# Spawn Log: Copper Marble CT x CT



## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Alright, so after conditioning my pair I went on ahead and threw them in the spawning tank last night. I was going to wait a little longer, but they were both doing & eating so well, the female has been eggy since she arrived, and my dad (who also breeds various freshwater fish, and bettas as a child) assured me that it would be alright.

Anyway, so far everything is going amazingly. Put Zira in a clear plastic breeding trap last night, and she barred up nearly the moment she hit the water. Rafiki also is doing good as gold so far, and started working on a nest not even a half hour later. They rested last night, but the moment that light turned on this morning he's back to nesting. I would like to wait until the nest is slightly more sizeable before I release, just to avoid distracting him for a bit longer! My plan is to release in about an hour.


Rafiki




Zira (First two photos before her marbling changed)



In the spawning tank: 10g, loaded with live plants, floraglow lightbulb, 83f temp, IAL, wax paper nest anchor, floating driftwood.


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

Love the colors! They should make some interesting fry!

Jeff.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

jeffegg2 said:


> Love the colors! They should make some interesting fry!
> 
> Jeff.


I certainly hope so! Going to release the female now.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

They're spawning as I type! Got some HD video. I'm so nervous! I think I see him spitting them in the nest, but I'm not sure...


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

lol ooo the fun is just beginning!! **grabs popcorn and watches**


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

This pair is so amazing. Rafiki is so tender with her, not a tear on either one-- both mom and dad are picking up and spitting eggs into the nest. She's dropping in small amounts, so they're still at it! It's so funny watching how frustrated they get when an embrace is wrong.


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

I know! I giggled when I saw my two go at it. Mom's that help are kinda special, most just eat their eggs. It's so cute to watch them tag team the tank bottom looking for eggs


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

lvandert said:


> I know! I giggled when I saw my two go at it. Mom's that help are kinda special, most just eat their eggs. It's so cute to watch them tag team the tank bottom looking for eggs


I know! Such a beautiful thing. :']


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Still dropping eggs, in much larger numbers now.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Yay!!!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Female removed, neither fish suffered physical damage of any kind. Pretty fantastic. Mom is recovering from her long morning in a 3g, and dad is being very tentative towards the nest. 

Anyone want to see footage of the spawn?


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

yeah!!!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Should hopefully have wigglers later today.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Here is the HD video of an embrace & both mom and dad putting the eggs in the nest. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gspIA3ufAC0


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

wow, they are even prettier in the video. They shimmer so much!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

lvandert said:


> wow, they are even prettier in the video. They shimmer so much!


Yeah, they're both super shiny!


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## MrVampire181 (May 12, 2009)

Grow them up fast  I need some CTs for the New Breeder class for the fall shows xD


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

MrVampire181 said:


> Grow them up fast  I need some CTs for the New Breeder class for the fall shows xD


Of course! xD

--Dad looks a bit bloated this evening, which has me nervous. I think there are still eggs in the nest though...They should hatch tomorrow, guess we'll find out.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

Fish are lovely. I'm so glad you took the link I offered and found them. I can't wait till they grow up.  I'm starting my spawn in a week or so. So excited.


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## BeckyFish97 (Apr 9, 2012)

Beautiful!Good luck!Those eggs were HUGE so hopefully you will have some nice big strong babies


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

I have WIGGLERS. Dad is driving himself bonkers trying to keep them all in the nest!


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## lvandert (Feb 23, 2012)

Yyyyaaaayyyy!!!!


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## Sincerely (Apr 22, 2012)

Congrats!! I may want a pair out of this spawn if you end up selling them ;-)

Wishing The Best,

Sincerely


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Wonderful news!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

lvandert said:


> Yyyyaaaayyyy!!!!


I know right!



Sincerely said:


> Congrats!! I may want a pair out of this spawn if you end up selling them ;-)
> 
> Wishing The Best,
> 
> Sincerely


Thank you! If I'm lucky enough to rear a decent number into adulthood, I will be selling them. This forum get's first pick before local or AB selling. (;



tpocicat said:


> Wonderful news!


Yep!


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Awesome! It's good to know that your spawn is going good! Where are you based in Texas? I'm in Texas too. I might be willing to drive to where you are if the result of the spawn are good enough, which I think they will be,


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Mo said:


> Awesome! It's good to know that your spawn is going good! Where are you based in Texas? I'm in Texas too. I might be willing to drive to where you are if the result of the spawn are good enough, which I think they will be,


I'm in Plano, you? That would be cool.


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## Yaoilover12397 (Aug 12, 2011)

Spawn. I'm so so excited. I want babies soo badly.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

AFishTale said:


> I'm in Plano, you? That would be cool.


I'm in Austin! We are kind close!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Mo said:


> I'm in Austin! We are kind close!


