sand

[Barrie]

has or is anyone useing sand instead of peat for storing eggs on? Im not talking of Norths but the short time eggs like Dageti and Gardneri etc

My eyes have trouble in finding all the eggs stored on peat even with a light and magnifing glass

[jim r]

If you would like some nice river sand Barrie I will send some?

[Barrie]

if I do have a go that way, Im going to need pure white sand so I can see the eyes in the sand, I was also thinking of useing white glass.

Problem I have is that I know I gathered 20 eggs but when I went to soak them I could only find 9

Thanks for the offer Jim

[alanmin4304]

I don't store them on peat, just water---real easy to see for us oldies.

[Barrie]

yes Alan

Thats what I have been doing but thought I would try something else

Thanks

[alanmin4304]

I am not sure that storing on sand would work. I used to spawn nothos on sand and then store on peat. You might be best to look at storing in damp paper in a plastic bag. Sand will not absorb water.

[jayci]

I thought the whole idea of storing the eggs in peat was because of it's anti-bacterial properties. I would steer clear of paper of plastic bags.

[Barrie]

all food for thought

Thanks

[alanmin4304]

Peat may have antibacterial properties (that I don't know) but it mainly keeps the eggs damp. I have always stored notho eggs in peat and in a plastic bag without problems.

[Barrie]

the biggest problem I have with water storing is that there is always a bit of hair/wool finds its way into the container and ties up the eggs together and when this happens, the few eggs that fungus are in the middle and start fungussing the good eggs. As well as that, the fry can be spred out for a couple of weeks in hatching which means a big difference in size.

Further to the Dageti eggs that I soaked last night. I found 9 eggs but this morning have 10 fry... my eyes are worst than I thought :oops:

[alanmin4304]

As soon as the first one hatches I remove it with an eye dropper and then add microworm to the remainder. The rest usually hatch that day. If they are being productive (which they usually are if males and females are kept seperate) I only keep one days eggs in a container and only breed them for about a week. I have just set up 3 trios of nigerianus this morning.