I HAVE DONE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG WOW

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I have................. omg so excited here, got my weather loach to spawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! notoriously difficult to do (according to the net) and I have done everything wrong (according to the net) I kept their tank heated over the winter to 18c and once the ice was over I removed the heater, the koi left last week and these two have had a 5ft tank to themselves. Today I intended to move them and as I was cleaning out meatball & noodle I whitnessed them spawning. I have now moved them to another tank in the hope that some of the eggs hatch.

another rare spawning for me *punches the air and dances round the kitchen*

Managed to capture just one half decent picture of the male wrapping the female.

I am starting to believe it was down to the weather and the loach being in the conservatory. Breeding these guys is such hit and miss, blink and you miss it as there are no signs they are about to "do it" other than the male chasing the female briefly then wrapping himself around her.

Sam I though the exact same thing to day about marbles, but these guys are pretty powerful and if they wanted to eat the eggs they would move marbles easily.

Sadly its not something I am going to pursue, they are up for sale as a breeding pair, I have too many tanks and too much going on at the moment, its a darn shame, because someone will buy them eventually and with the luck of me selling my breeding fish the buyers usually make a small fortune off the fry lol

Loaches breed only in spring from what I have read, and they have to begin winter with cold water, then at onset of spring, increase water temperatures, to begin spawning.

I read that too but I kept the tank heated over the winter as I didnt want the koi spawning, the heater was removed 6-7 weeks ago when meatball & noodle arrived.

What ever happened to the loach eggs, Star?

I dont think any hatched, the tank is still running just in case, but I intend to close it down when I feel more like doing stuff. Fingers crossed I fine one though

Good Luck, I sure do hope you see atleast one lil swimmer

Sorry its a crap picture, but here is a baby weather loach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



The tank is filthy as I have just abandoned it thinking nothing hatched and being so down at the moment I havnt bothered cleaning it, there is a filter still running, the water is clear but the sides are thick with algae!

wooo That's great news, Bet your well chuffed,

OUTSTANDING!!!!

I scared hubby & the kids running in from the conservatory screaming at the top of my voice "I GOT ONE", even my neighbours now know lol

HaHa Aww, I'm pleased for you

God knows what its been eating, although the lid has been off so some mozzie eggs etc I would expect thats what its eaten, unless its eaten its brothers & sisters too

Awwww fantastic!!!!! Proof for any disbelievers!

That's amazing! Congratulations!

I'm having a little trouble making it out from the pic though. It probably has been eating its siblings, might be time to start introducing some small live foods. Microworms might be good.

Sam

We need a growth log on him, Star...

Sam I think with the lid being off the mozzies have been laying in the water, there are quite a few small wriggly things in the tank, newly hatched bloodworm possibly??.

I will endeavour to get a better picture, sadly I have not seen it agian since I took the pic this morning, being 1/2" long in a 5ft x 20" tank he is a bit hard to spot lol

Can't see the mouth but will it be large enough to take mosquito larvae?

No rush on the pics, I'm sure it's near impossible to spot him. There might be more too!?

Sam

I have counted 5 today, it looks like baby weather loach feed heavliy on algae!! some were at the surface grazing on the wood and plants, now whether it is the algae or the worms/larvae/eggs they were eating I couldnt see, but they are definately weather loach

Outstanding pictures!!!!

Absolutely amazing!! Well done Star!

Does this make you one of the first people to have tank bred weather loach in the uk? Maybe the world?

They look awesome and no doubt what they are.

Brilliant!

Sam

lol Sam that is something I cannot answer, the forums I have posted on most people have never heard of anyone sucessfully breeding weather loach before. I have just joined PKF forum to ask if anyone else has managed it, just awaiting a reply. But it might look like I am the first in the uk to breed and raise some weather loach in an aquarium.

Ruddy exciting if it is

Awww those are adorable! Fantastic news that there are so many, considering you weren't expecting any!

Well seeing 5 today was a bit of a shock, but how they can hide in that large gravel I am wondering now just how many there are!! and you saw the state the tank was in, I am shocked there are any lol

The wonders of algae! What will you do with them now? Move them to a different tank?
Could they go in with their parents or do they pose too much of a risk to them?

I will take the algae... my pleco won't let it stand a chance.. I used to have an algea problem.. the pleco and the nerites keep the tank crystal clear..