Topic: My pygmy cories are spawning again.....

[ruthcatrin]

For those of you who remember I had this thread before the forum decided to go kabluey on us.  Twas a bit worried that my 10g tank was going to be over run with babies.  Turn out to not be to bad, started out with 5 adult pygmy cories (Corydoras pygmeus), lost one, and by the time I had to move (Aug 31st this year) there were 9 adults in the tank to move.  No babies to move thanks to a massive influx of pond snails eating the eggs.  When I moved I decided to upgrade them to a 20g long tank since I was enjoying them so much, plus this way I could hopefully keep any snails from following along (so far so good....).  New tank has a sand bottom, and I'm slowly replanting it, only just today got the filteration properly upgraded, and while I was sitting there admiring my work....I saw more babies!!!!!  and this time there are definetly tons of them!!  (the red & silver thing in one picture is the base of a floating thermometer....just to give you an idea of just how tiny these guys are!!)  The adults have only been in this tank for 3 weeks so the largest of the bunch is less than 3 weeks old, the smallest (and I didn't get a picture of the smallest, they moved to fast!!) are less than a week old.

[LittlePuff]

Awwwww... how big are they?

[ruthcatrin]

really really small!  The largest adult is the female and from snout to tip of tail she MIGHT be just over 1/2 inch in total length.  The babies are so small, its no wonder I'd missed them previously when they were in the old tank.  I attached a less than steller picture of one of the largest babies (remember, less than 3 weeks old...) stretching out next to the thermometer.  Its a standard thermometer of the type sold with a suction cup to attach to the side of the tank.

[Cholly]

Too cute!

[Essabee]

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GREAT

[Mollielover]

I love pygmy corys!  you are so lucky to have them spawn for you.    What are your water params?  if you consider selling some when they get bigger let me know.

[ruthcatrin]

to be honest I've not tested the water since I moved....I guess I better go do that!

I will very likely be selling at least a few, I'm in the process of getting a batch of wild caught pygmys to add some variety to the gene pool, so I don't really  need to keep all the babies.....will most likely post down in the trading forum when/if I have some to sell.

[ruthcatrin]

well.....the only test kit I can find right this minute is the PH kit....the others must have somehow made it into a box I've not unpacked yet (dang it, I thought I got all the fish stuff in one box!!!!  Moving s**ks, the pygmys are the only group of fish where I DIDN"T loose at least one fish during the move)

PH from the tap is 8.2, water in this tank (the filter DOES contain a small amount of peat pellets) is 7.4, I'll post the rest once I find the rest of the test kits

[ruthcatrin]

some less than steller pics of the parental group (they run and hide when I show up at the tank with anything other than food in my hand, so the pics are a bit blurry)

[ruthcatrin]

Got the wild caught corys today, gosh they're cute!  Since someone already asked (off this board) the babies won't be big enough to sell till they're over two months in age, so mid to end of November if I end up selling any of this batch.