# sand and breeding reds



## BoSox65 (Sep 3, 2003)

My reds have spawned many times in gravel. Would sand stop them from laying eggs as it is a different type of substrate?


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## kouma (Sep 1, 2003)

I think sand will not make a difference, and probably even improve their breeding habbits because sand it soft and much easier to make a nest than with gravel.


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

i can only imagine that if the p's would make a nest in sand that the eggs would get barried very quickly, as everyone knows that the male always spins over top the eggs and cleans debris from settling on top the eggs. this would most definitely barry the eggs quick. now would the hatch healthy not sure, but the male would not be able to groom the batch and rid it from the white fungas infertile eggs. this could cause big trouble!! (only guessing)

not to mention the transfer of the eggs to the holding tank. sand would now be transfered as it would be almost impossible to leave behind.

i would lay down some slate rock in the side that they used before for a nest, as this could be the best location in the tank. and see if they would drop the eggs on the slate rock. mine always seem to go right beside it (bastards







)

i hope someone who might of experienced this already can add to this, so we get a better answer. good question by the way


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

I would be leery of using sand 1) can clog up filtration system and ruin propellers 2) could likely bury the eggs as suggested.

Perhaps a shallow area where the sand is layed over gravel would be a better suggestion. Once upon a time I used silica sand and it is pretty deadly to most filtration that uses propellers. Nothing worse than hearing grind grind grind.

I personally never used gravel or sand but a bare tank and a homemade spawning mop. Worked fine. But each person who has successfully spawned nattereri or spilopleura have their own story to tell.


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## wrathofgeo (Aug 23, 2003)

hmm glad i saw this post, i was gonna put sand in my upcoming 300 gals.

would want to have the best odds for my p's breeding


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

> homemade spawning mop


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## BoSox65 (Sep 3, 2003)

Thanks for the info. I took out the sand in my 125 after 1 day and now have gone back to my original gravel. Oh well, lots of work for nothing.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Death in #'s Posted on Oct 8 2003, 11:11 PM
> QUOTE
> homemade spawning mop


I don't make them anymore.....but if you want to......just take the plastic lid off of a coffee can. Get Bright or dark green polyester yarn (as used for croqueting). Loop through a hole made center of top until the yarn is approx. 2 to 3 inches long. Make it as thick as you want, usually 4 in. circumference should be enough. The piranas will lay eggs in there. Weigh it down with a rock.


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

This is sad to hear on my part







I have sand in one of my tanks and was hoping for my natts or caribas to possibly breed. Since reading this thread I might go back to gravel


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2003)

pictures?


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## tweaked (Aug 3, 2003)

If you have breeding reds, they will lay eggs in sand. Most agree that there are down sides. For me, it was seeing the eggs. I tried the natural sand mixed in with black gravel. Looked cool, but it was way too hard to notice eggs. On the other hand, if the sand is white, then less of a problem. I have found that white gravel seems to work the best.


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

tweaked, so you have had reds lay eggs on sand before??? Do you have any pics? How noticeable were the eggs and about how many fry hatched?


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## tweaked (Aug 3, 2003)

tecknik said:


> tweaked, so you have had reds lay eggs on sand before??? Do you have any pics? How noticeable were the eggs and about how many fry hatched?


 No pics ... I have never been interested in saving the eggs till recently which is why I have white gravel now. It's really hard to see the eggs because they look almost like the grains of sand. My brother was able to save about 500 eggs a few years back and got about 100 or so fry's to size. The one thing I remember was that it was hard to vac out the eggs from the sandy bottom.


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

Thanks for the info!


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