In order to breed fish in an aquarium, an aquarist must possess the necessary knowledge. They must be able to differentiate between the sexes and replicate the natural conditions that encourage spawning.
Every kind of fish has a unique way of reproducing, as well as unique behavioral traits and attitudes toward their young.
Before beginning to breed, the enthusiast needs to be certain that he can supply:
• healthy fish, grown in optimal conditions, with specific characteristics of the species (body shape, size, pattern). It is safer to buy young fish and grow them yourself (some authors recommend at the lower limit of the optimal temperature);
• the required number of males and females that do not fight with each other. When it is difficult to determine the sex of the fish, then you need to have a group of fish (usually 6-8 specimens are enough);
• in some cases 2 aquariums, 1 for males and 1 for females. In some species of fish, males and females should be kept separately for 1-2 weeks before spawning. In addition, if the water parameters in the spawning aquarium differ greatly from the parameters of the water in which the fish are kept (dH by more than 5 °, pH when moving from more acidic water by more than 0.3, from more alkaline – by more than 0.5), in these aquariums the water is made with intermediate values of the specified parameters;
• enhanced feeding of fish for 2 weeks before placing them for spawning, preferably with natural food;
• glass or plexiglass spawning aquarium, preferably with a length equal to 8 fish lengths or more, although there are many cases of successful spawning in smaller aquariums. Before placing fish, the spawning aquarium is disinfected and placed in the calmest and quietest place in the room (if there is no soil, a dark-colored substrate), supplied with the necessary technical means, filled with substrate and fresh water of the required parameters, the temperature is gradually brought to the required parameters after placing the fish.
Adding a tiny bit of water from the aquarium where the fish spawned frequently aids in successful spawning.
• a glass or organic glass incubator, usually of small volume (up to 20 l) with a low water level (7-10 cm), without soil, with the same sterility conditions and parameters as in the spawning aquarium. A disinfectant is added to the water to protect the eggs from bacteria and fungi. The eggs can be transferred to the incubator by air for 10-15 seconds, avoiding temperature changes. The eggs are regularly inspected and dead white eggs are removed. When the fry start to swim, they are fed;
• starter food for fry;
• a sterile rearing aquarium, usually without soil, with a small number of plants and oxygen-rich water, usually up to 20 cm high and with a volume of 80 liters. The water parameters are initially the same as in the incubator, but then they are gradually changed to the optimal ones for keeping a given type of fish. When transferring fry from the incubator to the rearing aquarium, they are caught not with a net, but with some glass or plastic container, or, having drained some of the water from the incubator, it is lowered into the rearing aquarium;
You can get by without the mentioned aquariums for a lot of fish species; for example, some species care for their young while others spawn in the aquarium where they are housed.
After the adult fish are removed, the spawning aquarium can also serve as an incubator.
Fish reproduction techniques determine the best way to breed (G. Axelrod and U. Vorderwinkler)
- Fish whose eggs stick to plants and other objects, fall to the bottom or float in the water, and the fish leave them unattended
- Species that spawn in large portions at a time and eat them pay little attention to them during spawning and only attack the eggs at the end
- Fish that spawn in small portions over several days
- Fish that spawn in the ground and leave their eggs unattended
- Fish that lay eggs in another organism
- Fish that spawn on an open substrate (stone, leaf, stem, etc.p.) and those who care about her and offspring
- Fish spawning on the underside of leaves hanging over the water
- Fish spawning in a shelter and caring for them and offspring
- Fish that lay eggs in depressions in the ground and care for the eggs and offspring
- Fish that lay eggs in a nest (an underwater structure made of various objects, a nest of foam on the surface of the water) and care for the eggs and offspring
- Fish that carry fertilized eggs on their bodies
- Fish that incubate eggs in the mouth and take care of the offspring
- Pisces, in which the development of caviar and interruptions of larvae occur in the body of females, and it leaves fully formed, capable of swimming and taking frying – vigorous fish
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Fish whose eggs stick to plants and other objects, fall to the bottom or float in the water, and the fish leave them unattended
These fish are represented by the following genera: agamyx, acanthophthalmus, anabass, apteronotus, aphyosemion (species), aphiocharax, barbus, bedotia, botia, brachydanio, brochis, gasteropelecus, gyrinocheilus, glossolepis, gobio, danio, distichodus, carnigiella, corydoras, ctenobrycon, ctenopoma (species), labeo, leocaspius, macrognathus, mastacembelus, melanotaenia, metynnis, moencausia, nonnostomus, otocinclus, pantodon, pristella, procatapus, pseudomugil, rasbora, synodontis (species), tanichthys, tayeria, phenacorgammus, hasemania, hela, helostoma, hemigrammus, chilodus, hyphessobricon, elassoma, epiplatys…
On a dark substrate, a spawning aquarium with soilless small-leaved plant bushes is set up. A separator net is positioned on the bottom for fish that consume the eggs if the eggs are not sticky. Usually, the lighting is poor. Normally, the water level is low.
