Farlowella Spawn

Life has a sense of humor. I started my weekly water change on my 130 gallon today and while the water was draining I started reading Aquarium Fish Breeding by Barron's. I had just read this paragraph -

"The breeding of fish is the most interesting and most difficult task that the aquarium hobbyist can undertake. Only by recreating the conditions found in the wild can the aquarist encourage the fish to behave just as they would in their natural habitat and ultimately to breed. If you manage to induce your fish to bring forth young, you will enjoy the greatest feeling of success the aquarium hobbyist can ever have."

When I looked up to check how the WC was going I noticed a Farlowella sticking to the filter intake tube - above the waterline. I immediately looked closer to see that he was guarding 52 BB sized eggs that were also stuck on the plastic tube!

I decided to do several things at once which left me standing there staring at these eggs in disbelief. Prioritizing the fish needing water to live I started putting fresh water back in the tank. The little guy hung on the entire time. I ran to get my camera and started snapping shots. I had bookmarked a web page months ago, intending to use it when I got set up for breeding to spawn this same fish. Between photos I booted up the laptop and re-read the information.

As the tank filled up I was realizing that in a community setup these eggs didn't have much of a chance. My first thought was to move them to an empty 10 gallon, but they are attached to the filter intake tube and if I remove that I can't filter the 130 gallon.

Also, the father guards and cares for the eggs, and according to a book on Catfish I pulled off my shelf, he'll chew the eggs open to free the fry when they're ready. If spooked, he may eat the eggs. I've got 11 days to figure it out if he can keep the community at bay that long.

I just re-scaped this tank last Monday and Tuesday with a big water change (70%) on Monday. A warm front brought us from 0F outside to 55F outside and that boosted the fish room from 72 F to 82 F, tank from 72 to 78. I had noticed the two Farlowella's on the tube yesterday and remember thinking to myself "That's weird, they're always hanging out on the driftwood." Today I know why.

Fun experience for me to be sitting down to read a book on fish breeding to look up and see it was happening at that moment.

click photos to enlarge

Day 2

I setup a 10 gallon bare bottom with a heater and airstone. I set the temp at 78-80F. Removed the tank light. Corey brought over another similar filter tube and I carefully switched them out. The male did not want to return to his post after I had moved them into the 10 gallon.

Day 3

Male returned to his post. Detritus visible in the tank. Per advice, left it to cultivate infusoria.

Day 4

I can see movement inside some of the eggs with a flashlight. They look like little tan colored balls inside a clear membrane. Two or three eggs look eaten. One looks white, likely fungus. I bought a zucchini and frozen spinach in preparation to feed to the fry.

Days 5

Male still guarding eggs. I notice that he is laying still yet fanning his forward and rear fins. At first I thought he was nervous about me shining a spotlight in there. One of my books reveals he is continually moving a current across the eggs to keep them oxygenated and to deter fungus and bacteria from settling on them. White egg from yesterday is gone, likely eaten.

Day 6

One wiggler present at the a.m. check. Still attached to the filter tube. P.m. check the male was perched over where the wiggler was/is, so I don't know if it's broken free. Corey theorizes that the male cleans the eggs with his sucker mouth every day and when the shell is thin enough, that action tears the membrane and will free the then developed fry. Any day now.

Day 7

 click to enlarge

A.M. check found three free swimming fry, each clinging to the silicon in the tank corners.  I blanched some zucchini and having read they can be offered commercial algae tabs, I added a small bit of each to the tank.  They are pretty small fry, though I've seen smaller in other species.  In the photo, it is the darker brown spec next to the middle green lump (algae wafer).   The other tan specs are detritus.

Day 8

Pre-work check didn't show any new hatched.  I siphoned out uneaten food.
Post-work check seems at least a third eggs missing but no visible free swimmers. Siphoned out at least three fry that had died.  Set up a 2.5 gallon drip to add fresh water and added a half algae tab.

Drip Bucket

Day 9

A.M. - All but six eggs hatched.  Fry in various spots clinging to the glass. Algae tab scattered all over the tank.  Male parent may be eating it? Last night's drip was still going, maybe a half gallon remaining.  I refilled the bucket with aged water and went to work.

