# reds layed eggs



## spike (Nov 27, 2002)

I sat on saturday night and watched my big red lay eggs.I got up this morning and they seem to have disapeared.The male is still guarding the nest and fanning it all the time.Do you tnink they have hatched and are hidden under the gravel ? or they are dead?.I can`t see any movement.


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

they will not yet have hatched







it takes two /three days to start hatching and 5/7 days before they are free swimming. if this is the first time they might have "screwed" up but don't worry as this is only the bigining. if the eggs are fertilzed the will look a little bit orangish, dark yellow and the papa p spins over top of them clearing any debris to keep them clean they also get barried in the rocks if you are planning to keep the fry you should get a ten gallon tank with a sponge filter you can buy a sponge filter at most lfs they have lots of selections i payed less than $20.00 bucks it will require a air pump. a 799/800 will be fine for a ten gal

do you know who the mother p is if so what size are the mother p and papa p ?

let us know as much detail as you can so we can help out








a pic of my fry tank


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## spike (Nov 27, 2002)

Cheers Nike.The eggs have hatched.Saw 100`s of fry














( eggs with tails and 2 little black eyes ) in the gravel.Looks like they have been scattered about the tank.Will syphon them out into a 20g tomorrow.Can i feed them food other than baby brine shrimp? The mother is about 8-9 inch and really thick ,father is about 7 inch and alot thinner,possibly smallest red in tank.Father is still circling nest( depresion in gravel) and fanning the area with his tail.Temp - 83degrees. 125g ( 60lx24wx20h) 6 reds between 7-9 inch + 4 caribe 5 inch,Reds have been together since about 1 inch.Any questions just ask.Cheers Spike.


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

what kind of set-up is your 20gal does it have gravel and are you running a sponge filter already make sure you put atleast half of the water from the hatching tank in wow this is going a little fast for me but







if you can see those 2 black eyes and a tail you are on your way







i spent some time with a owner at my lfs he has 9 large p's that he breeds aswell he didn't want to tell me how to raise the fry!! because he thought i would supply everbody with p's and he would have a hard time selling his but he broke down and spilled the beans! lots of people can breed p's but are not successful in raising the fry. you are alitle ahead of me right now my eggs are hatching but they are still feeding on their sacks not swimming arround i had tolled him about the fry set-up i had with 4 tetras in it cycling and he gave me sh*t. then i tolled him i had added gravel also, he gave me sh*t. the decors, yep sh*t again







so i asked him if i had no fish , nogravel,no decors how can i keep it cycled and he gave me sh*t.

he tolled me this is what he does!!

take your sponge filter soak it in water from the rbp tank for a hour or so till it sinks. then you take it out and place it in your rbp tank for a week or more to soak up bacteria from the tank. clean out a tank, fill it with old water from your p's tank when you do a water change. don't put any gravel in the tank no decors no nothing but a heater set at 80deg. now when you see your fish spawning take out the old water in the fry tank and replace it with water from your rbp tank, try and take the water from the top of the tank this is why a 125gal or bigger tank is helpfull. and a 10gal is good enough, but you don't have to fill the 20gal all the way. put in the sponge filter and hook it up to a airline and pump. now you wait till the eggs become nice and fertilized then you want to syphon. having nothing in the fry tank but water from the main tank at 80deg with a sponge filter. syphon into the fry tank all the eggs you can gather. then you can add some egg guard directions on the bottle do not put more than required! you have to change the water in the fry tank, half of the water everyday yes everyday!. feed them some freshly hatched brine shrimp (the best) or some hikari (first bites) or crushed up fish flakes! i meen crushed you have to crush it up to powder than as they grow you can play with some other foods like frozen krill etc.

good luck my friend all this advice ubove can not be confirmed yet! it is only the method i am using trusting the lfs dude.







it makes sence to me so i am going to give it a whirl my parameters have been perfect so far









anybody that tried this or has anything to add or say helpfull, or negative, please do so as i am still learning and don't feel to comfortable with relaying something that i haven't tried successfully


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## spike (Nov 27, 2002)

The 20g has no substrate,.Just have heater and sponge filter.I syphoned some out tonight.Had a lot of difficulty as they were all over the tank.Looks like i got a few.will see what happens.How are your eggs coming along?. Cheers Spike.


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

great stuff happy for you









my eggs are hatched and the fry are mostly on the sponge filter. i put some brine shrimp in the tank and watching over they are so small, i can't wait till the get bigger i put some money down on a digital camera sheesh big bucks for those suckers gotta pic it up a.s.a.p can't wait! any questions just write away









cheers spike


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Any chance you guys can post some pics?

btw: What would be really cool is a picture log: a new picture every so many days, so everyone can see them developing and growing up... That would be a kick-ass addition to pfury, imo :smile:


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

that would rock good idea judazzz







i spending a damn fortune on a camera







a canon powershot g3 4.0mega-pixel with a compacity for a three minute long mpeg and a wicked zoom i'm not saying how much because someone is just giong to say WHAT why so much i could get one on e-bay for bla bla bla bla














are canadian dollar sucks


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

spike how are you doing? i have been loseing small fry like crazy, had water parameter trouble







nitrite/nitrate i have been fighting it but loosing fry like crazy i have been converting water from tank with freash water to lower nirtrite i don't no how long we should use water from the main tank but, i no that benifical bacteria dissapears fast i am wondering if two sponges are required one in the rbp tank at all times and possible switch with the other one







don't no i have probably fifty left but they are slowly going







the ones that are left seem to be growing slowly i now can see a little bit of a belly hope this is a good sign







water is good now and i added a bigger pump to the sponge filter i noticed the other one was not that strong

how are you doing?

i also added some cycle to help out with the nitrite prob do not no if this is good anybody got input please feel free to post. 
check this site out small vids of piranha fry








http://www.geocities.com/heartland/prairie/5962/VC


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## GARGOYLE (Feb 12, 2003)

wow good info good luck to the two of you.


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## spike (Nov 27, 2002)

Nike mine are all dead! I was left with about ten that were swimming about for food , but slowly they all died.Big red is blowing gravel again so maybe more eggs shortly.


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

sorry to hear the bad news







but you will get it try and remove the eggs this time before they hatch i find it alot easier :nod: i have 6-8 left in the fry tank a couple really small ones and a couple big ones. i am supposed to pic up my camera tommorrow







finally!! i will try and post up some pics, i hope it is easy


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## oldmanweezer (Apr 1, 2003)

nike, you have got tanks all over your living room. Ever feel like they are watching you?


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

yes they are watching me all the time







oscars to my left, rbp's to my right hehehe i love it.


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