Species that spawn in large portions at a time and eat them pay little attention to them during spawning and only attack the eggs at the end
Thick thickets and removing fish right away after spawning are beneficial in this situation. After being shaken off the plants, the eggs are gathered from the bottom and placed in an incubator. If they are kept in a spawning aquarium, which will act as an incubator, the water in the tank is replaced with fresh water that has the same parameters and disinfectants added after the substrate and separator net are taken out.
Fish that spawn in small portions over several days
Usually don’t eat eggs; instead, they are kept in the spawning aquarium until the end of spawning or until they get the desired number of eggs.
Every day, the eggs are shaken off the substrate and placed into the incubator. Alternatively, after a set amount of time (say, a week), the eggs that have accumulated on the substrate are moved to the incubator with the substrate and a fresh batch is added.
While air transfer is also an option, it is recommended to transfer the eggs in water for 10 to 15 seconds to prevent temperature fluctuations.
Generally speaking, the incubator’s water is just slightly disinfected and has the same specifications as the spawning aquarium.
Dead eggs are milky in color, opaque, and frequently malformed; they are extracted with a pipette or sucked out with a tube. Healthy eggs are typically clean and transparent. Weak water circulation and weak aeration guarantee an oxygen supply.
Feeding the fry and their reaction to the starter feed, which is easy to manage with a magnifying glass, should receive special attention.
It is preferable to establish a rest period for spawned fish, which is marked by a decrease in temperature, a restriction on food (once every two days), and an extension of the water change intervals.
Fish that spawn in the ground and leave their eggs unattended
The genera Astrofundulus, Aphyosemion, Nothobranchius, Pterolebias, and Cynolebias are representative of these fish.
These fish are referred to as seasonal because they inhabit the water from the rainy to the dry seasons. They can use this time to develop sexually, hatch from the eggs, and produce eggs that will survive the unfavorable period in the ground of a dried-up reservoir.
To allow the female to hide from the male, bushes of plants are planted in the spawning aquarium and a layer of peat is added to the bottom. There should be some areas that are darkened; the lighting is not very good. There is only 25 cm of water above the surface. The bottom’s feeding region remains unoccupied. At least once every three weeks, the peat in which the fish lay their eggs is removed and replaced with fresh material. It is practical to set it up on a tray that is simple to take out of the aquarium.
The removed peat is put in a net and the water is filtered until it drips. It is then spread out in a layer of two to three centimeters and dried just enough to leave the peat crumbly and able to absorb water droplets.
Peat containing eggs is kept between 21 and 23°C in a closed glass or plastic container or a polyethylene bag (ideally labeled with the date the peat was placed). The diapause lasts for a few months.
According to R. Bekh, "it is evident that temperature also plays a certain role, and often, different durations are due to changing oxygen content in peat of different degrees of humidity." It is best, according to experience, to store peat for the final two to three weeks at a temperature of 28°C before adding water to it. It should only be kept at this temperature for 12 hours each day during the day, and then lowered to 18–20°C at night. This is the outcome of actual experience, for which a precise explanation is still pending.
For the first two weeks, dead eggs are removed and not permitted to remain on the peat’s surface. The peat is also inspected daily and whitened. The condition of the embryos in the eggs is then observed once a week using a magnifying glass, and the peat is examined to make sure mold has not grown there. The peat is moved to a vessel and filled with soft water that is 2-4 °C colder than it was during storage once the embryos have finished developing and the eyes are visible as dark spots.
There is only about 5 cm of water. After that, the temperature is gradually raised to 25 °C. Fry that have hatched are moved to a nursery aquarium that has the same water level and specifications.
The level is raised and the water parameters are gradually adjusted to the ideal values for raising this kind of fish as the fry grow.
Sometimes, even when the embryos develop correctly, hatching fails to take place. Next, you must shake the eggs-filled water; if this is ineffective, add fresh, cold water (10 ° C) in its place.
You can add dry food (daphnia, cyclops, etc.) to the water’s surface. This will promote the growth of bacteria and lower the oxygen level, and the fry will try to crack the eggs’ shells to escape the unfavorable conditions. They need to be moved right away to clean water with the same conditions as the aquarium used for spawning.
Usually, the eggs stay in the peat, which is then dried, repeating the process.
