Egg Laying in Progress.

usafaux2004 · Nov 28, 2013

I got my two Axies back in Mid-September linky

They were about 6-6.5" long and the boy (wild type) is now close to 10", while what we figured was the girl is around 8.5-9" (leucistic). She's been swimming a lot the last few days, not really hiding, etc. Today all she was doing is swimming. I was going to bed about a half hour ago, and saw her by the filter (always a concern), and then noticed that she grew a bump where the men become boys! Others have told me some are late bloomers, so that's what I figured was happening. Until...I noticed that her bump had a hole...and there were eggs all over the fake plants!

I turned off the light as she stopped her activity, but she continued once it was off. I took some dark video, and it's quite a fascinating process (she is using her tail/rear feet to hold on and push eggs out).

But now for my questions...I'll be hitting up the FAQs in this section...but aren't they a bit young? I figured I'm at least a year away from this happening if they were in fact a boy/girl pair.

Anything to be concerned about? Maybe the boy won't fertilize? etc? Anyone interested in the eggs (Both GFP)?

Any help/sage advice welcomed!

auntiejude · Nov 28, 2013

At that size it's quite reasonable for them to breed - do you know when they were hatched? I'd say they were last year's brood and around 12 months at that size (rather than a spring clutch). I didn't think mine were old enough either, but I had eggs in October.

If she's laying eggs they are already fertilised - so you have to decide what to do with the eggs and babies. I culled my eggs to a mangeable number, having sold a few batches to others.

You can put an ad in the 'for sale' section here, try ebay or other online sales, or ask your LFS if they are interested (but you'll have to raise the babies to a decent size to sell them via a LFS)

If you're going to raise babies you need to read up on larva care, brineshrimp hatching, and get a daphnia culture going - you've got about 2 weeks before they start hatching!

usafaux2004 · Nov 28, 2013

I was told they are around 6 or so months old in September, being roughly 6 or so inches in size. She's added a lot of eggs overnight...I had to turn off the filter in case any get sucked in (one of the plants she used is real close to the intake), and added two more, as ALL of the decorations are covered. To top it off, 2 weeks from now puts me in the middle of my vacation out of the country. Won't be home until the 15th.

Mortimer · Nov 28, 2013

I think you should probably turn your filter back on--maybe just a low setting? If it's off very long, your cycle could crash....and you especially don't want for that to happen right when you're away from home.

usafaux2004 · Nov 28, 2013

Morimer said:
I think you should probably turn your filter back on--maybe just a low setting? If it's off very long, your cycle could crash....and you especially don't want for that to happen right when you're away from home.

Off until i get the eggs. She was laying then on the plastic intake...

usafaux2004 · Nov 29, 2013

The count...after of so many hours is in...638 eggs.

usafaux2004 · Nov 30, 2013

The picture of them in the tub...he spread his goods all over and she laid two more eggs. 640 total so far.

usafaux2004 · Dec 1, 2013

Some egg shots taken with my "shot" point-and-shoot camera (no really, it's 8.0 Megapixel from 2008 that was dropped and broke the retracting lens).

Just the first egg I took a picture of, playing around with the micro setting:

The one on the left seems to be turning oval? I'm not seeing much yet, but it's only about 75 hours in, at a temp that was closer to 64-66F for the first 50 or more hours:

My only double set that I've found out of 640 eggs:

The detail on each egg is not real good with the camera, but could the center egg be showing signs of cell division? The egg has a two-color structure, but the picture is too fuzzy at that resolution to convey that well:

Another egg showing signs of changing shape?

Looks like it was a double, with one egg that didn't make it?

More shape changes?

usafaux2004 · Dec 2, 2013

And now I'm seeing some REAL development!

usafaux2004 · Dec 3, 2013

Looks like the final verdict is in.

Of the 640 Total that I got out of the tank:
25 I'm keeping.
70 Are either bad or too slow in developing
545 are being shipped today, and are all kidney bean shaped!

If we take the 70 as a loss (yesterday it was 95, overnight 25 developed enough to be shipped as reasonably good eggs), then I'm looking at an 11% dud rate. Not bad for a first time I suppose. After reading some stuff I was worried most would be duds.

usafaux2004 · Dec 3, 2013

Of the 70, 3 were for sure dead, so down to 67. 2 are now showing stage 15/16 development from a few hours ago...

usafaux2004 · Dec 4, 2013

02DEC13 Pictures:

03DEC13

usafaux2004 · Dec 4, 2013

Update on the duds: of the 70 left, I had destroyed 3, and 2 showed promise. I now have 8 that are promising (3 of those iffy-promissing, lol), and the rest...well...the other 59 get a chance, but I don't know for how long.

Photos for the day (04DEC13):

usafaux2004 · Dec 5, 2013

SkollSunChaser · Dec 5, 2013

Are you keeping the twins separate from the rest of the eggs?

usafaux2004 · Dec 6, 2013

SkollSunChaser said:
Are you keeping the twins separate from the rest of the eggs?

Not yet (this is day 8). I'm going to do so tomorrow before leaving for my vacation.

BTW, their egg is SIGNIFICANTLY larger than "single" eggs.

05DEC13

usafaux2004 · Dec 6, 2013

SkollSunChaser · Dec 6, 2013

I can't wait to see them as juvies! I haven't read about anyone specifically keeping twins separate to see if they came out identical or not yet, so it's very exciting to see yours growing :3

usafaux2004 · Dec 6, 2013

I'm just hoping my family timeline works out and I won't have any issues. Cutting it real close with the vacation.

willowcat · Dec 12, 2013

Mike,
Had a AWESOME hatch!!! If you have eggs again, give me first shot at them, please. You really went the extra mile in detail from the time they were laid, culled, shipped, and hatched. Your posts are very, very good. It shows that you are very eager to, not only learn correctly, but a desire to master it. Your pictures of the eggs and the development chart were a cut above. I do not want to use the word beginner with you, because even though you were beginning, I feel that you have demonstrated that a "beginner" (rookie), when he or she gets up to bat, can hit home run after home run. Don't stop Mike. I think that you are going to be a valuable asset to this web site.
Thank you,
Trace

Egg Laying in Progress.

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