I thought you always said all Blue-eyes were hardy Rob ;-)
Actually, Corydoras do extremely well with all Blue-eyes and Rainbowfishes.
In fact, I have spawned Corydoras with both rainbowfishes and blue-eyes
using the same tank and spawning mops. I think the spawning rainbowfishes
(which they do all the time) triggers the Corys to spawn as well. I have
been successful using this method with both C.axelrodi and C.panda. It
didn't work with C.sterbai as they seem to like a tank of their own. I am
now in the process of spawning P.gertrudae and M.monticola in the same tank.
They also have used the same spawning mops and I'm also rasing them together
in the same grow-out aquarium. I will keep you informed on developments.
I'm not sure if the rainbowfish fry will out-compete the blue-eyes but the
blue-eyes have one advantage in that they are better developed at hatching
so that early start may carry them through. I shall let you all know how its
turns out. This method saves a lot of tank space which can be at a premium
at times. BTW if you try this method check your mops regularly.
Also, I just noticed that my redfins (or as Robs likes to call them
Red-finned Blue-eyes) have spawned and the fry (about 12) have hatched out
in the same aquarium. I have been keeping redfins since April 1994 and this
is the first time that this has ever happened. I don't have any mops in with
them as I just don't have enough room to collect and raise them at the
moment so they are just being maintained while I raise their earlier
offspring. The aquarium is 3 foot long by 18 inches wide and 15 inches deep.
The tank has an undergravel filter and is bare except for a small clump of
java moss as I usually don't keep plants in tanks that I use for breeding.
However, I think that they are spawning in the gravel.
I don't really know what has triggered this but suspect it may very well be
the exceptionally hot weather we are having at the moment. Although I don't
think it is the actual temperature but the consistent heat (day after day).
My fishroom hasn't dropped below 28°C for weeks now. It may be that they
like the consistent heat. Although I have tried very high temperatures in
the past which didn't really seem to increase their egg production. Also as
I said earlier I lost about a third of my adult population during a few
really hot days a couple of weeks ago. Its all quite a mystery ;-)
Adrian.
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Adrian R. Tappin
"Home of the Rainbowfish"
http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
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