Fish that lay eggs in another organism
Rhodeus sericeus, or common bitterling
The spawning aquarium is partitioned with a low wall made of plexiglass or glass at a distance of 1/4 of the length of the aquarium from the side wall to ensure a difference in the levels of the soil from clean sand of about 2-3 cm. On the larger, high part of the soil, thickets of plants are planted, on the smaller one – several bivalve snails are placed (preferably pearl mussels, but toothless ones are also possible). If the next day the snails lie with their shells wide open, then they have died, and they are replaced with new ones. For spawning after 10-14 days, a school of fish is planted, preferably with a predominance of females. A pair ready for spawning separates, and the female inserts her ovipositor between the valves of the shell and releases about 40 eggs into the mantle cavity, which the male irrigates with milt after the female removes the ovipositor.
When the fish spawn, they are taken out. The mollusk throws out developed, capable of swimming and eating fry after four to five weeks, at which point they are placed in a nursery aquarium.
Fish that spawn on an open substrate (stone, leaf, stem, etc.p.) and those who care about her and offspring
Astronotus, Badis, Geophagus (species), copein, krenikar, nannakara, lamprologus, papalochromis, scalaria, diskkus, sturisoma, tetradon, uaru, Farlol, hemokhromis, cichlozo, etroplus, and other types are represented.
Fish require a spawning aquarium with a substrate that satisfies their needs; soil, typically small sand, is required if the fish dig or create pits in it during the spawning process. Certain fish species require shelters. There is moderate lighting. Fish in the cichlid family are particular about their partners and form more or less permanent pairs, so it’s best to buy at least six copies.
A pair is later formed when they reach sexual maturity. When the female’s rounded abdomen, bright coloring, and increased aggression in the male appear, along with other signs of spawning preparation, the pair is moved to the spawning aquarium. The couple tends to the eggs and young. The fish in certain species sometimes devour the initial clutches of eggs, but this usually passes. The fish should be well-fed and left alone in any scenario.
Fish fight among themselves over who gets to raise the young, and eventually one of them gets eliminated. The male can kill the female he dislikes if there is just one pair in the aquarium. When the female’s belly is round, you can try to remove her by using a transparent partition, but success is not guaranteed in this scenario.
Several fish species only mate for the brief period of time during spawning, and in the latter scenario, the other fish is taken out of the aquarium. Either way, both partners or just one of them raises the progeny.
The substrate and the laid eggs can be moved into the incubator together (if by air, move them in no more than 15 seconds to prevent temperature fluctuations). The eggs are positioned close to a sprayer, which shoots a weak stream of water around them without causing bubbles to land on them. A magnifying glass can be used to conveniently control the fry’s attitude toward the starter food and how much attention they receive.
Fish spawning on the underside of leaves hanging over the water
Arnold"s copella
A spawning aquarium, 4–7 cm above the water’s surface, with multiple plant bushes, is securely closed with a cover glass to prevent fish from jumping out. You could affix a faux plant leaf made of frosted green glass to the glass.
It is preferable to plant a group of fish with a female preponderance for spawning. During a jump, a couple deposits their eggs on the glass, and the male tends to them by hitting them with his caudal fin to squirt them with water. After that, the fry and water droplets fall into the water, and they can be moved to an aquarium for rearing.
Using a bird feather, you can gently brush the eggs off the cover glass and place them in an incubator with a 1 cm water level and minimal aeration.
Fish spawning in a shelter and caring for them and offspring
The following fish births are representative of these fish: Tetrald, Tilapa, cichlazoma, Juliselumis, Badis, Brachigobius, Bunocephalus, Daziloricaria, Krenicar, Lamprologus, Nannakara, Nanochromis, Lamprologus, Rinelorrips, Tetrald, Tilapa, Juliselumis.
A spawning aquarium with a substrate that meets the requirements of fish (caves or flower pots, ceramic or plastic tubes, gaps in stones, etc.D.), if necessary, plants and soil. The substrate is set up in a dimly lit area. After laying their eggs in a shelter, the fish tend to them; depending on the species, this is done by a male or female pair.
In several species, the fish tending the eggs exhibits hostile behavior towards the partner, leading to its removal.
Some species continue to care for the fry once they can swim, while others stop, and the fry are then moved to a nursery aquarium.
The eggs and substrate can be moved to an incubator with minimal aeration (if air is used, it should only be for a maximum of 15 seconds to prevent temperature fluctuations).
Fish that lay eggs in depressions in the ground and care for the eggs and offspring
There are four genera displayed: enneacanthus, papiliochromis, lapomis, and jordanella.
A bush of plants, a spawning aquarium with a 5 cm layer of fine sand, and a female lepomis shelter are all included. The male excavates a hole in the sand where the pair deposits their eggs. In other species, the male and female can be separated, but in papiliochromis, the pair looks after the eggs.
