Eggs won't stick

[lab]

I have a pair of A. trifasciata that have spawned 3 times, but the eggs never made it till hatching.
I just assumed that the female ate the eggs, but the last time they had spawned I saw that the eggs had come down from the ceiling of the spawning cave, and even saw the female desperately picking them up trying to make them stick to the ceiling again.

How could this be

Do the eggs simply lack adhesive material to make them stick or could it be the female being to eager when cleaning them?
The eggs stuck all right the first 24 hours or so before they began falling (?) down.
I was not of the impression that trifasciata was particularly difficult with respect to water, so I haven't made an effort to lower the pH. The water is definitely soft though (I use rain water).

I have read about egg moving, but not of this problem, so any thoughts and similar experiences are welcome.

Lars

 

[Fatts]

Lars,
I thought that was going on in my aggie tank as well. A little futher investigation revealed that the female is pulling the eggs off the cave and then they don't stick back. After eating the eggs 3 times she finally figuered it out. Now she pulls them off, but she puts them on the bottom of the cave. She continues to watch over them and fan them the whole time. Maybe it is just a learning thing.

 

[lab]

Thanks for the sharing, Scott

 

[nightowl1350]

I had apisto C female who's eggs didn't stick...as she was spawning they would fall, but she was an egg eater so I've had to pull spawns to raise any.

If they wanted the eggs on the floor of the cave, why wouldn't they just lay them there ? LOL Have the eggs hatched out or do they get damaged when moved?

 

[lab]

Have the eggs hatched out or do they get damaged when moved?

They never made it till hatching, but I suppose they would hatch as they look perfectly healthy. I won't hatch them artificially, and who knows, maybe she will get it right eventually. In the mean time I have acquired a second female and placed it in the same tank to improve the odds of seeing some fry

 

[Fatts]

Nightowl,
My aggies seem to know what they are doing, both of my females pull the eggs off like that and then place them on the floor. I have 2 spawns growing out right now that were both moved to the floor of the cave. The fry seem healthy and fine for now. I am watching them very closely though.

My thought is that the females are in some way helping the wigglers to hatch or something (maybe biting into the egg or ripping part of it when she pulls them), and when she places them on the floor they are outta the egg or about to be.

Scott

 

[nightowl1350]

Thanks Scott, great to know. Mine would just eat them at about 48 hours then come out of the cave. A few times I saw the eggs fall as they were spawning (through the cut out in the pot edge) Sad to say she died about three weeks ago so I will have to wait and see if any of her babies will parent raise.