My journal of attempt at artificially raising BN eggs. Pics and videos I them hatching!!

Day One (3rd day of egg development)
Oh what I mess I've been having!! This picture was taken last night. The male was guarding 2 clutches of eggs. I wouldn't have even bothered him to take this pic but a clown loach (notorious egg eaters) forced his way in there and wouldn't leave! :,( so I took the opportunity to snap this pic while I had him all disturbed Anyways. I moved the clown loaches to a different tank and thought everything would be fine. WRONG!



Today when I woke up the male was fanning outside the cave! :,( he was trying to position himself over both clutches Of eggs that got scattered pretty far apart. And the clusters may have broken up. So I figured I'd try to raise one bunch artificially in the marina HOB trap and I would reintroduce the other to the cave.





So I thought all was well after I reintroduced the eggs until I spotted this other cluster right next to where I picked up the first cluster to put in my marina HOB trap. I can't tell if this is the cluster I tried to put back into the cave or not. I also put these eggs in the trap.



I saw the male leave the cave once since then but only briefly. With his previous batch he would leave occasionally leve to eat but zoomed right back when anyone/fish got too near. I will not be Disturbing his cave again until the 9th which is when I first planned to move dad and babies to the 55 grow out.

I would have let him raise them outside the cave but the other fish in the tank were pestering him trying to get at the eggs.

These eggs were laid on April 1st, so today is their 3rd day of development.

Any advice?

Day Two (4th day of egg development)
Two people recommended I put an air stone in with these little eggs and one person told me he hatched his Cory eggs in the same trap without an additional air stone. Somehow I do not have an airstone laying around my place but I still opted for plain ol' airline tubing. The picture is a little decieving I that the tubing is not directly above them. It is above them and slightly to the side as well. I can tell the water is moving around the eggs more than it was before. They seem exactly the same today as yesterday...



Dad seems to be in and out of his cave as if there are no eggs. Again I will not be checking for eggs or wigglers in his cave until the 9th.

Day 3 (5th day of egg development)
Shortly after posting yesterday's entry I noticed my female swordtail trying to eat some eggs! I quickly intervened and placed those eggs in the trap as well.

I can see what looks like a tiny black Y Inside (I think) the eggs. Maybe this is the baby?? The eggs are still orange which is a good sign.

I am expecting these guys to hatch sometime tonight through tomorrow night. Of course I am working tonight and the next 3 nights afterwards so I probably won't get to see it happen live. Believe you me I will be checking these guys as often as I am awake and not at work.

I actually had a dream last night that somehow they were in my turtle tank. So of course I freaked out and when I went to pick them up they all hatched in my hand and started to bite me!! Lol, I guess you can be considered crazy when you start dreaming of your fish eggs!



Day Four (Hatch Date!)
I came home from work just in time to see these little guys hatch!! I was sooooo excited! Check back for pictures and two videos. I had to drastically reduce the airflow in the breeder box as the little wigglers were getting trapped in the grate of the outflow. I think there are roughly 44 of them.



These next two are videos so click on them to watch BNs hatch!!




One Day Old
They're just chillin in little groups together I am watching for their egg yolk to be absorbed or close to it before I start feeding them. There is a tiny piece of driftwood in there too.



Two Days Old
Today is the first day I see any pigment to these guys. Some very faint brown is starting to show on some of them. It's just hard to pick up with my iPhone :/ Here they are chilling In 3 little clusters. They still have a lot of egg yolk so I haven't fed them yet...



Three Days Old
Sorry, no picture today :/ Half the babies absorbed all their egg yolk and are at the bottom of the breeder box. I am assuming they are looking for food...The other half still have some yolk and are still on the side wall in a little cluster. I fed them two pieces of green bean cut lengthwise, so one green bean in total. I haven't seen them eat it but I was gone almost all day yesterday (my mom's Bday!) Their pigmentation is really darkening up now. The commons are showing through really well and I am thinking the calicos are the ones that still look all white but have black eyes. And the albinos are obvious, no black eyes.

A this point, I don't think the eggs would stick to the cave. And, if you keep bothering him, there's chance that he'll abandon the eggs. If you don't have egg tumbler, put the air stone into the trap. => All they need is oxygen and water circulation.

Thanks for the tip Update added!

Found another little cluster just now, so I'm betting there are no eggs in with Daddy :/

I think the eggs are shaking... Maybe they are moving around trying to break free!?

Anybody know how long it takes before they absorb most of the egg yolk and I can start feeding them?

My guy always keeps them in till the yolk is gone. Based on what I observed on few ones that got out early: 1-2 days. But I don't know how long they were in the cave.