# Do Corydoras carry their eggs in their fins?



## CoryOto (Oct 17, 2008)

I have 3 _Corydoras paleatus_ (peppered cories). One of them looked funny today, and I thought something was wrong with its fins. Upon closer look, it appeared as if two of its fins were stuck together. Upon even closer look it seemed like she(?) was carrying something. The other two kept following her(?) around. Do you think I might soon become a "GrandPa"?


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## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

Would be the first I've ever heard of, but I've seen some pretty strange things happen.
Keep us posted


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## CoryOto (Oct 17, 2008)

*Yep!*

I didn't save the link but I did read somewhere tonight about Panda cories carrying eggs in their ventral fins, so I suppose _C. Paleatus _does it too. She keeps traveling though the tank as if looking for just the right place to put them. I looked closer and she has a couple of little white spheres held, and they look just like pics of Corydoras eggs I have seen in other forums. This is cool! I hope she does lay, and that they hatch successfully.


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## fishboy23 (Feb 18, 2006)

Yes, cory females do carry fertilized eggs in their "basket" created by their ventral fins. They then proceed to a suitable spot, clean it up a bit with their mouth, and swim up and smooth the eggs onto that spot. I've witnessed it a couple times, it's always fun to watch. If it's a community tank, though, and you want fry, you better see where she's laying them and harvest them (scrape off w/ a razor blade if she's laying on the glass, pluck off a leaf if she's laying on a live plant, etc). Put in a margarine tub w/ an airstone and methylene blue, 4 days and you will have cory fry.
Best of luck!


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## CoryOto (Oct 17, 2008)

*Airstone?*

Thanks. Why the airstone? How does it help if not attached to an air hose?


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

no it is attached to a hose and a pump, lightly aerating the tub


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## fishboy23 (Feb 18, 2006)

Yes, attach to a hose and pump...sorry, again I make assumptions, but it is often a safe one to assume that the airstone is attached to a pump via tubing. I suppose people are specific when you'd just use a plain airstone, but I know of no instances where you'd do so. So for future reference I guess, assume it's attached to a pump.
It will help with dissolved O2, which, in many cases, is where cories like to put their eggs. S. barbatus are well known for doing this, putting eggs often right above the outlet of a sponge filter. Increased oxygen levels improve hatching rate and viability of fry.


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## CoryOto (Oct 17, 2008)

*I'm literal minded. *

LOL! Sorry, I'm literal minded. That's why putting an airstone in a container seemed such a _non sequitur_. I didn't know if it simply held some air in its pores or what. That's why I asked. I try not to make assumptions usually. I have always been specific in my words - I guess that's why I'm an attorney, LOL!

Do you run the airstone hose down through a hole in the margarine container's lid, or what? Thanks!

P.S. This morning I see 4 eggs, in two groups of 2, stuck on the inside right wall of my tall 20 gal. aquarium. Two are 1/3 back from the front of the tank, about 1.5" above the gravel, near a Valisneria plant, and the other two are 1/4 from the back about 6.5"-7" up, near where some Amazon Sword leaves touch the glass.


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## ucdxmisty (Oct 16, 2008)

You can most likely just pull the eggs off with your fingers. Thats what I do. It doesn't matter if you put the air thru a hole in the top or just set it in the container. 

Also if you happen to have a small shrimp (Cherry), add one to the container and it will keep the fungus off the eggs and keep them clean. With a shrimp, you don't need to use the meth blue.


Pam


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## fishboy23 (Feb 18, 2006)

Yeah, you can pull 'em off with your fingers (like killie eggs! ;-) ) but they're kind of soft when first laid, hence the razor blade suggestion. 
As for getting the air in, you can punch a hole in the top, leave the top off, or I've even seen people make their own "tops" out of plastic canvas and punch out a couple holes in the middle for an airline...there are lots of ways to do it, do whatever works and is easy I guess.
Also, you only found 4? I bet your paleatus laid closer to 100 eggs, they tend to lay large batches. I once got over 200 from a single pair of albino aeneus (not all fertile, that poor little male just couldn't keep up!). Most have probably been eaten by tankmates or the parents themselves. It's usually best to pull the eggs soon after they are laid so you can save the most fry.


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## CoryOto (Oct 17, 2008)

ucdxmisty said:


> Also if you happen to have a small shrimp (Cherry), add one to the container and it will keep the fungus off the eggs and keep them clean. With a shrimp, you don't need to use the meth blue.


Really? I have Ghost Shrimp. I would have thought they would try to eat the eggs.


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## ucdxmisty (Oct 16, 2008)

You can read up on it here: http://www.angelfish.net/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=7389

It really works and they help keep everything nice and clean too.


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