RE: [Killietalk] Locating eggs in peat?

["Brian R. Watters" <bwatters at sasktel_net>]

Kenneth Combs wrote:

>
>  OK, I'm sure this horse has been beat a few times, but can someone
> gimme a quick repost on how to find eggs in peat........
> ....... 2 examples: I've been removing peat from a tank of Simpsonicthys
> constanciae every couple weeks or so. Judging from the peat flying in
> the dish, I'm sure somethings going on in there...yet I can see a single
> egg if I sift through it....
>

I am not sure if I can help here because I keep mainly Nothos and I don't
have any trouble seeing the eggs in the peat, especially when they are fresh
and undeveloped. Typically, eggs of South American annuals are darker and
the peat "dust" seems to adhere to them making them much more difficult to
see. One does not have this problem with Nothos.

>
> Oh, while I'm on the subject..anyone use "breather bags" for egg
> storage? and is there any advantage to having some gas
> exchange?..currently I'm using those "heavy duty" freezer bags with the
> zipper thingy (to cut down on drying...good?..bad?
>

This is mainly the reason I responded to this post. Firstly, do not use
breather bags for storing peat as the peat will dry out too quickly and too
profoundly. Secondly, freezer bags are also not very good because they are
generally designed to not breathe at all (to prevent freezer burn of
foodstuffs), and the bags need to be permeable to a degree.

I have always used 2 mil poly bags for egg storage (and for shipping fish,
by the way) and, because I tend to have longer incubation times than most
people, I double bag my peat. Such bags (even double bagged)will allow some
oxygen to permeate but will not allow very rapid drying of the peat. The use
of 2 mil poly bags results in a much more controllable and predictable
situation.
___________________________________________
Brian R. Watters
University of Regina
Regina, Sask. S4S 0A2, Canada
Ph: (306) 584-9161 (home); (306) 585-4663 (work)
Fax: (306) 585-5433
E-mail: bwatters at sasktel_net



To join the AKA see http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html
Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/