Hello All,
Not sure if gestation or incubation is the correct word, so how long is it from the time Fathead minnows lay their eggs, until the eggs hatch?
With the recent warm spell, I think I have FH laying under my sunken pallets, but we have another strong Norther coming down and I'm wondering if the eggs or hatchlings will survive?

Thanks In Advance...

Reproductive Habits of FH:
· Mature in 1 year
· Spawning occurs May through August in water 15-32°C 59-89 F
· Fecundity is 6,803-10,164 eggs per female

Some added info:

In fathead minnows, maturity is reached in four to six months at a size of approximately 40 mm TL for females and 48 mm TL for males. Spawning occurs naturally from May through August (15EC to 32EC) in calm shallows of streams and along shorelines in ponds. Males select and prepare the nest site defending it from intruders and only allowing persistent females to enter and spawn. Nests are typically located on the undersurface of submerged stones or branches. Females spawn fractionally every 2 to 16 days producing up to 10,000 eggs in a three month breeding season (Gale and Buynak, 1982). Males protect eggs from predation and cannibalism and fan egg masses with caudal and dorsal fins to increase oxygen availability. The spongy nape pad, used for scrubbing the nest site, has taste buds capable of chemosensory assessment of egg condition and is believed to produce substances with fungicidal properties (Jenkins & Burkhead, 1994). Eggs hatch in 4 to 10 days depending on temperature(colder temperatures take longer). The combination of high fecundity and parental care stands in contrast to normal aspects of the r- and K-selection model (Jenkins & Burkhead, 1994).

Great information! Thanks!
I went out and checked my water temperature. It's 65 F, today. I'm pretty sure I have eggs laid under the sunken pallets. Now, I also understand why I'm seeing so many 1/4 to half inch FHM coming to eat the floating catfish food.
I just didn't think the FHM would start spawning, during the warm periods, between cold fronts. Now, I know it's all about water temperature. The CC should be happy, when the temps get up enough for them to want to start feeding more.

Out in the pasture, I'm seeing lots of masses of frog eggs in low spots that are still holding water. Would the tadpoles provide extra forage for the CC pond if I scooped up the egg masses and put them in there? Will the CC eat the frog eggs or will they wait and eat the tadpoles?

I think the CC will eat anything they can fit in their mouths... HAHA Must be warm down there to have 65 degree water! I am jealous!

No CC but I wonder what would be better for FHM to lay eggs, perf pipe or cinder block?

Try a combination of the two.

It's a weird winter down here. Unusually cold followed by unusually warm, then cold, again. The water is now back down into the 50s. It'll probably be getting colder for the next 10 days.
I sunk 5 wood pallets and staked them in about a foot of water, so they'd be easy to remove for seining the eating size CC. I put in 3 pounds of "Rosy Red" FHM and 1 pound of the normal colored FHM. After about 2 months, I had FHM every where. The FHM went after the floating catfish food and the CC would erupt out of the water eating the FHM. My girls were a bit nervous that they were swimming with such aggressive fish.
In the colder water, I see the FHM feeding, occasionally, but more rarely do I see one of the 150 CC.
About June, it'll be time to start harvesting CC for some good ol' southern fish fries.

I guess I spoke too soon. It's gotten cold and it's staying cold. Of course, to a Southeast Texas boy, if it's below 70 F, with a 5 MPH wind, it's cold.
Nothing is feeding, now, but I do see lots of little black tadpoles in the grassy edges.

how about Christmas trees for FH to lay their eggs on?

I'm sure FHM could find a way to use parts of a Christmas tree to lay their eggs on, but it wouldn't be ideal.