How I collect the eggs of the Nothobranchius

 

When you think there are enough eggs in the breeding bowl, take it out from the breeding tank. Quite often, fish will be inside the bowl. Remove them and take away the rock. You can check for eggs by stirring the peat with your finger. Eggs should be clearly visible if they are there.
Pour the peat moss through a coffee filter. Let the water dripping out from the coffee filter collect in the breeding bowl. Swirl the peat around with this water and pour the peat through the filter until there's no peat left. Do not leave any peat in the bowl or you may lose some eggs. Every egg is precious.

 

 

Let all the water drip out and then give the filter a good squeeze. Eggs are tough and can take some rough handling but don't squeeze too hard. Put the peat on several sheets of newspapers. Check the coffee filter for eggs. Quite often, eggs will be attached to the sides of the filter.

 

The best time to look for eggs in the peat would be at this moment when the peat is still wet. Spread the peat out on the newspapers and the eggs will stand out clearly if they are there. Wet eggs glisten so they are easily seen. Even if it's just for an hour or 2, it becomes much more difficult to spot the eggs if you look for them later. Notho eggs are fairly large and can be easily seen with the naked eye.

Weighs about 60 kilograms and 1.6 metres in length. I'm talking about my wife, not the egg (duh). That's her finger.

Eggs vary in colour and some may look opaque and unfertilised but as far as I know, eggs are good as long as they are not fungused.

 

 

 

Keep the peat covered between several sheets of newspapers and leave to dry for 24 hours. Do not leave the newspapers under the sun as the peat may dry too quickly. If the amount of peat is small, 24 hours may be too long a period.

The right dryness is important. The peat should not be soggy wet, neither should it be bone dry. If the peat is too damp, the eggs may become fungused. If too dry, the eggs may die and disappear into nothingness.

Keep your eyes on the peat, not the girl because the next picture on the "Incubation" page will show the difference between wet and dry peat.