Angelfish Spawn so frustrating

Well my angels spawned again in my big display tank. I put another tube next to the one they spawned on the first few times figuring I could remove it once the eggs were laid. Well instead they just went and placed eggs on the glass on the other side of the tank.

Looks like about 150 eggs were placed and I saw both male and female working on them so I think they are fertile. Both parents are running up the eggs and fanning with thier fins and it looks like about 10 have turned white over the last 2 days so I assume the rest are fertile and should be ready to hatch in the next 24 hours? Is there any way to tell if the fry are developing? I looked at some videos and stills of fry hatching and it looks like you can see a black dot where eyes are forming. Problem is I don't know how much of a magnification they had when shooting the shots so I wonder if it can be seen with the naked eye. I think I might get a magnifying glass and try to check them out.

My main tank has way to many tetras for any fry to live so I plan to remove the eggs just as or before they hatch. I plan to experiment with two breeder traps, the floating guppy type, and a mesh net style and see if one has a better yield than the other.


I'm one of those type A people, and I hate not knowing what to expect, it's so frustrating. My last batch I think hatched because I saw the see through remains of the egg shells where the eggs were laid but nothing visibly survived. This time I'm doing my best to save the little fry before they become snacks.

Be careful with the mesh net. The other fish will go up to it and suck the babies right through it and kill them I had 20 in mine that were doing great and all but 3 have mysteriously disappeared.

Also I wouldn't get to close for inspection on the eggs cause it might make the parents eat them

Wait till they are wigglers then move them they should do fine. Be sure they is enough water current around them.

Yes you will see eye dots before they hatch, they will be wigglers for a few days, looks like the egg with a tail, then they will slowly venture off and try swimming on their own. I would set the pair up in their own planted tank with a stick of PVC for them to spawn on, that's the easiest way to do it. I remove the fry at some point within the first week of them free swimming if I want to raise some.

Fern wrote: I would set the pair up in their own planted tank with a stick of PVC for them to spawn on, that's the easiest way to do it.

As crazy as this sounds I need more tanks. I have (2) 55's divided in 1/2 , that gave me 3 spots for paired angels and one side that has a bunch of nickel sized angels. One pair is young and still havent got a success under the belt. The other two pairs were from you and I would assume they need to get used to the new digs before they spawn.

The ones in the main tank this is the first time I saw the male swimming over the eggs with his belly so I think he figured it out. Looks like a few more eggs went white today and I don't see any dark spots so maybe he is shooting blanks.

give them a couple days. If you need tanks let us know we have some empty.

I just went to check the eggs and one of the sharks freaked out and threw a bunch off the glass. Needless to say they got devoured. I also noticed the other female laid eggs all over the magnetic glass scraper. I doubt they are fertiles since the male has been tending to the first batch of eggs. Just adds to the frustration of not getting any babies.

Also you can split a 55 into 3 sections for angel pairs that is what we have done. Seems that they do breed within a day of each other when they are in the same tank. We have 3 pair all with eggs within 24 hours. Must be some kind of hormone release.

So as to not hijack a thread.. I have to agree it's the horemones or something...Yesterday I let Vix know that I've now got one of her Platinum Blue Pearl Scales spawning... Well and update cut/paste from my Richmond, Group:
Well.. In prep of making one tank a malawi tank(125G), I moved 1/2 of my angels from one tank, another group from yet a different tank in hopes of getting my butt in gear. Well.. Fri. eve, I noticed a spawing effort going on between one of the Platinum Blue Pearlscales and a goldface in their new location. I don't have much hope as it's a first spawn for each of them. Well, my neighbor stopped over an hour ago to check on them and said "Dude, you've got another spawn going on at the other end of the tank!".. Sure enough.. yet another PBP hooked up with another golden face.. So, two sets of parents, two days apart.. Should be interesting... most interesting... Bill

Advice Jill or Urs?

The new spawning tank is filled with Amz. Swords and Jungle vals.. 11 angels in total.. 2 of Spikes fry that are now .25 cent sized (really high fin'd).. that Kennedy that is a tad bigger.. and 4 other gold faced angels.. um... 3 chinese banded sharks.. and 5 lampeye tet's in a 155G... I'm tempted to let them be..
Spikes last spawn I pulled 3 doz and only managed to grow two once moving the free-swimmers to their own tank.... Bill in Va.

I would remove the tetras they can really stress out the parents. The Sharks will/loaches will usually only attack at night so leave the lights on. If you get 1 0r 2 to survive in the first couple of spawns that is great in my opinion. I think my platinum's are sterile as all the eggs go bad within 24 hours.

Update.. Friday nites spawn is all gone!.. It was their 1st go at it.. on a jungle val leaf... Sunday's spawn is down to less than 2 dozen eggs with only 3 infertile.. BUT.. yet another spawn occurred...It isn't possible that the 1st spawn was relocated 2 feet away is it?.. Bill in Va.

You may have wigglers

I checked closely... but the parents are unconcerned so i think they ate em.. Bill in Va.

The parents can move them to the other side of a six foot tank.

Still in the egg stage?..I thought they waited until they were wigglers!.. Learn something every day!... Bill

Eggs and wigglers are very very close in appearance, the newly hatched wigglers tail is thinner than an eyelash...

williemcd wrote:Still in the egg stage?..I thought they waited until they were wigglers!.. Learn something every day!... Bill

Mine moved the wigglers but it was a total loss. I tried a few methods to save fry but none worked. I moved some to a guppy type fry saver, they got sucked through and eaten. Tried the net type and one survived to free swimming but died the next day. The ones I left in the tank got eaten by all the other fish. At least each time it seems to get better so maybe next time I'll get a few to grow out.

My problem is too many fish species, too many fry to protect. Right now I have fry from guppies, butterfly goodied, least killie, and marbled crayfish. I think I had a spawn from some plecos but too many other bottom dwellers and they didn't make it.

My spawn is going strong!.. This morning I panicked when they were gone and the parents were at the front of the tank...(Looking to be fed).. now I see they've just relocated the wigglers...Fingers crossed!.. Bill in Va.

woo hoo Bill