium salt. What hatchery did you buy? Is it the black box?

 

which eggs and salt would you recommend?

 

which eggs and salt would you recommend?

I suggest you make your own hatchery. In the meantime check out this thread that I made after I wasted my money on that same Hatchery!



The eggs I get are EDIT san fransisco bay brand and the best price is usually and I just use apI aquarium salt.

 

Thanks for the link I'll try the air hose idea. I had wondered why there was no place for a hose. Hopefully this will do for this batch and I can have a bottle ready next time.

I googled lee's brand brine shrimp eggs and didn't find anything am I missing something? Haha

 

I googled lee's brand brine shrimp eggs and didn't find anything am I missing something? Haha

Wow brain fart!!! It's San Francisco Bay bbs eggs in a vial lol!!

 

Lol ok I'll order those. Thanks so much. I feel like I ask you a million questions lol

 

Lol ok I'll order those. Thanks so much. I feel like I ask you a million questions lol

No problem! I'm happy to help in any way I can!!

 

I've got some swimmers!!!!!!!

ive got lots of swimmers now. I just hope my shrimp hatch soon. I wasn't able to keep the shrimp as warm as I would've liked. I'll have to get a better light for the next bunch

 

Looks like our babies are progressing at the same rate All of mine started swimming yesterday too!! How's the BBS situation? Have you been able to feed them yet?

 

Looks like our babies are progressing at the same rate All of mine started swimming yesterday too!! How's the BBS situation? Have you been able to feed them yet?

I just fed them. Couldn't really tell if they were eating. The shrimp are impossible to see in the tank

 

I just fed them. Couldn't really tell if they were eating. The shrimp are impossible to see in the tank

When they really start eating...you will know it!! LOL They will look like little scavengers....even if you can't see the BBS....you will be able to tell the angelfish fry are eating them if they are!!! ALSO....the other way you can tell if they ate is if their bellies are big and orange. That is how I knew at least half my babies ate this morning....they had their bright orange bellies they get after eating the orange BBS.

Did any of yours have their bellies turn orange after you put the BBS in there?

 

They don't look noticeablly orange. Looking closely now I can see shrimp swimming among the fry so maybe they aren't ready to eat yet?

 

They don't look noticeablly orange. Looking closely now I can see shrimp swimming among the fry so maybe they aren't ready to eat yet?

no maybe not. How long ago did the majority of them start swimming? It usually takes mine anywhere from 24-48 hours before they start eating like little piggies.

 

I would say majority were last night so I'll try again this evening

bizaliz3 I've been leaving lights on 24hrs now that they're free swimming should I turn them off at night?

 

bizaliz3 I've been leaving lights on 24hrs now that they're free swimming should I turn them off at night?

Honestly I don't think they really need light 24/7 when they are wigglers. I left the lights on 24/7 only when they were with their parents in community tanks. This was to save them from being eaten in the dark. In the nursery tanks, I usually turn the light off at night. I did have one batch where I never turned it off. Not really sure why I chose to do that. I can't really explain my thought process. I haven't turned the koi babies' light off once yet!! There's No reason I can't though....so I can't really explain why haha

 

Alright wasn't sure. Thanks!

 

Yeah that seems to be most people experience from what I've read. Cross my fingers and hope I can get the bbs first try.

Also once the bbs hatch do you have to feed them all at once before they get too big or will they last a few days. Thanks so much for all your help

You can actually store live BBS in the fridge for 2-3 days. The cold slows their metabolism and keeps them alive with negligible nutrient loss. After hatching rinse any extra shrimp you want to store in freshwater, then transfer them to a shallow Tupperware container with an inch or two of saturated brine solution (enough to keep the BBS suspended). Pop them in the fridge and whenever you want to do a feeding suck some up with a syringe, rinse them in a coffee filter or such, and feed away. Being able to store the extras made my life so much easier when my rainbow fry were in the live food stage.

(To make saturated brine solution take dechlorinated water, and add salt to it until the salt is no longer able to dissolve. Strain off the extra salt, pour the water in a bottle and you're all set.)

 

Wow I'd never heard about that! Great tip

Riza I'm also from Illinois which part you from?

 

Riza I'm also from Illinois which part you from?

I'm in Springfield, which is central Illinois I think? Chicago before that. And Michigan before that!

 

I'm about an hour north of you

 

Small world sometimes, isn't it? Forgot to say earlier congrats on the babies, and have fun!

 

So they finally ate this morning. But they have all been huddled in a corner for the last couple days is this normal or is something wrong?

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It's normal. Mine do that too

 

Whew ok good. I was getting worried. So relieved they are finally eating.

I noticed several hours after feeding there is still some shrimp swimming around. Does this mean I'm over feeding?