Angel eggs- need advice

Angel eggs- need advice... Dena

This is the third time my angels have laid eggs. I was on vacation, and got back about an hour ago, to receive a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I don't know when they eggs were laid, although my dad thinks it was early this afternoon. There are already a few white eggs- I thought they only turned white after 24 hours, so I'm a little confused.Right now the angels are being very territorial, and chasing all the fish to the other side of the tank.

I'm wondering how to raise the eggs away from the parents- I'd like to give it a try. They hardly ever lay eggs, and I really want to get some fry this time. Advice, or links to articles on the subjects would be very helpful.

I went to The Wet Spot in Portland Oregon, and remembered to ask the guy there if they have brine shrimp eggs- I got some My guppy fry (and hopefully angel fry) will have a big treat in a few days.

Nippybetta

P.S. I'll be posting pics soon, I hope. I'm going to try to borrow my dad's camera so you'll be able to make things out

Edit: Changed the title

 

It's time to summon catsma!

 

It's time to summon catsma!

No joke! Hey- on the bright side, there are still some eggs left.

 

Hah, surely I am not the only angel breeder on this forum.

So, here's a quick run down....

Unfertilized eggs turn white within 24 hours. Sounds like some were unfertilized.

You need a separate tank/container. 1 gallon pickle jars are great! Add a sponge filter and sit on a heat pad and you have a hatching jar.

Fill jar 1/2 way with tank water and half way with fresh water. The chlorine will help to kill bacteria on the eggs. I also add about 5 drops hydrogen peroxide.

In 48 hours eggs hatch. At this point begin morning and night water changes. Careful to not disturb wrigglers. Use dechlorinated water.

In a week fry should begin swimming. This is the point to start the BBS hatch. Or, you can decapsulate the eggs.

Begin feeding 24 hours after all fry are free swimming. Feed several times a day. And clean up debris in an hour or two after feeding. This will be your water changes.

Good luck! Keep us posted on your progress.

 

Thank you!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong: API aquarium salt works for hatching brine shrimp, right?

I don't have a sponge filter, but I have an air pump and airstone- would this work? I read somewhere that it worked for other people.

I don't have a heating pad, and I can't think of any good substitutions. My 10 gallon is practically empty, just a few guppy fry that I can put in a bucket. If I switch off the filter in there, would it work? The heater is usually at 75, but last night I think the tank was 78. I could put the eggs in a bucket, or find a suitable jar if the temp doesn't have to be dead on.

 

You could put the eggs into a tank. Ideal temp is 80-83F. If they get cold it just slows down development.

An airline will work with extra water changes too.

 

You're knowledge is vast, great master.

 

You're knowledge is vast, great master.

Wonderful- I'll start fishing out my guppy fry.

I came home from soccer practice and only saw a few eggs, and got freaked out. Turns out the rest are mostly transparent, so I can only see them at a certain angle. It doesn't help that they laid their eggs on the side of the tank it's hardest for me to see.

Should I take the gravel out of the tank so it's barebottom, or does it not matter? And also, how many drops of hydrogen peroxide should I put in it- it's a 10 gallon tank.

 

Please answer pronto, I'm hoping to move the eggs tonight before the angels can freak out. It looks like only a third of the eggs are left.

 

Update: I'm going to start emptying the 10g. I'll leave in the filter media so it doesn't have to cycle all over again. On the bright side, this is an excellent opportunity to head off my infestation of pinhead sized snails. I assume that about 50 drops of hydrogen peroxide is suitable. Do I need to keep adding this daily until they turn into wigglers, or is once enough?

The angels are going to be mad at me when I take their eggs

 

You do not have to remove the gravel, but it would be much easier to care for them without gravel. It is up to you. But I would do a 100% water change in the 10G and then transfer the eggs. As they are on the glass, a turkey baster works great. You don't want to damage the eggs trying to move them.

Then simply drop the eggs into the tank. Keep the current up in the tank.

 

Do I need a filter for the current? I have an Elite minI filter 10, but I would really have to "juggle" to get that into that tank, and I'm afraid it would suck up the fry. Should I acclimate the eggs?

The eggs are on a rock (thank goodness) so they should be easy enough to move.

I'm taking out the gravel and I'll change a bunch of the water. I'll stick the BB colonies from the filter in the tank, for when the fry hatch- unless it won't make any difference.

 

If you use an air pump to move water, then you should use sponge filters. If you have a small HOB filter, then you can cover the intake with a sponge to protect the fry once free swimming in a week.

That's great the eggs are on a rock..simply transfer the rock. Do not worry about the eggs being exposed to air for a few seconds.

Add about 20 drops of hydrogen peroxide to the 10G tank.

 

Thank you. My filter is pretty small, but has been known to suck up guppy fry- sometimes I find a few inside it. So, do I find a sponge and somehow cover the intake with it... that might work, if I can find a good sponge.

