# Pregnant (and frantic) Ember Tetra - what to do?



## PBM3000 (23 May 2018)

I have an Ember Tetra in my 240l community tank who is pregnant and is frantically fighting-off other inhabitants (even Pearl Gouramis!) in order to protect her 'birthing space'.

She's clearly stressed and I'd rather like to raise a batch of fry if at all possible.  What would you recommend I do?  Netting her will be laboured at best (pun intended), given the planted nature of the tank. I have one of those clear plastic breeding boxes but the 'egg trapping' layer went missing a while ago.  Any ideas?


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## Aqua360 (23 May 2018)

PBM3000 said:


> I have an Ember Tetra in my 240l community tank who is pregnant and is frantically fighting-off other inhabitants (even Pearl Gouramis!) in order to protect her 'birthing space'.
> 
> She's clearly stressed and I'd rather like to raise a batch of fry if at all possible.  What would you recommend I do?  Netting her will be laboured at best (pun intended), given the planted nature of the tank. I have one of those clear plastic breeding boxes but the 'egg trapping' layer went missing a while ago.  Any ideas?



if you have a separate tank, that'd possibly be a good option, or throw lots more plants into your existing 240. Not a fan of the breeder boxes, they always seem to stress the fish more whenever I've seen them used


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## Edvet (23 May 2018)

"breathe......................breathe...................."


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## tam (23 May 2018)

Plant a circle of stems around her spot to help her protect it?


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## zozo (23 May 2018)

They are egg scatterers, so do not realy have any protective breeding habbits. All tho they show kinda hierachical behaivor in the group and sometimes also among other sp. sharing their space. They just drop the eggs off all over the place.. You might get lucky if the tank is heavily and densly planted that you suddely see fry appear.. Or as i did a while ago suddenly spotted just 1, small juvenile Black neon Tetra i never bought, likely the only one surviving.  The Embers that are in the same tank till now at all their scattered eggs till now.

Embers if they feel very comfortable in their space can be pretty bold and confident little fish, the girsl are most cheeky and quarrel eachother a lot.. I once noticed a Ember girl quarreling a little bit with a Amano shrimp over a piece of food, trying to intimidate the shrimp lady a bit in dissaproval she kept all of it for herself.


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## Sakura83 (23 May 2018)

Do video of fight with Gouramis please


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## sparkyweasel (23 May 2018)

Would your scape allow you to use a tank divider?
They are less stressful than a breeding box, but you can't always fit one in.


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## PBM3000 (23 May 2018)

sparkyweasel said:


> Would your scape allow you to use a tank divider?
> They are less stressful than a breeding box, but you can't always fit one in.


Not without a struggle!  Would likely impact flow etc too no doubt.  I'll have a think tomorrow.


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## doylecolmdoyle (24 May 2018)

I didn't think ember tetras cared for there eggs? "An egg-scattering free spawner exhibiting no parental care." Why would the fish care about the location it scatters the eggs?

Fish, including the embers probably just end up eating the eggs anyways.


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## Conort2 (24 May 2018)

They'll be no point separating her unless you stick a male in the divided side with her. The eggs are not fertilised until they are released from the fish. Fish such as tetras normally turn round and eat them as fast as they come out however u may get lucky if there is thick vegetation like zozo already mentioned.


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## PBM3000 (24 May 2018)

Ah.  I see.  I guess nature will have to take its course on this occasion.  Cheers.


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