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A. elizabethae Q.

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
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230
Location
Los Angeles
Do eliza females move their eggs around? I've got a female who's been turning brood colors on and off for the past couple of days and turning up at different locations around the tank.
 

Tea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
66
Location
Midwest
Hello.

Hello I have a couple pairs of these guys in breeding tanks and one of the females does this too. Her first spawn was moved from a clay pot to under a piece of drift wood, not knowing that she spawned I removed her to a different tank and a couple days later saw a few wrigglers. I now have 3 spawns from different pairs in grow out tanks i'm crossing my fingers hopefully the all make it ... just keep an eye on her if she's not comng out to much most likely you will have wrigglers hope this helps....Vue
 

Arcadianred

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
61
Location
Guisborough. UK
Retro/Tea

What water params have you got for spawning and have you made any 'special' arrangement in terms of breeding condition/environment?

Thanks

Mark
 

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
230
Location
Los Angeles
10 gallon tank. Water is RO, GH 0, KH ~50 ppm, pH 5. Chopped up ketapang leaves on the bottom. Several inverted clay pots. Couple of clumps of java moss. Sponge filter. Temperature 26C (79F). 20% water changed weekly.

The pH fluctuates a bit with water changes; fresh water is at pH 7, after a water change pH in the tank is around 6, it drops to 5 over the next couple of days due to the ketapang leaves, which also stains the water dark brown.

The fish are fed shrimp mix, live bbs and live black worms.
 

Arcadianred

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
61
Location
Guisborough. UK
Thanks Rahul,

Are you adding anything to bring the ph down after the water change or just waiting with the acid water already in the tank and the effect of the Ketapang leaves?


Mark
 

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
230
Location
Los Angeles
I do not add anything else to the tank to lower the pH. The ketapang leaves release a lot of tannins and will eventually drop the pH to around 4 if I don't keep up with the water changes. I find that I have to add fresh ketapang leaves every 8 weeks or so. I don't remove the old ones, just add another layer.
 

Tea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
66
Location
Midwest
Hello

I use 20 longs as breeding tanks, Ro fitlered with peat and Ph is around 4.0- 4.5. I usually condition the fish with bbs and black worms. usually after 1-2 weeks of heavy feeding they do their thing. I leave my breeding tanks bare, clay pots with a good clump of java mossas this makes it easier to clean up un eaten food and fif the fish spawn then I can monitor them. Vue
 

Arcadianred

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
61
Location
Guisborough. UK
Thanks Rahul and Tea

Have either of you had problems with the viability of the spawn i.e. eggs getting fungus? Have you made any special arrangements such as UV or have you relied on the anti fungal/bacterial properties of the ketapang leaves?

Thanks (sorry for the questions)

Mark
 

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
230
Location
Los Angeles
I think UV sterilizers are overkill. Unfertilized eggs are taken care of by the parents long before any fungus grows on them.
 

Arcadianred

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
61
Location
Guisborough. UK
Thanks Rahul,

A friend had been having problems getting hs elizas to spawn and I was just doing a bit of investigation to see if there were any 'tricks' available!!

Thanks

Mark
 

retro_gk

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
230
Location
Los Angeles
Don't overanalyse the issue :) Clean water of the correct parameters, good food and time. Works for just about any fish you can think of.
 

Tea

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
66
Location
Midwest
Hello

Mark, I use Ro water with a bag of peat in the tank and this keeps the water soft enough for the eggs to not fungus. Remember these guys are a black water species. I think a uv sterilizer is over doing it to and have not had any problems with this set up. I have set up the eliza tanks identical to the one where I first obtained a hatch and its been good..Pm me if you need more info....Vue
 

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