Fish Breeding

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ransome22

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Dec 30, 2002
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Anyone know of good resources on fish breeding? I want to get into planted tanks in particular for their beauty but want them to be functional as well (e.g. offer a very natural and comfortable habit conducive to breeding). Is breeding likely to take place in a community tank with other species present, for example? I will probably begin this endeavor with a 45 gallon tank initially but plan to move to a 155 gallon at some point. Just starting and would love to read whatever is available. I basically just want to have a planted tank that's as freswater-fish-friendly as possible and conducive breeding for a range of species.

And out of curiousity: at what point does my "Junior Member" status change to Grand Whopping Poobah Member or something?
 
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we need some more details :Like what kind of fish you wish to breed?DO you want to breed for fun?Keep in mind that if you want to breed for seriously you will need to have alot of tanks and time.Let us know.Good luck!
 
What I really want is a fully planted aquarium which houses the basic freshwater beginner fish (platys, corys, neons, zebras, swords, etc.) and I am *hoping* that such an environment is also conducive to the fish feeling 'comfortable' enough to breed. But I don't know that this is necessarily true; I wouldn't be surprised if someone said, "Yo, ransome, planted tanks are nice but they aren't the best breeding environment because of _____ " Or by extension, if I have a fish that is obviously pregnant, do I remove it from the planted tank or leave it? Or if it turns out the tank has already yielded fry, do I leave them or remove them?

So my primary interest is learning the art of setting up planted tanks and my secondary interest is doing whatever I can to make that planted environment as conducive to breeding as possible (for the run-of-the-mill species mentioned above).

I would also be interested in reading some serious books on these subjects which go beyond the "setting up your first aquarium" stuff. I had a planted 45g in high school that worked very well. Some of the fish did breed (platys and a mollie, maybe a zebra) but I didn't know how to best handle the situation once I got to that point.
 
Hey there ransome22,I have been fish keeping for many years now and have breed many types of fish in those years.I have a 4 tanks all planted and the rest are not.I have a few books I use to use I will look them up and repost the titles later.A good place to start is go to the library or if you wish to purchase them a book store.Something I found out is that most of them are not detailed they are like general reference books.I would ask around at the pet stores or just post on a board.Some fish breed very easy and others don't.I have found that the swordtails, platys,guppies and most live bearers just breed.But the other types of fish need some change to occur.Some times it is just changing the water temperature sometime you need to create rainy season.Sometimes controlling the light or sometimes the water flow.Each type of fish is different.Example is the cory's would need a temperature drop and the cichlid would like the temperature to rise.Plus water quality too.With all that said and I am sure someone can add I see no problem in you getting a tank and planting it.If you just want to see a few fry but you will need to have anther tank if you would like to see them all grow up.Cause most fry will get eaten,You will need to take them out at some point .With the exception of the guppy they will produce more then they will eat.I hope I made some sorta sense.Good luck and If no one has welcome you to the forum WELCOME!
 
What you need is a fish that will multiply pretty dependably while it's being kept in a handsome well-planted tank. Sensible idea.

The species you should look into, IMO, is Tanichthys albonubes White Cloud Mountain Minnow. As pretty as you could ask. A cool-water fish that doesn't even need a heater in a heated room. An easy breeder that doesn't hunt down and gobble its young, as long as you provide plenty of dense cover and natural food.

You can't confuse the issue though by adding other kinds of fish. It's hard to make babies on the commuter train at 7:18 too.

The young will need lots of Java Moss and plenty of the natural live foods that develop in a planted aquarium.
 
As far as Barb's and Tetra's, and many other genus' for that matter; most will beed in a community tank. That's breed; not survive. Any serious breeder you talk to will tell you that the parents must be alone in their own tank and then many times have to be removed before they eat the eggs. Even if some eggs hatch in a community tank, there won't be many survivors. If you have cichlids of any size breed in that tank, they will at least injure the other occupants if they don't kill them. Go with your planted community tank and let nature take it's course.
 
Go with your planted community tank and let nature take it's course.

Thanks much. I think this will be the plan. I am more interested in the planted tank than in the breeding but wanted to see how well a planted tank works as a successful / natural breeding environment. I do hope to plant it in such a way that there will be areas of refuge for fry which will not be physically accessible to bigger fish. How the fry will manage to get fed while hiding ... or not get eaten when venturing out for food remains to be seen ...
 
thanks for the thread Ran

came home from work yesterday to see the remains of egg casings on the glass of my 55, this is the second time that it has happened, and the only fish that has been in the tank for both occasions are black skirt tetras, of course, since I wasnt here, there was no way I could stop the predation, all the casings were empty.. maybe one of these days Ill be able to actually set some aside in another tank.. but with 9 tetras, and 12 angels, not likey I'll beat them to it )
 
Egg cases on the glass? Sounds more like snail eggs than fish eggs. Black Widows do not lay eggs on the glass; they scatter them in the plants.
 
well, maybe they

didnt like my plants )) but only snails in the tank are mts.. and from all I've found about them they are livebearing.. if they are not the tetras, then I'm clueless ))
 
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