My C. trilineatus are spawning but...

[rmc]

There are no eggs! They are wild caught fish and a little small, but definitely what I would call young adult size. There appears to be 4 males and 2 females. I've watched both females clench their pelvic fins and assume the T-position (sometimes for 30 seconds or more) with the males, one of which is a larger fish. They then, with pelvic fins clenched, swim up and down the glass for a minute or so then release their fins. I can't see any eggs pinched between the pelvic fins and there are definitely none deposited on the glass or dropped to the sand below. Is this normal? Are the females just too young or not in good enough condition yet to produce eggs?

Cheers,

Rob

[Supercorygirl]

I've had that happen with a few of my corys, I call it a dry run. When I've seen them doing this I've done a 30% cool water change and amped up my food to more frozen and fresh veggies. Seemed to do the trick. Could be not gravid enough or constipated??? This has worked for me but I'm definitely no expert with this adorable characters.

[rmc]

Interesting idea! What frozen/fresh veggies do your cories eat? I give cucumbers to my Ancistrus, but haven't tried giving veggies to the cories yet.

Cheers,

Rob

[Supercorygirl]

Try anything handy, I have given them apples, cucumbers, corn, squashes, pears, bananas. Carrots were not a hit, celery was so so. Just soften the harder ones a bit.

[Dirt Convert]

If they are young it could just be the first spawn and they haven't got the back for it yet. Do the females appear to have eggs? Bulging abdomen; particularly around the anal fins? I don't have a tun of experience breeding but I had they best luck fattening them up by feeding shrimp pellets.

[rmc]

@supercorygirl Thanks will try some of those!

@Dirt Convert no big females yet, the fatter one that I thought to be a female I know now is definitely a boy! He was not on the receiving end of the T position if you know what I mean. I think you are right they are just a tad too small and young. I'll keep fattening them up, I feed a variety of sinking pellets, frozen foods, flakes and live foods, so it's just a matter of time.

I did search their mops later in the afternoon today and after many hours of breeding I was able to find 5 eggs. They appear to be done for now, so I hope there will be a "next time" soon. I'll chalk it up to inexperience (of the fish) and hope for better results next time.

Cheers,

Rob

[CoryfanAad]

Interesting idea! What frozen/fresh veggies do your cories eat? I give cucumbers to my Ancistrus, but haven't tried giving veggies to the cories yet.

Cheers,

Rob

please realize these fish are 95% carnivores, so they need high protein food. Conditioning with bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex aso and not vegs. Cheers Aad

[donpetty]

Rob,
I do agree that Cory's are mainly Carnivores; however I have seen my Cory's
eating from zucchini that I have placed in the tanks for the Ancistrus.
I believe that if they didn't eat any vegetable matter,then they wouldn't touch the zucchini.
I have seen mine eat from the slices several times so I conclude that they on occasion enjoy a veggie treat.
I do not use veggies as an only food but, I know you and I know you offer many "meaty" foods to your fish.
I think you are on the right track and that your fish are simply young still and the spawns will improve with time and practice.
Don

[Supercorygirl]

I was perhaps not fully clear with my statement. I don't strictly feed veggies and fruit, they receive protein as well, but I have found issues with only feeding a high protein diet, and have found IME that mine do better (ie. no egg bound, constipation, fat bubbles) when treated as omnivores. I feed Hikari veggie flakes, NLS 0.05 small fish pellet with garlic, spirulina tablets, frozen & freeze dried blood worms & brine shrimp, mysis shrimp with a weekly fresh veggie/fruit. Might be overkill but keeps them happy, healthy and *ahem* active.

[rmc]

Hmm.... Stephan Tanner mentioned that organic frozen peas can be thawed a bit, then pinched to crack and fed to fish. He mostly works with Plecos of course, but might be worth a shot. I bought some a while back and I might give it a try tonight with the cories. They are high in vegetable protein, so if it works maybe once a week. I'll post later or tomorrow to let everyone know if they eat any.
I'll tell them that if they don't eat their peas they can't have any Blackworms for dessert. That should help.

Rob

[rmc]

C. trilineatus had no interest in the squashed peas, but I did get them eating a bunch of spirulina flakes, so hopefully that'll round out their diet a bit. I did find more eggs from them 3 days ago. It looks like 8 of the 12 are fertile, I think I'll find out tonight or tomorrow. I know they are pretty common, but it's still exciting, especially since they're wild caught.