Breeding Angels

[garrett]

Well I got 3 angels a few weeks back, and they well all very happy when I got them home, and then overnight eggs! Two of the three paired up, and then were very parental, were hunting down the third (the nicest of the three) when ever he/she went towards the eggs. I was told the none of the Angels this guy had were pairs, but well a change of scenery and it's a different ball game.

The two ate the eggs the next night (inexperience I guess), but still continued to harass the other angel. A bit of shuffling and the pair now have a tank of their own. I thought I might give breeding them a real shot, seeing as their laying like crazy, but haven't had success yet.

In the original tank they laid their eggs first of the glass then on some anubis, but now in the new tank they are laying on the floor, and the eggs are turning white @ day 2 or 3 and are all gone by day 4.

I'm trying to get some slate (tile shop) for them to lay their eggs on, but as a temporary solution could a wine bottle work? I'm just going to fill it with water (for temperature regulation) and hang it over the edge, could that work.

Second any idea why the eggs are dieing? I heard they will turn white if not viable, but what time frame?

Has anyone had success in breeding angels that can share some tips.

Cam

[Bettarazzi]

Are you positive the eggs are dying? You can try the bottle but they prefer the laying surface to be on an angle which is why most breeders use a piece of slate. You might have better success hatching the eggs away from the parents. Apparently angels have been tank bred for so long they've lost their parental instinct somewhat. Once the parents have laid the eggs on the slate, take the slate out and put it in a smaller bare tank with a heater and sponge filter. Use water from the parents tank (which of course you've been diligent about keeping the water quality up!). Add enough methylene blue to make the water light blue to help prevent fungus, and run an airstone so that it creates a gentle current past the eggs. Turn the slate over so the eggs are facing the airstone. Some of the eggs may still fungus but hopefully some of them will hatch. Water change regularly with well aged water. At 27 deg Celsius you should see wriggling in a couple of days. And it will take another couple of days for them to be free swimming. Feed with baby brineshrimp and the rest is pretty much the same as bettas.

[garrett]

Update

Thanks for the tips, Michael. Here goes my second attempt....

I've been busy with exams and the angels just kept laying their eggs on the floor (too busy to collect them), and after 3 days they were all gone. Then they started laying their eggs on the sponge filter, again 2 or 3 days then gone. They are laying every 11 days, like clockwork.

Last week I put a tall tile in the tank hoping they would lay on the tile, but this arvo (11 days later) they laid their eggs on the filter again. So exams finished, I've decided to collect them and see how we go. So I siphoned the eggs off the filter and floor (the were all falling) into a shallow container floating in another tank). Temp is the same, and water is the same as the parents tank. I've put in some Melafix, and I've got a science teacher friend dropping off some Methylene Blue in about 3 hours. An air stone is running, but I can't follow Bettarazzi's instructions to the letter as the eggs are not attached to a substrate. I'll remove any white (possibly fungus) eggs three times a day. I've got i guess 200+ eggs and can't wait.

Is there anything else I should do? I'd really like to get some fry, and get rid of the parents (they are aggressive and not much fun), they are tank hogs at the moment, and I'm growing out 15 BN cats and a drop of guppies and could really use the room, especially with the EDAS auction this Saturday.

[michael]

With the angles are you sure they are a pair and not 2 females?

[garrett]

With the angles are you sure they are a pair and not 2 females?

Great question, I haven't actually seen him (?) fertilizing the eggs I'm always there too late. Although if the eggs are not fertilized how long will they stay pinkish. I've had them for 3 days, and then they are all eaten. I guess we will find out in ~4 days.

[michael]

Well at 3 days the eggs should of hatched. Or all gone white and eaten by the parents.

[garrett]

Well after a depressing time at the ADAS Auction yesterday I came home to find ~15 little wrigglers (attached to their eggs), not sure why the fertilization rate or death rate is so high. I suspect the male was so diligent in picking up the eggs that were falling off the filter that he didn't get around to fertilizing many of them. Could I have put too much Methylene Blue in?

So it is now confirmed that they are a breeding pair, I'll give them a couple of more chances, until I get a number of fry of a decent size before I re-consider off-loading them.