Yeah!


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

when are spawns are ready, if some are quite exeptional. wanna trade?


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## Timberland (Jan 30, 2012)

Gorgeous pair! Cant wait to see what the babies look like!!!


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## underdebate (Jan 26, 2012)

This is probably my favourite thing about the forum-- getting to hear play-by-play recountings of spawnings, and watching the babies grow up. <3 Thank you for sharing this experience with us.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Update:: Babies are three days old. While most are still just wigglers, there's a few who wobble into a horizontal swim for a few seconds, and some even longer. I'll try and get some photos & count how may I have later today.


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## lilyth88 (Mar 15, 2012)

For some reason, your last post got the song "Weebles wobble but they don't fall down!" stuck in my head. 

I'm now officially stalking this thread.


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## Enkil (Jan 15, 2012)

Very lovely pair. Can't wait to see how they turn out!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

June 10th;; It's been five days since the spawn, and the babies are still wiggling everywhere with help of dad. (Still too small to guess how many, or get good photos.) There are some white pinhead sized things zooming around the tank with them, anyone know what they are?


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## Timberland (Jan 30, 2012)

YAY! I love wigglers!


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

What a beautiful pair! This is a very exciting spawn, good luck!


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Update: I don't see any fry this morning, and dad isn't rushing around to herd them like he has been the last few days. Should I go ahead and remove him? Not sure if the fry are all hiding in the plants or...


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

I would remove him at this point. Does he look bloated at all. Or "full"


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Mo said:


> I would remove him at this point. Does he look bloated at all. Or "full"


I removed him, and moved the plants around a bit-- Nothing, I don't see a single fry dead or alive. He looks slim, not full at all. The only moving things in the spawning tank are those weird white pinhead bug things that showed up a few days ago. 

I'm not really sure what to do now.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Was it jut the make in the tank? Anything else? I would worry about those things unless they are 1/8 off an inch


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Mo said:


> Was it jut the make in the tank? Anything else? I would worry about those things unless they are 1/8 off an inch


 
What do you mean?


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Sorry. For some reason. Autocorrect makes it make instead if male. So were male and the fry the only inhabitants. I would only worry about those things if they were some kind of larvae, such as dragonfly or nymph larvae


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Mo said:


> Sorry. For some reason. Autocorrect makes it make instead if male. So were male and the fry the only inhabitants. I would only worry about those things if they were some kind of larvae, such as dragonfly or nymph larvae


Yes, male and fry were the only inhabitants. I didn't make him out for a fry muncher, he was very avid in his keeping them off the bottom, and moved the nest around daily. I'm just utterly confused, because he looks slim as can be, but I can't spot any dead fry on the bottom of the spawning tank, nor do I see any living ones.


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Do you have a filter in the tank


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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Did any of those creatures look like this


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

No, I wasn't going to add the sponge filter until the fry were a bit bigger. And no, none look like that.They're just little white dots.


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## Wolfie305 (Jan 31, 2012)




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## Mo (Mar 15, 2012)

Hmm. I don't know what happened to the fry then.... Hopefully they are just good at hiding


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

I suppose I'll start re-conditioning the pair. Mom is already eggy again, so just gotta get dad stuffed and rested. The bottom of the spawning tank is in pretty dire need of a clean, so I'll get a turkey baster and do some of that this afternoon, maybe I'll find some fry.


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

You should have removed the male once the fry were free swimming.

I think I know where the fry went...

Jeff.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

They were not free swimming.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Reconditioning the pair as of yesterday, going to clean the spawning tank today, and set the re-spawn date for next Monday. This time around I'll be removing the male a little earlier.

Thank you all for all the responses and answers to questions.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

6/19/12

Rafiki is in the spawning tank with my backup female (sibling as well), since the original female seems to have lost interest. Almost right after releasing her, the two tried to embrace a few times, got frustrated and are now playing a bit of chase while he beefs up the nest. I wish I had photos of the new female, she's almost a mirror image of him, and getting more marbled by the day.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Photo of the new female. She has the same spread as her sister, but is showing more rather than less marbling. Starting to get that nice pink along her underside just like Rafiki.


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## tpocicat (Aug 8, 2011)

Best of luck with this new spawn attempt.


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## AFishTale (Apr 14, 2011)

Man, she's making him work for it. She zooms over, checks, and speeds off without a second glance. Poor Raf seems to be getting frustrated with her lack of attention. Lucky, it just started raining outside-- Maybe that'll get em' going.


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## jeffegg2 (Apr 5, 2012)

AFishTale said:


> Photo of the new female. She has the same spread as her sister, but is showing more rather than less marbling. Starting to get that nice pink along her underside just like Rafiki.


She looks kinda young...

Best of luck....

Jeff.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

Anything new?


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