The Oto Journal

Update: 13-May-2012

Good news! Good news!

Routine maintence today in all the tanks. Using my typical method of a drip line to add the water back into the tanks one gallon at a time. Just went down to check the jugs and replace the empties. A look in the Macrosphilus tank and ..... drum roll please ..... Houston ... we have a spawn in progress!! YaY!:clap:

The bad part though, most of the eggs I saw are not viable. :( Very typical with a first spawn though. Finally a break through for these guys. Now all eyes are on these guys to see the progression. Get the routine down and hopefully we'll be good to go.
 
Update: 14-May-2012

Quick check of the Macro tank and I was only able to find (3) eggs. I snapped a few pics but none turned out. After analyzing the pics, I found that one eggs is non viable even though by eye it looked good. Wonder what happened to the other eggs?

Light bulb <insert voice of Gru here> .... it dawned on me ... I have (3) Pygmy Cories in this tank to. Know how Cories will eat their own eggs .... I'm pretty sure they would eat others to if they find them. Hmmmmmm ... might be time for a relocation project for them guys.

I'm getting ready to go back down there and give it one more glance over before the lights go out.
 
I am sorry to hear about those missing eggs, but it's great that after all your effort, you finally have a breakthrough. Yeah!!:clap:
 
No eggs or fry were found yesterday. Will continue to monitor for future developments. :(
 
Update 26-Oct-2012

I always love present surprises.

Let's back up and then get back up to speed. It's been a very long time since I've updated my journal. Got busy with work and such I just haven't really done much with my tanks. They are pretty much just "surviving". I really let them go and am ashamed of myself. I haven't noticed any new spawning during the very brief moments I get down to the fish room to feed and top off. Heck..I haven't even done any water changes <ducks for cover>. And to be completely honest....I haven't a clue the last time I did a water change. Just feedings and top offs. About all I had time for. I barely have enough time to get on the puter from time to time.

Fast forward to today. Tired of seeing these tanks in their current conditions, I decided to take a stand and get some better time management going. I'm starting with my high tech tanks. The first one I started yesterday. The plan was to pull all the plants, scrape the glass and get rid of all the <blankety blank blank> duckweed.

Today, I finished pulling the plants. Netted out about 98% of the duckweed. I then fabricated a duckweed filter using a small powerhead. I put the filter in the tank and turned it.

As I was watching it do its thing, I saw something swim up and lite on the front glass. Upon further observation...it's a wiggler! WOW and KEWL at the same time. Then I saw another on the side glass. I decided to remove the filter and then put a sponge over the HOB intake. I wound up counting (4) wigglers in the tank. I parent group is (5) and they are still rather young which surprises me. I wouldn't have thought they would be ready to breed yet.

This particular tank wasn't even a planned breeder tank. It was really more of a test tank for Otos as the pH is extremely low (<6). They are Vittatus by the way.

So now, I need to get the water cleared up again and get the plants put back in.

I'm really limited on time but will try and keep this more update and I apologize for all those that have been following and not getting their fix with updates.

Annnnnnnd....if people are still following......I am still looking for O. flexilis and O. mimulus.
 
Now I really feel bad. I just went and installed the pre-filter to protect the fry. Started looking around and found a newbie. Not more than 24hrs old! Crap! Now I'm wondering if I washed away any eggs and/or other babes when I rinsed off all the plants. Ding Dang It!
 
Update 30-Oct-2012

Now that the dust and Superstorm Sandy have cleared, I looked in the "other" tank today and was able to find (3) wigglers out and about. Didn't know if they would make it or not since I broke the tank down and scrubbed down all the glass. Active little buggers I must say. I'm not doing anything special in feeding these fry guys. Being a high tech tank, I have to keep the balance. So far, they are doing well.
 
Update 04-Nov-2012

Went to do a water change on the new tank today and found (2) older wigglers and (7) new wigglers on the glass. Never found the eggs. I think the plant arrangement in the tank will make it hard to find the eggs. There are only two broad leaf varieties in there. I will have to look harder from now on. :) Proceding with the water changes on the breeders and go from there.
 
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