Trying to breed panda cories

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 22 Dec 2003, 06:02

This is going to be my first ever attempt at breeding cories. I believe my pandas are around 8 months old (is this mature enough?) and two of them are clearly larger than the other two (2 females, 2 males?).

My water parameters out of the tap (after 24 hours):
- pH = 7.4
- GH = 5
- KH = 2

My equipments:
- 5.5g tank for breeder setup
- one air pump driven sponge filter (Do I need more powerful filter, say AquaClear Mini?)
- some java moss & java fern
- not planning to use any substrates
- not planning to use any lights

Food:
- Frozen blood worms
- Hatched brine shrimps
- Also have other packaged food if necessary.

Plan:
1. Setup the 5.5g tank with all equipments. Add some squeeze from established tank sponge media.
2. Move 4 cories into 5.5g tank.
3. Condition them using frozen blood worms and BBS until females become fat.
4. Do a larger cold water change, every day until I see a spawning.
5. Float a plastic container in the same tank and move any eggs that are found in the tank.
6. Add a drop or two of myth. blue into the container. (Is this absolutely necessary?)
7. Wait until they hatch and become free swiming (in couple of days).
8. Start feeding them BBS. (Can panda cory fries take BBS from day 1? Would infusoria work better?)
9. At some point, move them to the grow out tank. (I currently have another 5.5g and 33g waiting)

There...

Did I miss or oversimplifying any processes?

Appreciate any help!

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 22 Dec 2003, 07:16

Hello,

I'm not sure about the age, but you may be trying a little early. However, having said that, it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and give them the extra boost until they are old enough. In my experience, pandas accentuate the phrase "less is more". I've had 3 seperate colonies over the years and they seem to do best when just fed well and keep the tank parameters fairly constant.

The best method I found was to just keep the breeders in a tank to themselves with a spawning mop hung at the top of the tank. Once they start spawning, simply remove the mop to another tank, or pull the eggs out to a seperate container. I never used methylene blue for them and I can't remember ever seeing an egg fungus.

I fed them bbs twice a day for the first couple of weeks with a partial water change before each feeding. After that, I would use sinking tablets to replace one of the feedings. Females usually lay rather small clutches very often. One colony consisted of 3 pair in a 4.5 gallon container and I was pulling eggs every morning after they had gotten about a year and a half old. Earlier spawnings were more inconsistent.

One point that will take a lot of the breeding work out of it is that they usually spawned a couple days after the triggering water change. One good water change a week will work just as well as the daily routine.

Best of luck,
Larry Vires

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 22 Dec 2003, 17:12

Thanks for the feedback.

What is a spawning mop? I have a hard time imagining placing some net near the top of the tank above these fishes and gain something from it... I must be way off with this one...

pleco_breeder · Post by **pleco_breeder** » 22 Dec 2003, 18:02

Hello,

A spawning mop is simply wound acrylic yarn. I use a TFH CO or RE series book, and wrap the yarn around it about 50-75 times. Then cut a smaller piece of yarn and tie it around the yarn on the book. Then, on the completely opposite end from the smaller piece, cut the wrapped yarn. Use the short piece to hang it on the side of the tank. It makes it really easy if you just make several and put them in shoe boxes with an air stone once there are eggs in them. Pandas, as well as a few other corys, usually lay the majority of their eggs in the mop with very few to pull from the walls.

Larry Vires

Viking Bear · Post by **Viking Bear** » 23 Dec 2003, 01:38

I have a breeder colony going right now which I bought as mature fish from a fish shop in early October. I have them in a 29 gal tank with gravel and undergravel filter with power head. I also have a power filter (whisper 2). There is a school of 9 White Clouds (Water is Ph 7.8 and mineral 180 ppm. I like to have more than one system going in case one fails. I have 11 fish (and I am not sure of the gender). I know both are present since I am finding eggs almost daily. I am using java moss instead of spawn mops but it is the same idea. The honest truth I don't always see the eggs. Every Monday and Friday I trade Java Moss (spawn mop) that one that was moved one week before. In other words I wait a week for the eggs to hatch. I use two 5.5 gal tanks with one sponge filter each. I am average between 20 and 40 fry every week. They are not large spawners but very regular. They seem to spawn at night. The eggs are usually in the Java Moss. Sometimes you will find one or two eggs on the glass. I did nothing to triigger the spawning other than regular water changes. They have been doing this on regular flake food and some shrimp pellets. I have recently started feeding black worms.

