The hatch will take place in 3 or 4 days. The fry will be very small, about
1/8 inch, and nearly clear at the hatch. If you don't have them in a
separate facility, you probably won't see them until June or July. I have
never had a year that some fry did not make it through, though it varies
from 3 or 4 to as many as a dozen. You will be out, sitting by the pond,
and all of a sudden you will see something shoot by. I mean fast, and then
you will start trying to see what it is. I usually find mine hiding up in
and around the lily pads.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html


Bob wrote in message ...
On Sun, 16 Mar 2003 00:42:48 GMT, "RichToyBox"
wrote:
Thanks Rich....So I guess I definitely had some spawning going
on....as I did experience the white foam....there weren't many plants
that they could get up into....and I did notice them eating something
off the bottom....I guess that was the eggs. I have a large filter so
I didn't experience any ammonia spike....I didn't think to check for
nitrates.....this lasted for about 4 hours and now they seem to be
back to normal. My pond is completely lined with rock....some pretty
large....what do you think the chances are that some young might
survive in the pond?? And if they do....how long before I might see
one?? This took me by complete surprise as this is only the second
year for my pond.
As far as I could tell....only 2 females were involved .
Thanks for responding to my post.
When they are spawning, it is usually more than just chasing. The water
surface will be covered with a white foam, from the milt, and the plants
that they can get up into, will be trashed. If they spawn, the milt is
nearly pure protein and as such creates an ammonia spike. I did not
catch
the ammonia spike, because my filter was able to handle it, but the
nitrites
went completely out the roof.

You may see our pond at:

www.gulftel.com/seadogs