She POPPED! shePOPPED! she POPPED!

[Molch]

Okay...ONE egg (1). I found one single egg last night in the java fern. Why only one? I looked all day but don't yet see any others. Does she not like the plants? She has at leats 10 different plant species in there. But if she can put one egg in the java fern, why not the others? Will more come?

Am I ready? I have white worms, brine shrimp eggs and daphnia cultures ordered and on the way. I don't know if I can get blackworms anywhere. I have frozen Daphnia as a back-up....

Also, how long till hatching? If I keep eggs at 55-60 degrees? Or should I keep them warmer? I intend to take them out of the parent's tank when there are a few more. The first egg is still in there as of now...

It's been 10 years since I had newt babies and I'm out of practice...any advice?

 

[Jennewt]

I assume this was your I. alpestris apuanus? I suspect there will be more! The egg should be fine at that temperature, or slightly warmer. It's likely to take about 3 weeks until it hatches, so you have time to get the live food geared up.

Congratulations, and hoping for more!

 

[Molch]

yes, the alpestris. It's the big beige one. Still no other eggs. In fact, she was hanging out w. the boys all day enjoying the courtship displays. I told her it's time to stop fooling around and go to work, but since when do they listen to me??

I did order more Elodea and hornwort. I think they'll be good water purifiers in the larva tanks.

 

[RobM]

one egg? the title is miss leading
Congratulations, more will follow I'm sure

 

[Molch]

we're up to 4 eggs now. Maybe more, but I can't see all the way into the plant thicket. She's adopted the java fern mat as her laying site. She bends the very tips of the ferns around the eggs. I caught her laying one egg and the look of transported concentration on her face was special (I'm not anthropomorphizing, no, not at all.).

Imagine having to make an egg sandwich with your feet, except your belly is so huge you can't possibly even SEE your feet, and all that without any frontal lobes.

Now the questions: when and how should I take the eggs out of there? Should I clip the java fern leaves at the base or just the tips where the eggs are? If I do the latter, won't the leaves rot and affect the eggs? Or should I let them in the tank a while longer? I haven't seen the adults go hunt eggs and eat hem (yet)

 

[Ken Worthington]

Imagine having to make an egg sandwich with your feet, except your belly is so huge you can't possibly even SEE your feet, and all that without any frontal lobes.

Superb! Thanks, Molch!:rofl: I can just imagine David Attenborough filming a wildlife documentary, saying that into the camera!

and all that without any frontal lobes.....

Frontal lobes? Instead, I usually add some mayonaise and some cress to my egg sandwiches

 

[tmarmoratus]

That's awesome news! My apaunus are currently laying eggs as well. Good luck! :smile:

 

[Molch]

we're up to at least 6 eggs now. Is that the going rate, 2 eggs/day? Or will she crank up production at some point?

I promise to stop announcing every single egg if you folks give me some hints on this question:

when and how should I take the eggs out of there? Should I clip the java fern leaves at the base or just the tips where the eggs are? If I do the latter, won't the leaves rot and affect the eggs? Or should I let them in the tank a while longer? I haven't seen the adults go hunt eggs and eat hem (yet)

 

[Molch]

oh my - she's really at it right now. As of this a.m. we have about 15-20 eggs all over the tank, some in the Vallisneria, some in the Elodea, but mainly in the java fern.

The java fern is in one big mat or thicket all grown on top one of those fiber mats. Should I wait till she has lain more eggs in it and then take the whole thing out? Or clip off individual eggs as she lays them? Or leave them in the tank? It would be a pity to shred that nice java thicket, but I'll do whatever is best for the eggs....

 

[Kaysie]

See if you can pull 'em out without clipping the java fern.

 

[Molch]

See if you can pull 'em out without clipping the java fern.

not sure what you mean...they are glued and folded into the leaves. I could clip off the tip of the leaves, but then it would rot and the egg would be affected...

 

[Azhael]

If you clip off the tips the piece of plant would take quite a long time to rot (very, in my experience) and not affect the egg at all. I however would recommend leaving the eggs in with the parents unless you intend to raise large numbers. The eggs laid on java ferns are usually quite well protected (at least more than those laid on java moss or elodea) so they should do well. You can then collect the larvae as you see them emerge.
People have good results raising these species´s offspring with their parents provided that enough food and space is provided, you might want to consider that too.

Congrats by the way xD I´m now facing the possibility that my group might breed, i´m nervous

 

[Jennewt]

I agree with both Azhael and Kaysie. The gentlest approach for the egg is to cut the plant just around the egg. Java fern can tolerate this and not rot. The gentlest approach for the plant is to unstick the egg from the plant. This sounds like it would break the egg, but once you've done it a few times it gets easier and it can be done without damaging the egg or the plant. I can understand not wanting to do this when you have only a few precious eggs. Maybe after the 100th, you'll give it a try If you don't, there will be nothing left of your plants!

 

[Greatwtehunter]

You should look into adding plastic egg laying strips.

 

[Mark]

In my experience apuanus are not big egg eaters so I tend to leave eggs in with the adults and hoover out the hatched larvae with a baster. It's a bit of a faff but so is collecting eggs. I've never had much success raising larvae with the adults - mine eat anything that moves, including their offspring, even small metamorphs get chomped on. Their food motto is - if it fits, eat it - if it doesn't fit, try to rip a bit off.

 

[Molch]

I haven't observed any egg thieving by the adults, so for now I'll leave them in. I might rescue some eggs shortly before hatching. I'll keep an eye on them!

 

[tmarmoratus]

I have witnessed my apaunus biting on plants, but not anywhere where eggs have been laid. Regardless, I'm thinking about keeping the eggs in with the parents, and keeping the parents well fed.

 

[mytimemic]

I found these posts very entertaining. I pictured a guy with his nose pressed against the glass watching. :lol: Maybe she had a little performance anxiety. :lol:

Congratulations on the new children.

 

[Molch]

here is a pic of the Fat Lady at work: making another egg sandwich in the java fern. You can see the eggs all around her.

 

[RobM]

The camera lens makes it look like she herself is in an egg!