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Breeding Freshwater Tropical Fish

by: coralights( 188Feedback score is 100 to 499) Top 10000 Reviewer
41 out of 47 people found this guide helpful.
Guide viewed: 7046 times Tags: tropical fish | freshwater | aquarium | breeding | fish


The challenge

Most freshwater tropical fish if kept healthy and fed nutritious foods will reproduce in captivity. Although over-feeding is the number one problem - especially with inexperienced hobbyists - to breed fish they need nutricious food in excess of their normal needs - to condition them to spawn.


Some fish give birth to live fry (mollies, guppies, swordtails & platies) who unravel like anchovies when coming out of the females womb (known as a gravid spot) ... and begin swimming around instantly.

Most fish like tetras, danios & barbs lay eggs however .. many scatter them and others adhere them to a surface such as a plant leaf or rock.

The secrets

The secrets to getting your fish to spawn are simple.
  1. You need a male and a female ... and in some cases several of each or of one or the other (check the literature)
  2. Temperature, surroundings, water chemistry and lighting should be as per the literature on the particular species you are attempting to breed.
  3. Diet .... the most desirable and nutritious of foods for conditioning fish to spawn are usually live foods .... in some cases earth worms and in others live brine shrimp. There are some excellent dry & frozen foods on the market that will also do the job. A mixture is ideal.

Observe

You must familarize yourself with the breeding habits of your fish (read, read, read!), noting and logging any changes in behavior and referring to the literature on your fish for guidance. Many fish "color up" and the female becomes noticeably laden with eggs as they approach breeding condition.

Be prepared

  • to remove the parents when recommended as some fish eat their fry or eggs
  • to feed the fry as directed
  • to remove the fry to a nursery if desirable (have ONLY a sponge filter already running)
  • to remove other tank inhabitants if needed to protect the fry

NOTE: removing fry ---- use a plastic aquarium hose to carefully siphon them out.

Summary

Assuming your keeping a HEALTHY aquarium in the first place, breeding tropical fish is surprisingly easy for many species since most are being bred in captivity and have been aquacultured for many generations. It is an enjoyable & challenging undertaking and a barometer of your ability as an aquarist to keep your specimens in optimum health. Reading literature on the subject and isolating a target species will increase the [probabbility of success for a beginner. Knowing what to anticipate is 95% of the battle.

Guide ID: 10000000000781444Guide created: 03/05/06 (updated 06/13/09)

 
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coralights
coralights( 188Feedback score is 100 to 499) About Me
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