Need help premium snowflakes just layed

[mroccoralman]

Ok so here's what happened. Had my premium snowflake pair for 1 year. They just layed 6 days ago I would say 200 or so babies. I have many other fish including multiple wrasses that all have been together for a little over a year. I run an mp40 for flow. So here's the dilemma

I have Rotifers ready and the fry tank for 80 degree water 2 air stones and a small light that is filtered I'm ready for the hatch here's my question.

Today day 5 not so many of the babies remain I've read this happened on another thread but I have no idea what happened . Everything was fine then I wake up today many of the eggs are gone. There are I would say over 50 babies left in the "cave" what they layed them in. But what happened to the others? I don't think a wrasses because I watch every night and five minutes after I turn off the light they are in the rocks sleeping. Any thoughts?

 

[jasen]

Coralman,

First of all Congratulations! The parents can accidentally dislodge or even eat the eggs on the first few nest due to inexperience with maintaining the nest. They should get it figured out in time. Best of luck.

 

[mroccoralman]

Ok cool thanks man for the response. Ill keep
Everyone posted

 

[D-Nak]

I'd wait for the 5th or 6th clutch before pulling the eggs, this gives the parents time to sort things out, as jasen said. Also, if they are nesting in a place that doesn't allow for removal of the rock, you can lay a piece of tile over where they typically lay, in hopes that the female will pay the eggs on the tile. This way you can pull the tile the night of the hatch. Waiting on clutches and noting the hatch date will also help you to determine when to pull the eggs.

 

[mroccoralman]

No i can easily remove this cave its like a small pot that I set for them. So what is the deal with them losing most of the babies? Just new parents? And so hatch night is set for Sunday so the night of I take the small cave out and set it in the fry tank?

I'd wait for the 5th or 6th clutch before pulling the eggs, this gives the parents time to sort things out, as jasen said. Also, if they are nesting in a place that doesn't allow for removal of the rock, you can lay a piece of tile over where they typically lay, in hopes that the female will pay the eggs on the tile. This way you can pull the tile the night of the hatch. Waiting on clutches and noting the hatch date will also help you to determine when to pull the eggs.

 

[mwilliams62]

Yes new parents.... Mine have eaten their eggs on several batches even on batch #14 & #16 they ate 90% of it. Today is day 5 for batch #17 and is looking okay but I don't get my hopes up until 7th day.
Mine hatch in the DT I can never move the rocks that they lay the eggs on because it has like 4 RBTA's all around the area where they lay the eggs at.

Good Luck.

 

[D-Nak]

No i can easily remove this cave its like a small pot that I set for them. So what is the deal with them losing most of the babies? Just new parents? And so hatch night is set for Sunday so the night of I take the small cave out and set it in the fry tank?

It's probably just the pair getting used to laying. The male will remove eggs that aren't fertilized or any that have fungus or other ailments. The clutches should get larger is they get better at it. On hatch night, you can remove the cave and place it into your hatch tank. Make sure the water parameters are exectly the same. You'll need to keep a constant flow on the eggs, which can be acheived using an airstone. Once the eggs hatch, you can turn down the airstone. I have a bubble wand mounted under a heater that's laid horizontally in the tank. This keeps the babies from getting burned on the heater.

 

[tankgeeks]

As others said, it takes time for the parents to figure the whole spawning process out. I waited until spawn #7, when i had a larger clutch of eggs to ensure higher survival rates and to ensure my efforts weren't wasted on such a small hatch. At any rate, good luck with the babies!

 

[noperesult]

We want pics!

 

[mroccoralman]

Ok ill post some late The female is really fat and is probably goin to lay tomorrow or the day after