Non-viable Eggs from Recent Spawnings

[tjd]

Hi all, new to this forum and hoping to get some advice.

I have a pair of A. agassizii "Double Reds" in which the last two spawning have not produced viable eggs. The pair spawns consistently every 12-13 days. The initial spawning occurred about 2.5 months ago and produced 50 fry. Three subsequent spawnings occurred after the initial, each producing red eggs -- eaten within a few days by the fry and mother.

About a month ago, the fry were moved to a 40 gallon freeing the parents to raise another group. However, the last two spawnings have produced eggs that were white. For both of these spawnings the female spawned in different locations from the previous successful ones. I observed the first of these two spawnings and the eggs were white as soon as I saw them (within a couple minutes of when she released them).

The tank is a 29 gallon bare bottom filtered by a fluval 204 with a Hydro Sponge 3 over the inlet to the filter. Decorations consist of several rocks including some with holes through them. 90% RO water, 10% Los Angeles tap water is used. About 12 cubic inches of boiled peat from a local HW store is placed in the filter and is replaced about every month. 1/6th to 1/3rd water changes are performed every 1 - 1.5 weeks (larger and more often when the fry were in the tank).

The water chemistry have been fairly consistent at the following levels:

PH: 6.2
KH: < 1
GH: 1-3
Nitrates: 5-15ppm
Nitrites: 0 (was as high as 4 ppm during the initial successful spawning)
Ammonia: 0 (was as high as 2 ppm during the initial successful spawning)

I was considering increasing the amount of peat that was used and replacing it more often. However, I would appreciate advice on what could be going on and how to best deal with it.

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Apistt_ed]

hello Tjd,

I had that same problem with my double red aggies. At the moment, they've just spawned and the fry are doing great. Give your female some time to rest without the worries of spawning. The female was overworked with the spawn that made it and she raised, then also from the three spawns that my female laid and didn't get to raise. I pulled her out of the tank and separated her from all duties, even raising her fry. once they were on their own, about an inch, I removed her and the male from the fry and then further separated the female from the male. I then let her stay away from any other aggie males for about a 5-7 week recovery and conditioning period where i fed her slightly more protein rich foods ...more often and then when she looked fresh and alert, i re-introduced her to the male in a new tank and then again, let them get re-aquainted and only then i got another good spawn. Her spawn post-recovery/recondition was even bigger than i thought could be possible!! I had about 130 fry that all grew up to sub-adult 1 1/2 inches. let her rest and she'll be right back at it. best wishes, best of luck. cheers john

 

[tjd]

John, thanks for the advice. Had not thought of giving her a rest, I guess she has been fairly busy. Now to come up with a place to move the male.

Tom

 

[tjd]

Hi all, still have the same issue. I gave the female a rest and afterwards she still produced eggs that never hatched (they were off white similar to my Ram's eggs). I have not seen the red eggs again.

I am also concerned as I have attempted to spawn some of the females from the initial spawning (now 6.5 months old) and they are also doing the same thing the female is, whitish eggs that don't hatch and eventually get eaten.

They are all being fed frozen blood worms once a day plus a feeding of spiralina enriched brine shimp, mysis shrimp, or flake food each day. Occasionally they get some of the excess BBS that I am hatching for some ram fry.

The water quality in the tank I am trying to breed them in has been:

PH: 5.5
KH: < 1
GH: 0-2
Nitrates: < 5ppm
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0

I have been using algae growth to control the Ammonia/Nitrate levels. I also switched to using RO Right instead of my local tap water as a means of providing some minerals.

Any suggestions would be appeciated.
Tom

 

[tjd]

Just a quick update for anyone that stumbles upon this tread.

I found that diet was the significant factor. By increasing the BBS and cyclopes that was fed the red color returned to the eggs as well as the eggs viability.

Tom

 

[Randall]

Viable eggs

Hello Tom,

Are your fish now producing viable eggs? From your last post it seems that they are.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[tjd]

Randall, yes in the last six months they have successfully spawned... many times!!! as have some of their fry and the fry's fry. Thanks for checking.

My most recent post was if someone searched and found the tread. What I found was that the parents were not eating the flake food and thus were getting only blood worms as their primary nutrition and they needed a more varied diet. It is interesting that some of the broods, even from the same parents and always the whole brood will eat flake food voraciously while others will not go near it.

Tom