My acf laid eggs

[Jenste]

Picture of egg - - is this what a healthy, viable egg or an unfertilized egg?

I heard that eggs would have a membrane around them - or has this passed membrane and gone on to fungus?

[tgampper]

Hi Jen:

The pix is quite blurry, but I am allmost sure that the egg is unfertilized. It look like there is a fungal growth covering the egg (look for a cotton-like fuzz). I would remove any fuzzy eggs, if they aren't, keep them for another week or so. You are correct, females should only mate 3-4 times a year to remain healthy and vibrant frogs. It is possible that the female may be too young (usually females mature in 9 months). I would separate them for three months and try again. When you are ready to try again, lower the water to 5 inches and raise the temperature to about 85(F). This will stimulate the production of eggs. Then raise the water level to at least 8 inches and lower the temperature by adding ice cubes to the water. The higher water level and lowering the temperature will drive the male crazy and hopefully successful breeding will begin. In Africa, these frogs breed during the cooler months and during periods of flooding. It just might work.

Good luck

[Jenste]

I have owned all three since august/september so they are atleast 10 - 11 months old.

It feels like maybe the male missed (poor guy!)

I will go through the tank and remove any that look bad....

If laid 72+ hrs ago...should they at least be "c" or tadpoles?

[tgampper]

I have owned all three since august/september so they are atleast 10 - 11 months old.

It feels like maybe the male missed (poor guy!)

It takes a little longer for the males to become sexually mature, 12-13 months.

I will go through the tank and remove any that look bad....

If laid 72+ hrs ago...should they at least be "c" or tadpoles?

Usually eggs hatch within 72 hours, if not, they are most likely unfertilized. I am not sure if you have seen Xenopus tadpoles, but they are somewhat bizarre compared with taddies of other species.

[Jenste]

thanks - - have no idea what happened to that one that looked promising - will gently take out bad eggs and see if anything can be seen in the tank--- if that one itty bitty egg was becoming a tadpole i hope i can find it!

[Jenste]

Spent over an hour going over the tank centimeter by centimeter - - found nothing but eggs covered in fungus...except for one teeny dead tadpole (looks like a itty bitty guppy fry almost with nothing but eyes, stomach, and tail).

I am going to assume that this was the one that had started turning into a "c" that detached from the wall and disappeared.

so, phantom obviously had TRIED to fertilize them, but he either started too early or too late and only manage to fertilize this one.

[tgampper]

Sorry to hear that the first try didn't work out. It sounds like the male tried but wasn't ready. Looks like a case of poor timing.