Keyhole eggs...

[jodes22]

I have eggs again! It's the second time this week I got the keyholes from my Dad in April, and the breeding pair among them have laid eggs at least ten times. I know that they are supposed to 'groom' their eggs and pick out the ones that aren't good, but how do I get them to not eat all of them?? The pair do a really great job of watching over the eggs, never leaving them alone for a minute, even taking turns when it's time to eat. I am not sure if another fish is eating the eggs, although I doubt it, or if all of them go bad and then they just eat them all at once, but I would really like some fry from these fantastic (brown) fish.

Here're some pics...





And taken from the top of the tank...


I know that there are quite a few white eggs that they haven't picked off, but that seems to be the trend, they wait until most of them go white and then they are gone...
I try not to do water changes (although I really need to do one...) when there are eggs, or go too close to the glass too quickly, and I think I have given them a great place, very hidden behind the driftwood, under the java fern leaves, and in the mouth of the terracotta pot. They have cleared all the gravel off of the slate attached to the driftwood.

Now I'm not just babbling, I'm rambling. Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can help the fish turn these eggs into some fry for their Momma?? ?? ??

***Sorry it's so long***

[PaleoFishGirl]

Congrats, Jodes!

Maybe you just have to be patient and they'll get it right eventually? I know sometimes it takes fish a while to figure it out...

What else is in the tank, maybe something else is sneaking in at night?

[jodes22]

There are 5 white cloud minnows, I am pretty sure it's not them; 5 other keyholes, again pretty sure it's not them; an SAE, maybe; and two b/n plecos, more than likely... I have a feeling that it's either the breeding pair themselves or the plecos, because I know they usually like to eat eggs.

[babblefish1960]

In all my years, (oops, sounded like an old fart there)  I have never found a pleco to eat eggs that were viable.  I would without hesitation accuse the Siamese Algae eater, as they are sneaky little rascals who are peerless opportunists, and very tricky customers.

However, even if the parents are eating the eggs themselves, it is quite rare for a fish to never figure it out in the end and actually raise them, I do recall several fish over the years taking more than a year to clue into lunch versus progeny, but they did eventually and became quite good parents.

Kill the SAE, hate them, hate them, evil nasty fish.

[beowulf]

Indeed the SAE might just be the culprit.  Do you have good hides in the tank or are they laying their eggs in an open enough place for others to get to them?

[BigDaddy]

SAE... for sure

And yes, maybe your parents just need to "learn" to be parents.  Rams are a lot like this, I went through 7 months of them spawning every month and the eggs being gone after the first lights out.

[jodes22]

Oh really... I didn't think the SAE would do that... hmmm I did read something in Tropical Fish Enthusiast about plecos eating eggs, that's why I sort of thought it may be one of them. Learn something new every day. 

Babble, would you like to take an SAE off my hands??  How else do I rid of black hair algae, then? Especially out of the val?

BD, in the past they have been gone after first lights out, but this time they have lasted through 2 sleeps! So, maybe we are getting closer.

I am losing a bit of water from evaporation, do you think I should just add more water (and water conditioner) or should I do a full water change? I haven't done one in about 10 days, but my parameters are okay?

Thanks guys!

[BigDaddy]

I just do a top up for evaporation

[jodes22]

Thank you!

[busdriver]

Jod, if you want I'll take your sae, let me know, I might even come and pick it up.

[tetroid]

Firstly, congratulations. I've got two male keyholes and one female, but never any eggs. I've also got a bristlenose and two SAEs in there, as well as a bunch of pencilfish. I've always wondered if the presence of the quick, ever-hungry SAEs discouraged the keyholes from breeding. So my first suspect in your missing eggs would be the SAEs. Even if they aren't directly eating the eggs, they are hyper enough to scare your keyholes into eating them. That being said, I wouldn't let the bristlenose off the hook altogether. When one of my previous keyholes died (I used to have four), it was the bristlenose I found attached to its corpse. You seldom see them during the day, but they are pretty busy at night, and tough as well - I doubt my keyholes could fend off a determined bristlenose. Regardless, the safest bet would be to remove your breeding pair to another tank and let them lay their eggs there.

[busdriver]

Firstly, congratulations. I've got two male keyholes and one female, but never any eggs. I've also got a bristlenose and two SAEs in there, as well as a bunch of pencilfish. I've always wondered if the presence of the quick, ever-hungry SAEs discouraged the keyholes from breeding. So my first suspect in your missing eggs would be the SAEs. Even if they aren't directly eating the eggs, they are hyper enough to scare your keyholes into eating them. That being said, I wouldn't let the bristlenose off the hook altogether. When one of my previous keyholes died (I used to have four), it was the bristlenose I found attached to its corpse. You seldom see them during the day, but they are pretty busy at night, and tough as well - I doubt my keyholes could fend off a determined bristlenose. Regardless, the safest bet would be to remove your breeding pair to another tank and let them lay their eggs there.

B/N plecos are the clean-up crew, they will eat any dead fish even their own kind, I haven't had any other breeding fish so I can't tell you whether they eat eggs or not, but I've had fish die on me and I haven't found their bodies yet. I usually do a body count every time I'm around the tank to see if any healthy fish are being bothered by the plecos, none so far.

[busdriver]

Jod, if you want I'll take your sae, let me know, I might even come and pick it up.

On second thought, Jod.
What with BD selling SAE's maybe I'll forego taking the SAE and see if I can get rid of mine as, unless all the keyholes I have are male, I haven't had any luck with breeding them.