Apisto laying eggs

[jb-ny]

Do Apisto's lay eggs if they don't have a mate?
I can't seem to find any info on this.

[bs6749]

Sometimes females will spawn even though a male is not present. She will most likely eat the eggs within 24 hours if that is what happened in your tank.

[jpappy789]

Yes, many female fish will drop eggs even without males present.

[jb-ny]

In my haste I don't think I asked the question correctly. There is a male but the conditions are so far from being idea...I figured that she was crazy.

I assume that the eggs will be gone tomorrow...as I don't think the male is interested.

Thanks,

JB

[jpappy789]

Ah I see. You are correct, the eggs will perish if they go unfertilized. Either they will turn fungusy or the parents will eat them. Most likely the latter.

[bs6749]

Conditions far from ideal? I'm assuming that you have hard and alkaline water, which the apistos can and will spawn in succesfully. This happens all the time with my rams and they have nearly complete fertilization, something that's not supposed to happen with fish that come from soft and acidic water.

[jenazen69]

Conditions far from ideal? I'm assuming that you have hard and alkaline water, which the apistos can and will spawn in succesfully. This happens all the time with my rams and they have nearly complete fertilization, something that's not supposed to happen with fish that come from soft and acidic water.
good to know. I have had two spawnings of Rams in my 29 gallon that didn't make it. I have a PH of about 7.6. The water is considered hard water though I haven't had it tested. Since I don't pay a water bill and the only report online is almost 2 years old and kind of vague on the details of some of the particulars on GH and KH I was worried I wouldn't get any babies. I have apistos too but I don't expect to have any babies as they are in a community tank with tiger barbs.

[jb-ny]

The **** eggs actually hatched...I thought my eyes were hazy this morning when the eggs looked like they were vibrating...know I now what people mean by wigglers...

I got everyone out of the tank (except for mom)
How do you feed these things...I have a ton of moss in the tank but they seem to be stationary I can get them some BBS.

[biggdadyapisto]

you dont have to worry about feeding them till they are free swimming then i would use freshly hatched brine shrimp and or infusoria and later micro worms are good.

what kind of apisto is it?

[Inka4040]

The moss will provide plenty of infusoria for the first couple days. BBS and microworms are great first foods, but in a pinch a product like cyclopeeze or golden pearls can really pull the fry through. You'll see better growth rate with the fresh live food though.

[bs6749]

I think you will find that BBS are too lare for the first few days when they go free swimming. I'd use microworms or walter worms and then switch over to BBS. I've also heard great things about cyclopeeze.

[jb-ny]

you dont have to worry about feeding them till they are free swimming then i would use freshly hatched brine shrimp and or infusoria and later micro worms are good.

what kind of apisto is it?


Double Red

[biggdadyapisto]

im guessing cacatuoides double red not agassizii?

[mcgrady7761]

take some photos. im dying to see what they look like

[jb-ny]

Correct, cacatuoides.
I will try to take pics...the wigglers are in a cave that has two holes...I moved it
180 degrees so I could see the little guys and as soon as I took my hand out, mama moved them to the other end of the cave.

[Dwarf Puffers]

Congrats! Got a count on the wigglers?

[jb-ny]

It seems that there are less wigglers today than yesterday...not sure if mama moved them (there were still unhatched eggs yesterday) maybe moved wigglers closer to food source...I have no idea never been this far before.

I may have inadverntly killed some yesterday...I thought I was being nice when I tried to feed BBS with a medicine dropper and shot some of the wigglers out of the other end of the cave...mama tried to retrieve them.

[biggdadyapisto]

oh you dont have to feed till the egg sac is gone.

[jb-ny]

I jumped the gun. I did it before I checked here.

[biggdadyapisto]

yeah and if its a first time spawn your lucky the even hatched.

[jb-ny]

I got some Tetra micor-crab cyclopeez stuff...I also read that egg yolk is good for the fry...not sure if or when I will get to try to feed them.
Tomorrow at 9am will be a min of 72 hours since I noticed them.
If I do see them free swimming do I give them food or let them eat from the moss?

[biggdadyapisto]

if there is infusoria in it they will eat that but its not bad to feed them some of the cyclopeez but the egg yolk thing never tried that read it will foul the water REALY EASY so if you use it be very sparing a lil at a time as much as they will eat in 3 min with the youlk and cyclopeez id feed a lil and watch then feed some more and watch so on and so forth.

[jb-ny]

It's been 5 full days since I noticed the wigglers...
I haven't seen much movenment at all. I picked up the rock/cave to see if I could see anything. I saw lots of pairs of eyes...I still don't see movement. Mama went after all the babies and put them back where she wanted them.
I guess my question is would she still does this if there are no survivors?
After 5 days shouldn't they be free swimming by now?

[biggdadyapisto]

did you see any lil yellow egg sacs on them? its usualy around the sixth day that they become free swimming.

[jb-ny]

I didn't notice any, I could have sworn one fell out and fell back into the cave.

After I picked up the rock mama moved them from where they were into a flower pot.

[biggdadyapisto]

hey so wats the update?

[jb-ny]

She moved them back to the cave from the flower pot sometime last night.
The cave is about 1" in diameter and with her being in there everytime I go near the tank I can't tell if it's the movement of her fins making them move or if they are moving.
Haven't seen anything outside the cave.

[biggdadyapisto]

when they get to the point of being free swimming they shouldn't be in the cave mama will parade them around letting them look for food.

so how long has it been since they hatched?

[jb-ny]

6 days plus 2 hours since I noticed them.
78 degrees in the tank.

[jb-ny]

I GOT A SWIMMER!

[biggdadyapisto]

yay! im so happy for you.

[jb-ny]

Here is mama keeping a watchful eye as they make there was to the moss.
I crushed up some microcrab-cyclopeeze. Is now a good time to give it to him.
Thanks BigdaddyApisto
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/8302/dscn0791.jpg

[biggdadyapisto]

id wait a lil bit till they are all or most free swimming then try and give them some you might have enuff infusoria in the moss for them for lil while. no prob jb anytime i can help someone with apistos i will and someother aquarium stuff but mostly apistos lol

[jb-ny]

They are all free swimming, the tank has a ton of moss in it.
Should I wait until tomorrow to feed them.
In regards to water changes, it's a small 5 gallon eclipse. I read various stories at WC from 10-30% a day or 50% every otherday...is there a method that works best for you?

[biggdadyapisto]

i wouldnt change it quiet as often as that or as much like maybe 10%-20% every other day or every 2 days. dont vacum the bottom just try to take water off the top and when putting the water back in make sure its as close to everything in specs as the old water temp included. dont mess with the moss just let it sit there it should feed them fine if you see them moving away alot to feed in new areas where there is no moss you could feed them the cyclopeeze then and like i said before a very lil at a time (feed watch feed watch...etc.).

[jb-ny]

Thanks for all your help...If I can get them to grow up your are more than welcome to some.

[biggdadyapisto]

awesome well you just worry about those cute fry we might be able to work out a deal somtime.

ill add you to my friends list.