# Ice in tank for breeding?



## ripit (Aug 8, 2012)

My corries laid eggs but I was not prepared and didn't know what to do. Some started to develop but none made it (fungus). I have read up and know a little better how to improve their chances. I would like to get them to spawn again. I have read several places about dropping the temp in the tank fast a few degrees (simulates cool rain entering the water during the rainy season). I have heard a big water change with cooler water, a smaller water change with much cooler water, or ice in a hob. I was thinking about making ice cubes from treated water and using it in a second hob (not my main filtration one). I gather the idea is to change the water temp a few degrees pretty fast. I gather it is not harmful to the corries. Would it be harmful to the other fish in a community tank? I would think that all fish would be able to handle it as I would think this kind of thing happens in nature all the time, but figured someone might know better. My plan was to try and drop from mid 70's to low 70's with ice in a hob. Fish are guppies, neon tetras, corries, chinese algae eaters, Ghost shrimp, and dwarf frogs. I suspect water changes with slightly colder water was what caused them to spawn in the first place (frequent water changes to deal with a nitrate problem).

I have an unused 10 gal I could setup but it would be completely uncycled, and I was thinking moving the corries might stress them. I did intend to try and move eggs to it with very heavy water flow if they did lay more eggs (maybe 400 gph in a 10 gal). I have an emperor 400 bio wheel hob with 400gph flow I was thinking of using (also have a 250 if the 400 would be too much). Am I right that they are either fertilized or not fertilized when placed, so they do not need to spend any time in the tank with the parents to fertilize them?


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## clep.berry (Mar 4, 2012)

In my experience, feeding the cory well and just turning the temperature on the tank down may induce spawning.
You can remove the eggs after about a day (they go hard) and place them in the fry aquarium.
I've heard people putting a good dose of meds in the fry tank or even using shrimp to control the fungus.
Either way, you should be able to change the water quite easily on a 10g even if you syphon some from the main tank just to keep it stable.

An airstone is usually sufficient for the aeration/circulation - and you don't need to fill it to the top.
cb


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## ripit (Aug 8, 2012)

I used air (maybe not enough, one stone) last time in a 5 gal bucket for the eggs I removed and it didn't seem to be enough. Those are the ones that partially developed but got fungus before hatching. In the tank I used malachite green and formalin but nothing in the main tank even developed. I have pumps or hang filters. It wouldn't harm to add extra water flow would it (heard it keep the fungus off the eggs). I think my smallest pump is a 125 gph and my smallest hob is for a 5-15 gal. I read that the eggs are pretty sticky and can handle a decent water flow. 

As far as meds, I have read that most use methelene blue but can not seem to find any?


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

I wouldn't bother trying corys in a community - there's no need to subject all the fish to a temperature swing like that. It's an excellent trigger for corys, but if you put them in a clean 10 gallon and give them the cool rush with a water change, you'd be way ahead.
I find that in a clean tank, the eggs don't fungus. You'll need a pipette/eye dropper/turkey baster to remove any that do, but they are tough. With a Chinese algae eater, you won't have many to remove from a community tank.

If you want methelyne blue, try a pharmacy. I get it locally on the rack with the old remedies - it used to be the basis of a mouthwash.


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## ripit (Aug 8, 2012)

I read that corries span once a year but may spawn a second time within a couple of weeks of the first. If you do something like this to induce spawning, can you get then to just do it whenever (take into account they did approaching two weeks ago), or will they only do it once in a great while as they normally only do it once a year? In other words, since they just spawned, do I have a limited window of time to get them to do it again soon?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

My cories breed monthly. Easiest way I have found is to watch your weather, Once there is a pressure drop do a water change just a few degrees cooler and within a couple of days they will spawn. 

I usually don't mess with getting the eggs off the glass as they will also put eggs on plant leaves and I usually just cut the leaf off. Do not let outside air touch the eggs. I usually stick a oblong plastic container in the tank and lay the leaf in that and remove with water still covering them. I put the eggs into a small 5 gal with a couple of airstones and a sponge filter. making sure the airstones flow the movement over the eggs. They will hatch in 3 to 5 days. Don't feed for the first 24 hours, then feed them babie brine shrimp 3 or 4 times a day and do daily water changes.


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## ripit (Aug 8, 2012)

susankat said:


> My cories breed monthly. Easiest way I have found is to watch your weather, Once there is a pressure drop do a water change just a few degrees cooler and within a couple of days they will spawn.
> 
> I usually don't mess with getting the eggs off the glass as they will also put eggs on plant leaves and I usually just cut the leaf off. Do not let outside air touch the eggs. I usually stick a oblong plastic container in the tank and lay the leaf in that and remove with water still covering them. I put the eggs into a small 5 gal with a couple of airstones and a sponge filter. making sure the airstones flow the movement over the eggs. They will hatch in 3 to 5 days. Don't feed for the first 24 hours, then feed them babie brine shrimp 3 or 4 times a day and do daily water changes.


Thanks for the info and good to know about not exposing to air. Last time the ones I moved were exposed to air (for a matter of a few seconds) but maybe that had something to do with them not hatching.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Yes it would.


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