Congo Killies - PageSuite

(around 5 mm), they should develop well. One possible
explanation may be that there is a better supply of oxygen
for the eggs.
But it can also work the other way around: you can
remove the adults after a few days and then leave the
young in the breeding aquarium or container. If this
variation proves successful, it is easier and often produces
better results. But it doesn’t work for all species, individuals,
and aquarists. You must check it out for yourself.
Hard eggs
The eggs have a diameter of around 0.8–1.5 mm and are
clear to transparent yellowish or orange. They are slightly
adhesive and so stick securely to the substrate. The eggshell
is rather hard, so the eggs can be collected with the fingers.
You quickly develop the necessary feel and eye for this.
Only eggs laid prematurely are still soft and burst
when collected. It is helpful to briefly squeeze the spawning
mop in a handkerchief in order to remove excess
water. If you repeat this procedure several times, the eggs
are then easier to find.
Sometimes the eggs are not fertilized or the larvae die
well into the development phase. It is wise to find these
dead eggs at an early stage and remove them with a pipette
or an airline. Otherwise they will seriously pollute the water
and infect other eggs. You need to distinguish between
two forms of fungussing: on the one hand the eggs may
be attacked from outside, and on the other they may die
internally, in which case the fungus is only secondary.
It isn’t unusual for the
Below: Here a whole group first eggs from young pairs
of Aphyosemion australe to come to naught, but there
have been put to breed. The
are other problems that can
adult fish are left to spawn
lead to total loss of the eggs.
in the peat for a number of
days and then removed. Some young males don’t
In this egg of an Aphyosemion species, the larva is already
well developed. The eyes are clearly visible.
fertilize the eggs properly. The reasons for this are manifold
and offer much room for speculation, but we won’t
venture onto that thin ice here.
When storing eggs in water, it is advisable to spot bad
eggs as soon as possible and remove them with a pipette.
Cloudy eggs shouldn’t be put in the container—they will
fungus almost immediately and may endanger the others.
If the eggs are shaken up in the water, you will find that
some eggs float for a noticeably long time before sinking
to the bottom. These, too, are suspect. Healthy eggs,
regardless of their stage of development, sink quickly.
In our experience, the storage container should have
a shallow water level. This is thought to provide a better
oxygen supply for the eggs because of the more favorable
volume-surface ratio. The water should be only half a
centimeter deep. We use 100 percent reverse-osmosis water,
or perhaps add a minimal amount of tap water. You
can also add a small piece of Sea Almond leaf, but the
color of the water shouldn’t become excessively yellow
TOP: R. SONNENBERG; BOTTOM: W. HILGNER
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