[rjmarchisi]

Well after finally getting a pair of Bastimentos together they have been laying clutches of about 6 eggs every other week. The only problem has been that about 1 week before the tads are ready to hatch they fog up, turn white and disintegrate. I mist the tanks every morning with dechlorinated water, but this still is happening. What can I do to stop this and get some tads in the water?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Randy]

I sometimes see this with pumilio eggs during those middle stages of tad development. A couple of eggs going bad out of a clutch seems to be very normal. If you're noticing entire clutches going bad after 1-2 weeks' development, then your eggs might be drowning from the misting. The eggs have to breathe, so check to make sure that the eggs aren't becoming submerged after you mist, that might help keep your egg-mortality rates down.

 

[rjmarchisi]

The eggs are never submerged and the rest of the leaf surface is dry, perhaps I should cut back on misting instead of keeping it so damp?

rob

 

[Randy]

If the eggs aren't submerged, then they're probably not drowning. If this is their first time breeding, then I wouldn't change anything just yet. It sounds like the pair is happy enough in their current environment to breed, so it sounds like they're set up as good as possible. One possibility with new parents is that they can inadvertently stomp their clutches to death while tending to them (i.e. guarding, hydrating, etc.). This may be the same in your case here. They'll eventually get it down, I say just give 'em time. Good job!

 

[Guest]

This is normal. Just give them some time. Don't change anything. It's even possible that they have tads in the water from clutches you haven't seen. I saw bad clutches from my red bastis while at the same time there were tads that I had no clue of.