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So my guys have surprised me again and despite a massive tank change recently - from a somewhat undermaintained 30g to my new 100g - they have produced a foot long bubblenest and populated it over the last two nights! Eggs were all laid last night so I've got a definite start date, as it were.

Now, I would like to try and save the fry, if I can. Moving the other fish is not an option - there are 4 hoplos, 18 gold barbs and a plec to catch and an external that does not like being switched off and moved (dodgy impellor, new one is on the way) so they are staying put!

I'm thinking some sort of made-to-measure floating trap could be a plan if I can make it well enough (and quick enough ) but I've not attempted anything like it before so any tips would be great. Keeping the fish out shouldn't be too hard, it's making sure the fry stay put that will be the challenge I think.

Alternatively, can the eggs be safely removed to a hatching tank? I could soon get one set up for that, much easier for eggs/fry. I've done it with cory eggs many a time but never with hoplos.

Very cool!

Amazing!

Keep us updated!

Waiting on hatching now Papa hoplo is useless - stopped maintaining or guarding the nest not long after I took that pic, and all the bubbles were gone by the next day! I've rigged up a trap with a large, fine grade net and some cable ties, and raised the water level to keep the eggs wet. Looks like lots of teeny bodies in the ones that weren't munched, which is quite a few They should be hatching any moment now

Okay, that's a bust Net got dislodged slightly in the night and the eggs are no more.

But in a random twist, my gold barbs were spawning like crazy this morning and when I was lifting the net out, I noticed eggs on the outside of it. Net inverted and repositioned (more securely now as it can sit above the water line), eggs rinsed down into the bottom of it and hopefully I should have eensy gold barbs soon Not quite what I planned on but it'll do!

I'm going to do it properly with the hoplos next time and give them a lid of something to spawn under so I can safely remove it. Bracer barbs are certainly sturdy for them but a total nightmare for me!