[kiaratrak]

Hi there - Last night I was gazing at my fish as i often do and i became captivated by my Brevis females behaviour. Her resp rate seemed much higher than anyone elses and her colours were heightened, she did some odd manoveres in the opening of her shell and this gave me a head on view of her underbelly - her vent seemed wide open but nothing was coming out? She then started going into the shell and shaking herself violently in different positions but always with her vent pointing in to the narrower part of the shell (escargot) at one point she was standing on her head with her back twisted as if to ensure that her vent faced the very inner of the shell.

One of cauds became interested at the start of all this and she saw him off however as the behaviour continued she drew the attention of the male Brevis who began patrolling around the shell, shooing her inside and doing some little excitable shimmys of his own outside the shell. It was getting late so i reluctantly dimmed the lights and eventually went to bed.

Today she is in the shell *** seen her resting at the opening with her head just slightly out and also *** seen her shimmying deep inside the shell - her colours remain quite heightened. All tanks mate are going about their usual business.

I was enthralled last night and keep wondering if i have actually witnessed the whole thing - her laying the eggs, the fertilisation etc?? Have i been so lucky? It seemed amazing to watch!

I did a small water change a few days ago and have recently introduced some frozen brine shrimp with spirulina into the diet - could this have been the magic catalyst? God im excited - im such a geek :lol: What do i do now???

 

[kiaratrak]

Thanks Prov - i feel lucky and priviledged to have seen it!

My overall plan has been to raise some fry for my local dealer who has offered me store credit in return for some sunspot brevis - he only has standard ones currently. I have a smaller tank i would set up for the fry which has worked well for me in the past. I am interested in this idea of leaving the first brood - tank mates are cauds and one blue goby - will they eat them? If i leave them should i offer any fry food - is it inevitable they will all die?

Now i have never raised tang fry - but in previous experience with livebearers and mouthbrooders i have at the appropriate time separated the brood from the female using a fry trap and housed the fry alone feeding them appropriate liquid foods or crumbled flake.

I am new to Brevis - should the fry stay with one or both parents or be alone? How soon should i remove them? Do i have to pull the shell or could i use my new turkey baster to collect the fry for transfer? Would i pull the shell with eggs or wait for free swimming fry? Also I know where i can get hatchable brine shrimp - but i have no experience with timing, hatching etc and could do with some guidance on this also - none of my books offers enough information on breeding. Im very grateful xxx :thumb: