Eggs?

[missdixie256]

OK my oscar has been with me for a week as of Saturday. I noticed a breeding tube on Sunday the 4th. and her bottom tummy is just getting bigger and bigger She came to me with eggs so I dont know anything about that stuff. She is quite a large fish at 11.5 inches... How long does it take Oscars to lay? I have provided her with 4 or 5 large chunks of petrified rock that I acid tested after I boiled them and cleaned them up... She has not eaten in the time she has been with me but she is becoming more active and 'protecting' certain chunks of rock.. I am assuming this is where she has chosen to lay her eggs?

Anything else I should do? We are currently battling Ammonia in my tap water. Tap and Tank check in at the same amount of Ammonia 1.0.. My Nitrates test at 10 and my Nitrites are testing at about .25. I know there shouldnt be any Nitrites but the tank is cycling since my filter didnt hold down the tank like I thought it would. I am changing between 10 and 25 gallons of water a day to try to keep this in check.

 

[Helena21]

so she hasnt layed any eggs yet?
I dont think she will lay eggs if there isnt a male to fertilize them, but i may be wrong

 

[missdixie256]

They are like chickens from what I understand we had an angelfish that laid eggs for 2 or 3 years without another angel being in the tank and she and a pleco being the only things in the tank.

But alas, No she has not layed yet...

 

[SinisterKisses]

so she hasnt layed any eggs yet?
I dont think she will lay eggs if there isnt a male to fertilize them, but i may be wrong

Oh, she'll lay eggs. My female flowerhorn, who has always been all by herself, lays eggs at least once a month. I can't think of a cichlid that I'm aware of that won't go through false breeding without a partner present

There's no point in worrying about making the tank and water conditions perfect for breeding, because nothing is going to result from it. She can't fertilize the eggs, so they're just going to rot or get eaten. I've never kept oscars, so I don't know if the timeframe is different, but when I see my flowerhorn with a chunky belly and egg tube out, I know its only going to be a few days before the rock is covered in hundreds of eggs. So if the oscar hasn't yet, she should very soon...unless its not eggs.

 

[missdixie256]

I am almost certain it is eggs... Because my aunt witnessed the two oscars (same size) lip locking and doing mating behaviors I have read about... So maybe I am wrong?

I am just trying to make my water oscar friendly... I have never really wanted to breed fish and I fully plan to either remove the eggs or let her eat them... Whichever is he choice


Since I have Ammonia in my tap water is it possible to use those ammonia removers (like the fizzy ones) to pre-treat my water?