L010a Red Lizard Cat has eggs ..help!

[zebraplec]

I have had about 4 of these for a while and although I had planned to get them to breed at some point they seem to have determined that the time is right now

I am just setting up the fish house so everything is in temp accomodation and the Red Lizard Cats are currently sharing with 3 L260's. Tonight I went in the fish house and on the front glass of the tank is my proud male guarding a very large clutch of green eggs. From what I have read they are ment to spawn in pipes and then you just take the pipe with the male and put in a tank with a sponge filter. The eggs are stuck to the glass like cement but if I don't move them somehow then the female (from what I have read) will eat the fry as soon as they hatch. Anyone got any ideas or experience that can help me save these babies?

[davidkozak]

I've got some adults that I borrowed from a friend...They've spawned a few times now...In the act of spawning(in a pipe) they usually kick most of the eggs out of the pipe...I pick them up with a turkey baster and hatch them in a breeding net with an airstone...One spawn I wasn't around and the male took care of them in the pipe and hatched them...As soon as they left the pipe(as wigglers with eggsac) I picked them up with a turkey baster and put them in a breeder net with an airstone...David
p.s. a few pics:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/w ... jan27b.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/w ... aspawn.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/w ... feb21a.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/w ... pril25.jpg

[zebraplec]

Thanks davidkozak for the infomation and great pictures! I have half solved the problem by putting the other Red Lizard Cats in a different tank so the female can't eat the fry. I will also use the turkey baster to collect the fry when they hatch.

[davidkozak]

you're welcome....let me know how many fry you end up with...even though I've seen MANY eggs when they spawn, I've only ended up with 4 from one spawn, and 9 from another spawn...It'd be interesting to see what kindof hatchrate you have..David

[Boots n all]

You are right raising the fry of this cat is hard, out of three spawns i have a total of 15, l first thought the female was eating the fry also but l now think it is only dead fry the female is eating ?
These little catfish l think require the food to be right under their nose and live for them to eat, l will soon see as l have another spawn due to hatch friday night.
They will be kept in a small tank and feed Micro worms and newly hatched brine shrimp, well thats the plan any way

[davidkozak]

I've found the exact opposite...Of the eggs that hatch, I 've never lost one wiggler/fry...My problem is hatch rate,(the parents are young fish) once they hatch I haven't had any problems raising the fry..David

[Boots n all]

Friday night when l got home l found that about 80 red lizard fry have hatched, now to keep them alive.
For the first time about 50 eggs did not hatch and look like they may still hatch, l think there are two lots of eggs a couple of days apart

[davidkozak]

that's awesome!! good luck with them ;) D.