Hatching Nothobranchius eggs - my way

I keep the Notho eggs at room temperature, which means 23–25 °C in the summer and 20–22 °C in the winter. The incubation time depends on many factors: the temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels of the peat, as well as how often the eggs are collected from the breeding tank. Because of this, incubation time can vary greatly. I have had virgatus eggs that developed visible eyes after 3–4 months, while others took more than 7–8 months.

The most important thing is to check the eggs regularly: every 3–4 weeks, and once the first eyed-up eggs appear in the bag, then every 2 weeks. I hatch the eggs when most of them are eyed-up in the peat.

Regarding hatching: I use cold tap water with a hardness of 18–19 nk° and a temperature of 16–17 °C, well oxygenated. I add a few drops of liquid oxygen, but oxygen tablets can also be used. I let the tap water stand for at least 24 hours before use. Nothobranchius embryos need humic acid for hatching, so I add peat to the small hatching container, no more than 1 cm thick on the bottom. Without humic acid, they will not hatch. These containers are very small; I use only a few deciliters of water for hatching.

After the first day, I place the small hatching container into a larger tank (10–15 liters) and very slowly (by dripping) add water to it, filling the tank little by little each day. This water always has the same parameters as the hatching water, plus 1 teaspoon of salt per 10 liters. The salt helps prevent Oodinium, which is the most common disease in Nothobranchius. I also add a few snails to the tank to clean up uneaten food.

For smaller fry, I give Paramecium, but most Notho fry can eat freshly hatched Artemia nauplii right away. I remove uneaten food from the bottom every 2–3 days and change 10–30% of the water at the same time, depending on how many fry are in the tank.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Good luck!