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Well here they are.


As the title says this is the second batch I have found with no male. This batch has 6 very nice looking eggs. The first batch actually had about 12 - 15 I would say. But, no male guarding them. What is going on? There are 2 mature males in the tank. Thanks in advance for your help.

Barbie wrote:Male what? Do you have a cave somewhere? He could just be kicking some of the eggs out, or the females can be squabbling and kicking out the eggs while trying to get in the cave.

Barbie

Male bristlenose sorry. There are 2 pair of bristlenoses in the tank. There are 4 pvc caves plus a hole in the back of the driftwood. Good news though. He did just kick some of the eggs out. Later last night after I posted I was looking very carefully at the tank and I found a one of the males with the rest of his eggs in the back side of the driftwood. I did keep these 6 eggs that fell off and I am trying to hatch them myself and hopefully he stays on his until they hatch.

Normally, when eggs are kicked out in small groups like this, I use a turkey baster and kick them back in. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's definitely better than I could ever do. My hatching record without a male watching over them has been terrible.

Larry

pleco_breeder wrote:Normally, when eggs are kicked out in small groups like this, I use a turkey baster and kick them back in. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's definitely better than I could ever do. My hatching record without a male watching over them has been terrible.

Larry

My hatching record for L338 is about 25% of batches become fry, and 30-50% of fry survive long enough to go into a bigger tank. I wouldn't call that at all successful! So I agree, if you can make "dad" look after the eggs, it's much better (unfortunately, my L338 male is not a good father, and keeps kicking out large clutches of eggs repeatedly until I remove them or they get eaten by other members of that tank... ).

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Mats

I won't make a habit of this, but got curious when one of my BN males started kicking eggs this weekend. This was this males first spawn, so hopefully he'll get better. Anyway, I placed a few of the eggs in my A. claro tank with a male already fanning a clutch. I was hoping he would act as a surrogate. I had my doubts about this, but apparently they can't tell the difference. They hatched as if nothing had ever happened.

I don't have too many eggs that get kicked out, but I'm now curious whether this may be an option with Hypancistrus which seem to be more inclined to do so.

Not trying to steal the thread, but thought it definitely applicable.

Larry

I have wigglers! Man I am excited! Even the 6 that got kicked hatched! My fist successful plec breed ever!

pleco_breeder wrote:Normally, when eggs are kicked out in small groups like this, I use a turkey baster and kick them back in. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but it's definitely better than I could ever do. My hatching record without a male watching over them has been terrible.

Larry

Larry I got my eggs without the male to hatch by putting them in a net and hanging the net under the filter return and all 6 hatched. Dont know if it was just a fluke or not but it might be something you could try next time.