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Well I've had my corydoras for about a year now (bronze and trilineatus) and recently just upgraded their tank. I've seen them spawn before but they've always eaten the eggs before I could find them. Well since the upgrade my bronze cory's have been spawning weekly, leaving 100+ eggs up against the glass, only a handful of them actually fertile though.
Because of this I've decided to try my hand at raising some fry, and so far so good, I've got some that hatched about a week and a half ago and some just on Tuesday.
I'm studying animal technology, and aside from what the public believes, we are actually very focused on preventing animal cruelty and we've spoken about responsible pet ownership in regards to desexing your cat or dog to prevent 'accidental' breeding.
I've been telling class mates about the babies and they've all been interested.

Well I was telling a woman in my course and my teacher about my babies (this woman was doing work placement and was working with zebra danio fry) and this friend of mine from class decides to appear and start telling me off (mind you he already knew about my baby fish and never had a problem with it previously) he told me that I shouldn't have let them breed like that, shouldn't have mixed males and females like I did and that I should separate them all. I just told him that they need to stay in groups, so separating them is wrong, at the time of buying them they were tiny and I couldn't tell the sexes, plus I doubt the woman bagging them up for me could tell them apart or even give me the option given there were many and were all difficult to catch, and that it's not like I was going to keep all of them, there are many aquarium stores in my area that will gladly take them if I don't find homes.
I know this sounds long and whiny, and I know that this kid was just trying to put on an act for our teacher, but as this debate was going on, our teacher just stood there watching silently.
And that just got me thinking, was I right? Or was he?

Is it wrong to raise fry for no real reason? Just to experience it for the first time? Plus I really enjoy it and was looking into raising microworms so that I can do it again in the future, but now I'm really having some doubts.
Any opinions?

I think he/she would have had a point when this breeding had been between bronze and trilineatus (which would imply hybridization), but from your story I gather that only the bronze Cory's are breeding.
Many fishkeepers think that breeding their fishes is the crown on their work and so may you.
In which case your "friend" turns into a complete nitwit wrt fishkeeping.
He/she is probably jealous of your achievement and/or he/she apparently has problems with sex before marriage. Just tell him/her fishes do not marry and that he/she has no idea at all what he/she is talking about.
Don't let people like this put you down with such rubbish. You can feel sorry for him/her - like I do.

I fully agree with Marc

@ your teacher, he/she might have been interested in the discussion - wanting to know how you would react. Perhaps she/he considered that more important than who was right.

In which case your "friend" turns into a complete nitwit wrt fishkeeping.

Agreed, well said. The fact that they are breeding also indicates you are taking good care of them. Good job, keep up the good work. Nothing says you have to keep all of the fry you raise, either. Find a local fish club & it could lead to some extra coin or you can trade with fellow hobbyists. I wish you all the best in your endeavor.

Ok thanks
And it is only the bronze cory's breeding, no hybrids.

You are taking your hobby to the next step and giving them a great home and environment to behave naturally as well as maintaining a species that may have an endangered habitat... if not already, then in the future due to the decimation of our natural environment by humans. Tank raised fish are likely to be healthier and less stressed than wild caught or those raised in factory farms. You can feel good about what you are doing. Just sell them to others who will give them caring homes with clean water, correct parameters, healthy food and you are golden!

All good points! As well,when you choose to distribute the fry you will be taking pressure off the collection of wild fish. Who knows, if you continue to learn about breeding fish, someday you may take up the challenge of maintaining and producing future generations of species that are extinct or threatened in the wild.

This person's argument is completely specious.
It is more cruel to prevent willing Corydoras from breeding although egg laden female Corydoras often deposit their unfertilized eggs in the absence of a male.
C. aeneus have been produced commercially for a good 70 years. They are virtually never imported wild specimens.
As you have experienced, unless you dedicate a tank for spawning many eggs never hatch.
It is rarely difficult to sell any excess production although for C. aeneus it doesn't really pay enough to cover the cost of the food they consume let alone make a profit.
I would either shove that stick up hers further or pull it out and hit her over the head with it.You can't let an ignoramus like this person get to you.
I wouldn't acknowledge her presence and go on about my business.
Even the best of us lose or kill many of the fish we keep or breed. Remember that in nature only just enough fish survive to carry on the species and the rest die to many different causes.
Millions of Zebra Danios are bred in laboratories for all kinds of studies. I know no moral outrage over this use of the eggs or fish.

Like with any pets, if you can find homes for them I fail to see anything wrong with offspring.

With fish... I think I would have object if you were breeding tank busters like pacu but cories... come on!

EVERYBODY who has posted is rite! u have learned something by accident other people spend time and money to figure out how to do.i breed orange lasers and trilineatus. the lasers are new from peru; the trilineatus i figured out on my own. i have 4 tanks to breed the trilineatuaAKA triple-lines. spawning tank, 10 gal, egg tank,5 gal., fry tank 10 gal., and teenage tank (grow out tank) 10. gals. i sell to a LOT of people. i belong to Gold Coast Aquarium Society of s. fla. we have an auction at every meeting. lots of kids belong, and sell their own fish and stuff. My triple lines spawn every 8-10 days. my teenage tank has 150 juvies in it. if u like it, go for it! one kid in the club is now in college studying fish biology. good luck to u, my friend.