The fry are much larger than C. aeneus. I would as least twice the size. For me they are taking five or six days to absorb their yolk. Be careful to not feed too much as first.

Pandas are known to eat the eggs if given a chance. I think a tank with gravel or sand and plants make it harder to find and eat the eggs. I think at least ten gallon tank and a group of six fish. Though I know that other breeders use bare tanks and sometimes use pairs or trios.

Remember there is more than one right way to do something.

Good Luck

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 23 Dec 2003, 04:03

That method looks interesting, and it appears to be less work too...

What size tank do you use for the initial transfer of the egg-contained java moss? I'd imagine using a large tank will make the fries really hard to look for food?

I only have 4 cories as in my region, I only found one LFS that was selling panda, and even that they sold out pretty quickly despite $9CA each! I've yet to see any other LFS who carries them since then...

Viking Bear · Post by **Viking Bear** » 23 Dec 2003, 05:41

I would recommend a either a power filter or power head. Panda love to play in the current. I suggest that is placed in on corner of the tank. I have seen them swim for hours playing follow the leader in the current. They also like to place eggs in a place with go water flow.

I raise the fry in 2.5 gallon tank for the first couple of weeks or so. It really depends how many fry and how big the fry have gotten. I will move up to a ten gallon tank. If you are feeding live food like brine shrimp you use a light to attract the shrimp. With time the babies learn where in the tank to find food.

Another trick to use with fry is to place a couple of older fry in a group of small babies. Neither put a juvenile big enough to eat the other fry. If they are a couple weeks older they will show the younger fish what to eat and where to find it.

I have between two and three hundred baby pandas right. I wish I get that high a price for cories. $9 CAN. I was feeling bad paying $6 US for breeding size C. panda.

As the easiest cories to spawn. It is really a tie between C. aeneus and C. paleatus.

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 23 Dec 2003, 05:56

I really appreciate your feedback!

Oh by the way, did you ever have to deal with eggs that have caught fugus?

Viking Bear · Post by **Viking Bear** » 23 Dec 2003, 22:19

C. pandas lay eggs usually one at a time. When they place eggs they are separated. If some of them fungus it is not a problem. Sometimes I will see one or two bad eggs in a batch. My best guess is that the eggs are over 90% fertile.

I am curious what part of Canada do you live in? If you don't want to give the exact town that is fine.

Are you next the U.S. border? What are the rules bringing fish into Canada? I am asking because I don't know. I can understand not wanting to attempt have them mailed into Canada.

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 24 Dec 2003, 00:20

Viking Bear wrote:C. pandas lay eggs usually one at a time. When they place eggs they are separated. If some of them fungus it is not a problem. Sometimes I will see one or two bad eggs in a batch. My best guess is that the eggs are over 90% fertile.

I am curious what part of Canada do you live in? If you don't want to give the exact town that is fine.

Are you next the U.S. border? What are the rules bringing fish into Canada? I am asking because I don't know. I can understand not wanting to attempt have them mailed into Canada.

I live in Montreal area. Given the size of the city, it is surprizing that there are many species I cannot find over here.

I think the rule is pretty complex for bringing livestocks across the border so I never looked at that as possible means of getting fishes...

Viking Bear · Post by **Viking Bear** » 24 Dec 2003, 06:15

You might try the local fish clubs for contacts. I am sure there are other people with C. panda in the area. Chicago is a very large city so have several different fish clubs. One even has a web site for trading fish. There are fish auctions and fish swap. Auction is just like the name implies fish in bags and you bid on them. Swap have tables and buy directly from the breeders. You can see if there are place that have newspaper ads for fish.

If you suceed don't overproduce fish. I know a local breeder that loved C. panda and had so many that literal every fish store in the city has some of his fish. It is possible to do.

Good Luck

yhbae · Post by **yhbae** » 26 Dec 2003, 19:36

Great, I'll check out for local clubs (not sure where to begin though...

)

As for the quantity, I'll stick with one tank per species so that I won't end up with more fries than I can handle...

Thanks for the advice!