Hello MFK,
I have a pair of blushing koi angels that have been showing breeding behavior for over 6 months now, but have never spawned. I was wondering if anyone had any tips that I haven't tried to get things rolling...
My angels are kept in a 55gal planted tank. Parameters are 82*F, 6.0ph, 0amm/0nitrite/<5 Nitrate with twice weekly water changes of 20% using 100% buffered RO. I have been using the RO for almost a year now as my tap water is absolute crap and LOADED with phosphates and ag chemicals (Fresno, CA). Prior to RO, I was having regular fish loss. My filtration is two Rena XP3 filters and a sponge that I keep seeded for QT purposes, and in the filters I alternate 3 weeks of peat moss and 1 week of charcoal.
In the tank with the pair are 1 other adult male pearlscale angel, 2 adolescent silver angels, 1 subadult pigeon blood discus, 4 Harlequin Rasbora and 6 glowlight danio. The stocking level has been constant for more than a few months.
The pair will pick a sword leaf and start cleaning for a few weeks, then move to a different leaf. They do occasionally make "passes" like they are breeding, but never actually lay. The only aggression in the tank is the pair towards the other male angel. After about three months of cleaning leaves, I set up a 20gal tall bare breeder with various choices for them, including one weighted sword plant, upside down pots of various sizes, and I even built them a breeding tube with some spare plexiglass and both white and grey pvc pipe. The fish were showing the behavior up till I netted them and put them in their own tank, and then nothing. For 6 weeks they did absolutely nothing. They weren't stressed as they still responded to me as if nothing at all had changed, but no breeding behavior. After that I gave up and put them back into the main tank, and they were cleaning leaves again the next morning.
I have tried raising the temps from 82 to 88 for about a week at a time. I have tried doing 50-60% water changes with warmer water, and with cooler water. I have tried varying the diet to include live and frozen bloodworms, beefheart, daphnia, tubifex worms, home-grown feeders, and more. I have also tried various currents ranging from none (normal) to fairly vigorous. Nothing stops the pair from cleaning, but the Discus doesn't like the current.
They are still at this moment cleaning away a leaf with papila showing (they never put em away...)
I love my aquatic buddies, and I would love nothing more than to have more little aquatic buddies to love too...
As you can see, I started a water change this morning then realized I forgot to start water over the weekend, and that I was out of RO... waiting for my source to open. The male koi is on the left, female is center, PS male is on right.
I have a pair of blushing koi angels that have been showing breeding behavior for over 6 months now, but have never spawned. I was wondering if anyone had any tips that I haven't tried to get things rolling...
My angels are kept in a 55gal planted tank. Parameters are 82*F, 6.0ph, 0amm/0nitrite/<5 Nitrate with twice weekly water changes of 20% using 100% buffered RO. I have been using the RO for almost a year now as my tap water is absolute crap and LOADED with phosphates and ag chemicals (Fresno, CA). Prior to RO, I was having regular fish loss. My filtration is two Rena XP3 filters and a sponge that I keep seeded for QT purposes, and in the filters I alternate 3 weeks of peat moss and 1 week of charcoal.
In the tank with the pair are 1 other adult male pearlscale angel, 2 adolescent silver angels, 1 subadult pigeon blood discus, 4 Harlequin Rasbora and 6 glowlight danio. The stocking level has been constant for more than a few months.
The pair will pick a sword leaf and start cleaning for a few weeks, then move to a different leaf. They do occasionally make "passes" like they are breeding, but never actually lay. The only aggression in the tank is the pair towards the other male angel. After about three months of cleaning leaves, I set up a 20gal tall bare breeder with various choices for them, including one weighted sword plant, upside down pots of various sizes, and I even built them a breeding tube with some spare plexiglass and both white and grey pvc pipe. The fish were showing the behavior up till I netted them and put them in their own tank, and then nothing. For 6 weeks they did absolutely nothing. They weren't stressed as they still responded to me as if nothing at all had changed, but no breeding behavior. After that I gave up and put them back into the main tank, and they were cleaning leaves again the next morning.
I have tried raising the temps from 82 to 88 for about a week at a time. I have tried doing 50-60% water changes with warmer water, and with cooler water. I have tried varying the diet to include live and frozen bloodworms, beefheart, daphnia, tubifex worms, home-grown feeders, and more. I have also tried various currents ranging from none (normal) to fairly vigorous. Nothing stops the pair from cleaning, but the Discus doesn't like the current.
They are still at this moment cleaning away a leaf with papila showing (they never put em away...)
I love my aquatic buddies, and I would love nothing more than to have more little aquatic buddies to love too...
As you can see, I started a water change this morning then realized I forgot to start water over the weekend, and that I was out of RO... waiting for my source to open. The male koi is on the left, female is center, PS male is on right.
