Put a 2 1/2" - 3" clay pot (new, very clean) or a ceramic tile (white seems best) near the 'nem.
If you are lucky he will force her to lay inside the pot or on the tile.
If yours are stubborn - like mine - she will lay on one of the rocks in your main display. He will hang around that area and "fan" them so it will be kind of obvious where they are.
The challenge is figuring out the hatch date.
It is important to know the date she lays so watch him closely. If you miss it they get silver rings on their eyes at about the 3rd day.
7 - 8 days after the lay the fry will release.
IN TANK:
On the night(s) you think they will release, turn off all the lights and pumps. Wait 15 minutes or so then start checking every 10 minutes (up to about 2 hours). They will release in a few spurts then a big wave then a few final spurts.
[Edit]
DOH - you need a flashlight to check for the release. I use a nightlight on an extension cord but a flashlight wrapped in a handkerchief works too. You hold the light against the front face of the tank and the fry will swim to it.
Using a white teacup (or similiar - the color helps you see them, a teacup is good cause you can hold / control it easier) catch them and move them to a 10G or so tank. You will have more water in the fry tank than you want - you will need to use a rotifer strainer with poly tube to drain the fry tank down to about 2 G of water.
IF ON REMOVABLE
The night you think they will hatch, move the pot or tile to the 10G. You need to replace the "fanning" he does so add an airpump with a gentle stream of bubbles passing over the eggs.
Either way, after you get the fry in the tank, add a BUNCH of rotifers and some phyto. Feed them rotifers for week with NHBBS started at about 5 days (overlap foods). Dry and frozen can be started after 10 - 12 days.
Need a small heater (Aquatic Design has the Stealth heaters - these do not have exposed lights so are easier on the fry) and an air line for water movement. Add a air driven sponge filter at about 10 days. Change water every 3 to four days. An ammonia monitor is a great thing.
Don't forget to turn all the pumps back on on the display tank.
Anyway, it's not all that hard but you lose a bunch of fry when you start. Don't beat yourself up too bad - after they start laying you'll have a new batch to deal with about every 21 days.
Never really noticed she is larger before she lays. I just see this orange ring of eggs on the big rock and start the countdown to the release.
