P. waltl reinforcements

[tj]

Not wanting Rob to have to conquer the world all by his lonesome

, my P.waltls have decided to join the battle!

Came home from work this evening to find my Iberians�e tank full of eggs. Glad I added some Elodea (which Kai suggests may actually be Egeria) just in the nick of time!

But like the last time, she (or the other female among my 2 adult pairs) tended to favor articifial plants.

And like before, she utilized the sponge filter.

And this time even a large rock!

Finally, a pic of �gMom�h shortly before she burst

 

[rob]

LOL! Nice pics man.

Now we can team up!

Congrats!

Rob

 

[john]

Congratulations Tim!

I hope I see similar picture in my Tylototriton verrucosus tank in the next few days...

 

[tj]

Thanks! Now let's see if mine hatch as fast as your's did, Rob, though I doubt it from past experience.

Good luck on your T. verrucosus John. She's a beauty if it's the same plump one I saw in one of your pics before (with eggs I thought but I may be recalling wrongly). I'd keep verrucosus too if only they remained aquatic all year long...

Question: my P. waltl just laid all those eggs, right? But now the male is again engaging her in amplexus. Doesn't seem quite fair. Should I remove her or him to let the poor girl catch her breath, or can this really lead to something again soon?

I haven't boned up on my amphibian biology, so excuse me for asking, but how soon after she absorbs the male spermazoid does a female Iberian lay eggs? Hours, days, weeks?

She is still a bit plump, and I was wondering if there might be more eggs on the way. Is it common or heard of for a female to lay eggs one day, and then again only a couple of days later?

TKS!
Tim

 

[rob]

Mine were amplexing again the day after the eggs were laid as well. She still looks rather plump. I never considered that it may be another batch on the way. My understand with P. waltl is that several days after mating is when the eggs are laid...although don't hold me to that. Someone else may be able to better answer.

 

[tj]

I seem to recall Rob saying his Iberians hatched within a week. Seemed almost unbelievable to hear that at the time, but while working on my eggs (separating the good from the bad) I noticed around 100 hatchlings under all the plants!

That's what, only 6 days after being laid? Some are swimming, and some are still inert. I've successfully bred P.waltl before (no major accomplishment, I know!) but never noticed how short the incubation period was. Is this normal?

There are still another 250-300 viable eggs...
Seeing as juvies sell here in Tokyo for around $30 apiece retail and that comes out to $12,000 for 400, should I begin planning that Caribbean cruise? Anybody want to join? My treat, of course

Tim

 

[tj]

 

[tj]

 

[tj]

Wait a sec, on second thought, that's only 4 days...!!

Yes, I was handling the eggs, so a few might have slipped out prematurely, but certainly not 100. And like I said, when touched, they swim already!

The water was circulating well, using the "one-touch" type Tetra cartridge w/ sponge filter that I always use with eggs and babies (forgot what they call these over there). But it wasthe inflow was not so strong as to swish them around as I established an obstacle in front of where the water reenters the cube-shaped mini-tank. I wonder if this had something to do with their quick incubation...

 

[tj]

 

[jennifer]

Tim, you can't possibly go on a Caribbean cruise, you'll be too busy doing water changes on all those tanks! Not to mention, raising the next batch of ribbed newts, or whatever else breeds for you!