Unexpected eggs. Help please.

I have been tying a net over the siphon and been using that for years with my discus fry and now the pleco fry. With a net over the siphon, suction is slower and with the small holes in the net, the fry won't be sucked up that easily.

I use a large gravel cleaner. The water movement up the wider part of the cleaner is slower so you can see if a little fish is cuaght in the flow and simply stick your finger over the outlet. the flow stops, the fish instinctivly swims down to the bottom and then you start again

Thanks guys. I'll have to buy a new widemouth vacuum cleaner for the babies as the other one is used in the main tank. I will then source a piece of largish mesh net-curtain or something - and fix this over the end with an elastic band. Better get on with it.

Babies looking fine - so big - can't believe the growth rate. Some are obviously bigger than others. Could this be the start of the M/F difference? I've never observed fry before to compare sizes.
I solved the cleaning issue by using a smaller siphon tube and I sliced off a piece of very coarse filter sponge and put this over the end of the siphon kept in place by an elastic band. It works fantastically well. All bits of poo go thro but no gravel and no babies.

Now is the biggest problem - what to do with them all.

Oh that is fabo, It's fun & rewarding when a DIY project works & actually works well, Congrats
Keep us posted...

Ten days later. Not one fatality. I reckon there might be 50+. They are absolutely delightful. They are in a 2' tank, about 2/3 full. I'm doing very small (about 2 litre) gravel siphons every day. The babies are fine and vary from 2.5cm down to 1.5cm. They vary alot in colour and there is 1 albino. I wish I could keep them all but some will have to move on soon. Does the size difference at this stage represent any indication of sex as they have all had equal treatment?

They love cooked green leaves especially spinach. I made the mistake of giving them some kale from my dinner last night. They were all over it instantly and obviously loved it but the smell . I had to remove it and left the lid off overnight. Shant do that again!

I am happy to pass these on to any genuine bristlenose world people in a few weeks as I would like to know they will be cared for properly.

This morning I couldn't find my young albino girl. I sat anxiously watching the aquarium, feeding some wafers, drank 3 mugs of coffee, still no girl. An hour later I decided she must be decomposing somewhere and I would have to find her and I was just rolling up my sleeves when I noticed a little orange face poking out of a cave behind the biggest brown male. I was so relieved. She stayed there for about an hour after that then I saw her swim away. He moved sufficiently for me to see a clutch of pale eggs.

My spare tank has the previous babies in (5 weeks old) so the new ones will have to go into a small tank until the others move on. I can't cope with this every 5 weeks! Will it be ok to set up the new tank with water from my main tank where the eggs are now with a new filter I bought today. I havent much choice really.

Nice work June

Could you make us a coffee too? I've run out of coffee

I have set up a new tank for these babies but not having had much notice I have run a new filter in another 'old' tank for a few days and added some water from an 'old' tank. I am hoping this will cycle it quicker. I intend to move Dad and eggs after 6 days but if he leaves the eggs it will be nearly time to hatch any way and I have found an airstone inside the cave entrance does the job as well. I just hope the water is OK. Should I add more 'old' water?

What do peeps think?

Yeah, the more water from the old tank the better cos it had good bacteria, but not only that, it will mean less of a shock for the fish when you change it over. the idea is to make the water in the two tanks as similar as possible. so you wont have the option to aclimatise them to the new water.

nice to see you putting the effort in

Far you will go, lots of bristlenose fry for you i see

(sorry im watching starwars)