We have suddenly discovered some eggs in our mixed tropical tank, attached to side of the fluval filter, which is attached to corner of 3 foot tank. They are currently a mixture of brown and white - more brown though, and approximately 50 I guess, and about the size of a pinhead each. Yesterday there seemed to be more than today so some have disappeared. Not only that, my filter is not as powerful as it was a few days ago, so I reckon some eggs have gone in the slits and may be clogging it up?

The only fish who show any "responsibility" or ownership for these eggs are two angelfish, who we didn't even realise were different sexes. We have also had them for years and this is a first. However, my fish books at home are not very detailed about their spawn and I have no idea about next steps, so to speak.

- How can I tell if they are definitely the angel fish's? (my fish books say they lay eggs on leaves and this is on the side of the filter, although we don't have many plants in tank.)
- how long will it take for them to hatch?
- why are some brown and some white?
- is there anything I should be doing?
- what about my filter slowly getting sluggish - I guess I can't clean my tank/filter until these are hatched?
- anything else I should know?

Thanks for any advice and apologies for my ignorance in these fishy fertility matters!

Hi Shanna,

My angel was spawning on the side glass of tank. They will spawn at any place which is they feeling secure to lay their eggs.

If you mixed with other fishes. It is recommended to remove others. just leave the parents with the eggs. Normally they will take 24-36 hours to hatch. And you better power off the filter. And put in the air-stone which connected to air-pump to provide the O2. So that the eggs/fries won't be sucked by the filter.

The white eggs is not successfully fertilized by male. So it turn to white and consider as spoilt eggs. The parents will eating up the spoilt eggs.

The fries normally take 3-4 days for free swimming. And don't need to feed after they are free swimming. I feed my fries with Tetra Baby powder food. You may try on that too.

Thanks Dom

Unfortunately by the time I got home that day (I posted the message) all the eggs had gone! And no fry in tank either. So either they were sucked in by filter or eaten? I cleaned the tank yesterday and checked filter carefully (which was quite clogged up) for eggs or fry but saw nothing. So although I have nothing to report now, with your info I now know how to handle things in future.

thanks again

No worry. learn from mistake... hope you will success next time.

actually the egg you can just let it be...the parent will take care of the fly,y they will eat the egg bcoz they was disturb,you should cover your tank with some newpaper and try not to disturb them.but is ok to raise the fly without the parent,coz angel is not like discus.the fly wont really eat the thing from the parent.after about a week,u will see the fry is free swimming.then u can try to get them some live plegton "sui ji",over pudu u can get a bag full of it for one dollar.another way is feed the dry egg yolk....but this will clouded the water and the result is not so good .some fly will just not take it and die.i find the "sui ji" is the best,you can keep 80%-90% for my experince if they have good quality food and water condition.but if u feed egg yolk ,mayb40-50% u will get.it take about 3-4 months for the fish grow up to a 20 cent coin size.and they will come in different size if they have not enuff food.all angel is very easy to breed,u can try to cross gen also.using marble with koi will come out some nice fish.i tried using blue blushing and albino,the result also very good,i got few red eyes bulshing last time.hope this information will help.

My marble angel fish spaned twice in the last month, but the eggs will alway disapear in 3 to 4 days. It coudln't b the other fishes as they r 2 small compared 2 the angel.

it shouldnt be other fishes......mostly the parent will protect the eggs.after the angels spawn....you can try and do a netting...to net the eggs area. for me i'm using spawning cone,so will just put in a round shape cone to protect the eggs.but mostly my angel parent do very well in taking care the eggs....unless some stupid go and disturb the parent.....another thing might happen...the eggs was just been replace by the parent only...try to look around in the tank.

Congratulation….

Dear all,
Any ideal how to get a baby for red parrot???

parrot fish cannot be breed 1.....the female will lay egg...but the stupid male will just eat them all.....thats y you can see in the market which people use flower horn to mis with parrot

i personnaly have breed angels fish. If u wan to breed it with minimum mortality. Try catch out the pair and let them spawn in different tank
u can keep the parent with the egg, they will fan and eat unfertilized egg to prevent outbreak of fungus. Angels can be a good parent.try it