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super red spot severums spawning


Bandi
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I have raised two red spots from fry bought at Gold's about two years ago. Then later aquired two nearly full grown ones a year later from a private sale. Then I bought two more mature ones from another private sale last summer.

So a total of six mature red spots, all live in a community 230 gallon tank. I had no idea which were male and which were female as I learned the common indicaters on green severums don't and can't apply to the red spot. I had some guesses but that was all. Until we had our first spawn this past summer. I knew then we had at least one pair. I was disapointed when all the eggs turned white.

Further study revealed that most often red spot males are infertile. That was discouraging as I REALLY wanted to raise some of these beauties.

Well, we had a second spawning just last week, by the same female and a different male. After observing desended breeding tubes, I now know we have three males and two females and one still unknown.

This spawn I left in the tank over night and all the next day...Then I took the stone and put it in a bubble tank. Used M. Blue to keep fungus at bay and waited and hoped...

For the first 24 hours, only about 10% of the eggs were white. By 36 hours, about 20% turned white. By day four, dispite the antifungus treatment, all the eggs turns white and where fuzzy with fungus. I was totally discouraged.

But close examination (through the very dark and blue water) revealed an egg that was sitting on the bottom and still dark. I shined my flash light on it...and lo! I could see a tiny tail wiggling!!!

So I spent the next hour carefully sucking the fungus infected eggs out (using a turkey baster) and checked each baster full carefully for wirgglers. There were some wigglers!

This means the male is not sterile!

Well, it has been one week since spawning and the wigglers are not free swimming yet. I figure about 10% of the original spawn are still alive. I am totally ok with that!

I noticed the same pair are preparing to spawn again. There was some serious lip locking with rival males and one male lost the battle with terrible injuries. If he survives he will likely be permanently disfigured.

I included photos of the successful pair cleaning the choosen rock and a couple photos of that poor male that got the crap beat out of him.

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Well the male died this evening. I kind of thought he would pull through. As for taking photos of those wriggles, well even my Maco lens wouldn't be able to see anything. The M. Blue makes the water so dark...terrible for photography. But as soon as they are photo ready you can be sure I'll post.

Edited by guzookeeper
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Well, they are free swimming now. I roughly count about 40 of them. I am feeding them baby brine shrimp.

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thanks for the pics and the info Guzo!

It was an interesting read. I have a pair that were sold to me as 'spawning pair' but have yet to have a succesful spawn from. They've laid eggs multiple times but no success as yet. First two times fungused off, last time vanished over night before I could see if they were fertile. I stupidly left a couple of BN plecos in the tank that night, and not sure now if they, or the severums

Would love to add some shrimp to clean the fungus, but I am nearly certain mom and dad severum would be going 'oh. look. someone brought us the shrimp platter from Red Lobster!' haha!

Hoping that I am able to catch the next spawn of mine.

Dan

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well I am encouraged to know I have a male that is fertile, however the babies are proving very difficult to grow out. I think I only have three left. So this is proving to be yet another challenge to overcome. They are still WAY too small to photograph. But if they make it to a decent size, I'll be sure to post pics.

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