 

Pick up a sponge from the dollar store. Cut a slit down the middle, no deeper than half way down. And insert the intake tube.

 

I wrapped a sponge around the intake, and tied it with cotton thread. It should keep all but the most determined and suicidal fry out

I'm going to finish removing the water and gravel, then I'll be ready to move the eggs.

 

Good luck!

 

Post pictures of the fry WHEN they hatch!

 

Good luck!

Thanks

Post pictures of the fry WHEN they hatch!

Of course- if I can get the camera to focus. Hopefully I'll be able to borrow my day's camera

 

I think the eggs might be growing some sort of fungus. There are 5 little white fuzzy clumps on them- I added abotu 5 more drops of hydrogen peroxide, but I don't know what else I can do right now. I'm going to bed soon, so I'll need a quick reply if I'm going to do anything else tonight.

 

Update: There's a lot more fungus. I have API quick cure, and I think it cures fungus- should I put some in?

 

Take a pair of tweezers and remove the fungus covered eggs. It happens even under the best of conditions.

As the eggs will hatch tomorrow you don't want to dump a lot of chemicals in the tank. You can increase the hydrogen peroxide, up to 2 ml per gallon. But the smaller amount with untreated water in the tank is usually all that's needed to keep the eggs good.

Do you still have viable eggs? Clear or light pink? Tomorrow morning you will see a slight change as you begin to see the fish develop inside the eggs.

 

It's very hard to tell what color the eggs are. They appear to be a very light brownish pink, but that's probably because of the rock. If I look at them head on I can't see anything except where the fungus is. I'll add another 5 drops or so of hydrogen peroxide, and get my tweezers ready.

 

Make sure the water current is moving around the eggs. Even take a baster to gently move water around the eggs....like the parents do when fanning.

Do you have everything to hatch the BBS eggs? Do you have a backup plan for feeding? Best to plan now while there's time.

 

I can't use the turkey baster, but I have an eye dropper that should work. Should I put the rock closer the the filter? Right now it's probably where it doesn't get much current.

I have a bunch of tonic water bottles that I can use to raise brine shrimp. I'll hook up the air pump to it, and put in the right amount of aquarium salt and eggs- that's all I need, right?

 

I can see the eyes- little black specks, some bigger than others. Unfortunately, I think it would be virtually impossible for even a professional camera guy to get a picture of them. They should start hatching tomorrow and Friday

 

I could do it!

 

I could do it!

Really?! What camera do you have? I would get a new one, but I'm too busy spending my money on fish, and plants, and stuff.

 

I was able to get shots of super tiny MTS. I've got a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

 

My gosh.

There are less eggs coming up with fungus. I remove the eggs as soon as I see some white. I think there are only about 50 left.

On the bright side, I've seen 4 eggs with little tails- they tremble and wiggle their tails for a few seconds at a time. Are they to the 'wriggler' stage now? How many days should I wait before starting my BBS? I'm thinking Friday, but I want to make sure none of the fry go hungry. Also, how many eggs should I use at a time? I have 6 grams of eggs. The water in the tank seems to be at a steady 82 degrees.

 

When the eggs hatch the tails will be outside the egg and will wiggle constantly. You are getting very close to that stage. It usually takes 48 hours from spawning to become a wriggler.

Once wrigglers, it takes another 5 days to become free swimming. This is the point you start the BBS hatch. You do not feed them until free swimming for about 24 hours as they will still have their egg yolks. So, assuming they become wrigglers today, they would become free swimming on Monday. And you would want to feed them starting on Tuesday. Assuming this is your timeline, then you'd want to start the BBS hatch Monday morning.

About how many viable angel eggs do you have now? If only 50 or so, then you don't need as many BBS.

 

I don't know. I counted a small area and guesstimated. I'd say there are closer to 100 eggs.

 

I would start with about 1/8 tsp of BBS eggs in the hatchery. And if there are any left after 3 days, then plan on freezing them. Or they will not be as healthy and may become too large for new angel fry to eat.

When offered to fry, I would use one of those plastic mesh coffee filters and rinse them to remove the salt. Never pour the salted water into the fry tank.

 

Thank you. I'll post again if I have more questions.

 

Do you have wrigglers now?

 

Yes- I'm seeing their bellies (very big) and heads and tails, and eyes.

 

Yep. Wrigglers look like beach balls with eyes and tails. Congratulations on getting this far.

Now you will want to start daily water changes, if not twice a day. Pristine water is very important for their development.

 

How much water should I be changing at a time?

 

Only about 10% for now. Just small changes to stabilize the parameters and to ensure clean, fresh water.

That will change next week!

 

Only about 10% for now. Just small changes to stabilize the parameters and to ensure clean, fresh water.

That will change next week!

Oh boy- I'm in for it. I'll go change a gallon of water.