P.M. - Three more eggs hatch, three remain.  Fry moving around the tank.  Drip stopped half way through.  Now that eggs are hatched and there was a couple more gallons of fresh water in the tank, I felt safe vacuuming all detritus and uneaten zucchini and algae tab.

I added an active sponge filter and refilled the drip bucket.  I blanched more zucchini, crushed some plants from another tank, and added a small piece of driftwood that had been in the parent tank for weeks.  I wonder if they need or can get by on the wood until they can take plant food?

With the filter and fresh water I'm hoping the ammonia threat is neutralized. I feel better about adding food.    The books say they're susceptible to bacteria and I'm not sure what I can do about that. It seems I just need for them to find the food and eat it!  I'll pull the male parent when the remaining three eggs hatch or spoil.

Fry with that shake?

Day 10

No A.M. check, running late for work.  P.M. shows all eggs hatched.  All fry living.  Water was a bit cloudy.  I suspect the zucchini.  The drip had failed.  I remedied by scrapping the air valve drip and replaced with a simple half tied knot.  I removed the intake tube and male parent.  I siphoned out the debris and removed the uneaten zucchini. 

Blanch - boil 2-5 minutes

I added freshly blanched zucchini and one algae tab from another brand.  The driftwood remains but did not have any fry clinging to it.  They're all hanging out at the waterline.

Corey hooked me up with some microworms and I dropped a few in front of them but no response yet.

Day 11

Count showed 42 free swimmers.  Add the first three that had all ready expired and that's 45 hatched out of 52.  That's an 87% hatch rate.  Tracking with what the books said, the male ate the eggs that were infertile or had succumbed to fungus.

42, I swear.

With the male out of the tank the detritus is minimal.  The waste from the uneaten algae tabs and zucchini is all I'm really removing with the daily siphon.

Day 12

These little buggers just hang in position just below the waterline.  If they're moving around the tank at all it must be at night.  On a whim, I placed one fry into the 130 gallon community tank.  I placed him on a large piece of driftwood.  He moved to just below the waterline.  He was ignored by the community.  He was a spec when put in contrast with the big tank.

Vittata (vit hat ah) - the species I believe I have based on info on Planet Catfish.  Also found some good info with an article from that site.

Day 13

Will they eat?  I added another small piece of driftwood that I've seen the parents frequent.  It's long and slender and allows them to hang vertically, which is how they're hanging on the glass.  I also added pieces of a sheet of Green Algae.

By happy accident the sponge filter stopped mid-day.  When I discovered it I also noticed that the fry had spread out all over the tank.

Was the current dictating where they hung in the tank?  I found one fry hanging on the new driftwood, several on the bottom of the tank, and one hanging (hopefully eating) on the Green Algae.  Was it the current or perhaps coincidence that their yolk sacs had run out? Or neither?

I left the sponge filter in the tank but with no current tonight.  I'm running about a hundred percent WC everyday with the drip bucket so I'm not too concerned with the flow.

Speaking of WC's, I'm pretty sure I sucked a healthy fry out today.  The end of the line comes out the back end of the house, and today, into four inches of snow.  That makes 41.  At least I'm not siphoning out dead bodies.

Days 14 & 15

Not too much new to report.  Thanks to Corey for bringing by an Anubias, complete with some algae growth on the leaves.  I saw a couple fry perched on it this morning.  A couple more were on the driftwood.  I may have found a dead fry during the WC today.  Hard to tell if it was detritus or a former fry.  The group seems to be a lot more active.  Corey noted that their bellies looked full.

I opened the blinds yesterday and noticed the sun shining on the tank.  I used it for a photo op but shut the blinds right after to avoid cooking them.

Maybe digital thermometers taste good?

I like this shot, a Farlowella fry shadow on driftwood.  Something you won't see everyday.

Days 16 - 20

Not much going on.  Was able to count 31 live and two deceased.  The two were well above the water line.  Perhaps they jumped for a higher position and didn't come down?  Only a few can be found on the Anubias and driftwood.  I'm maintaining a 80% WC every other day.  Siphoning out uneaten algae tab, seaweed, and detritus.

Day 22

FAIL.  All fry found dead.  My best guess is that the tank was too sterile to provide enough micro-algae for these grazers.  Next time I will add the fry to an established planted tank.  I guess I should get started on a planted tank.  = )

All in all, it's been exciting and I've learned some things.  I'll try again when I'm better prepared.