Fish that lay eggs in a nest (an underwater structure made of various objects, a nest of foam on the surface of the water) and care for the eggs and offspring
Belontia, betta, gasterosteus, dianema, coliza, ctenopoma, macropod, trichogaster, trichopsis, and other genera are displayed.
Fish that construct their own foam nests can be kept in spawning aquariums without soil, with plants (some species have small leaves, others have large leaves), including floating plants. Following spawning, the female is eliminated and the male tends to the eggs and larvae. The male fry is taken out once they begin swimming and eating.
A spawning aquarium filled with sand soil and bushes of small-leaved plants is home to fish that construct their nests from plant parts. The female is removed after the eggs are laid in the male’s constructed nest, which has an entrance and an exit on the ground. The male tends to the larvae and eggs.
Fish that carry fertilized eggs on their bodies
Orysias is the genus that is represented.
A soilless spawning aquarium with floating plants and bushes of small-leaved plants. After spawning, fertilized eggs cling to the female’s belly in the shape of a cluster of grapes and adhere to them as she swims through the underbrush. Although they do not touch the eggs and fry, the fish show no concern for the eggs either.
Fish that incubate eggs in the mouth and take care of the offspring
Astatotilapia, aulonocara, betta (species), labeotropheus, melanochromis, pseudocrenilabrus, pseudotropheus, tropheus, chromidotilapia, cirtocara, and other genera are represented.
An aquarium used for spawning that has a substrate—a flat piece of rock or sand—and frequently a cave where the male can make a hole to hide. Once they have spawned, one of the fish—typically the female—takes the eggs in her mouth, and the fry—already capable of swimming and feeding themselves—leave it to spend some time with their parents’ protection.
A.Brühlmeier writes: “There are several methods that can be used for breeding:
1. Leave the female in the aquarium with the eggs in her mouth. assuming there are sufficient shelters. 2. Keep the female fish in the aquarium and use a partition to keep her apart from the other fish. 3. Move the female aquarium to a smaller one.
My experience leads me to believe that the first approach is the most advantageous.
On the twentieth day, I catch the female and move her to an aquarium with big pebbles covering the bottom. The female is protected from the elements by a flower pot that is resting on its side. After emerging from the female’s mouth, the fry can conceal itself amidst the stones.
You risk damaging the entire contents of the throat bag and losing all of your progeny if you use the third method, which involves catching the female with a net.
It’s easy to catch the female fry once they’ve left their mother’s mouth. I use a powerful pocket flashlight to illuminate the aquarium at night in order to capture a female that is carrying eggs, as it is a challenging task.
The eggs of cichlid fish that incubate them in their mouths are frequently grown artificially. The eggs are removed from the female’s mouth during the first few days and placed in a small vessel where they are continuously cleaned with fresh water and treated with a disinfectant. It is important to take caution not to break the female’s jaw or skull when removing her eggs.
Artificial cultivation, in my opinion, should only be used when it is unlikely that highly valuable imported fish can be successfully bred and the aquarist is an expert at handling females.
This holds true for fish in the cichlid family.
The process of artificially incubating eggs looks like this. So that only the mouth is free, the female is wrapped in a gentle cloth that has been previously soaked.
The fish is carefully opened with the tip of a finger or a glass spatula while it is head down. It is then slowly lowered into the water and removed. It then spits out the eggs, which are then moved to an incubator with a water level of 5-8 cm and minimal aeration using a glass tube.
At least once a day, water that meets the specifications of a particular species of fish and has been treated with a disinfectant is replaced.
Amateur-built incubators. The eggs are thrown up by the water that comes from below, which keeps them moving and rubbing against the walls to keep bacteria from growing on them.) The eggs are examined frequently, and any that are whitened, malformed, or have gas or fat droplets removed. Once the fry begin to swim, the water level is progressively raised. It should be mentioned that fish that are incubated artificially lose their capacity to do so.
Pisces, in which the development of caviar and interruptions of larvae occur in the body of females, and it leaves fully formed, capable of swimming and taking frying – vigorous fish
Alfaro, Gambusia, Girardinus, Dermogenis, xenotoca, xiphophorus, and pecilia are among the genera that are displayed.
When the female’s body starts to round, G. Axelrod and U. Vorderwinkler advise moving her to a different aquarium with lots of greenery, preferably one that is floating, and feeding her well. The fry will have the chance to hide, and cannibalism is rare in well-fed females. They advise against the use of "spawning traps" because they are hazardous for the female’s offspring and negatively impact her nervous system.
A tiny mesh or plexiglass aquarium suspended in a regular aquarium and featuring fissures in the bottom is called a "spawning trap."
When a female is placed in the "trap," the fry swim out of its mesh cells or cracks and into the aquarium, where they are inaccessible to the female.
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