How long until Oscars spawn again?

Question

Well I have 2 oscars in a 200L tank. And they did lay 200+ eggs on a rock but the next day they were all gone. This has happened once before and what shall i do now? Also how long until the Oscars spawn again?

Please help!

Answer 1

Oscars can spawn in as little as 2 weeks apart though just keep doing what you are doing and they'll try this again. Lots of times new parents take awhile to get it right. Keep paying attention to the tank and make sure you have a male and a female. I know it sounds strange though sometimes 2 females breed together and both lay eggs though with Oscars you would have had a lot more eggs if 2 females were both laying them. When they are getting ready to spawn they will drop a tube near the anal fin. Compare the size of the tubes. The females is noticibly larger. If you want to try to pull the eggs set up a separate 10 gallon aquarium with a heater, some light source and sponge filter. When the pair breed again place whatever they bred on near the sponge filter so it has water flow, add some methane blue to keep the fungus at bay and find out if you have viable eggs. There are times where the male is sterile. When the fry start swimming not just bouncing around on the bottom though swimming start feeding them BABY brine shrimp. You can get this at most pet stores. Better marine stores will also have Cyclops in particular Cyclops Eeze is a brand that is very good and the new born fry can eat these and grow very well on both BABY brine shrimp as well as Cyclops. Good luck.

If you aren't interested in setting up another tank just let the Oscars breed like they are and if they are having fertile spawns they'll eventually get it and you'll have fry soon. I prefer letting the parents raise the young for at least 2 weeks anyway. Even then I personally leave 20 or so young with the parents because I love viewing the bond they make and how they care for their young. Still get the bbs and cyclops to feed them.

Answer 2

Sometimes it takes a pair a few tries to get it right. Another possibility is that the eggs are bad because one of the adults is sterile. A third possibility is that the "pair" is actually two females both laying eggs. Once a pair starts breeding regularly they may breed as often as once every 2-3 weeks with no fry in the tank, so feed them well and see if they spawn again soon. You could be ready to move the eggs if you want to try that. Just place a sponge filter in the main tank and have a small tank empty and ready. Once the Oscars spawn fill the empty tank with water from the spawning tank, move the sponge filter and move the rock with the eggs. Yes, they will attack you when you reach in, but they can't hurt you so just get the rock as quickly as possible. If the eggs turn white within a day you'll know they were infertile and that would be why they are eating them.

MM