Breeding tropical fish can be a lot of fun. Try your luck at breeding livebearers such as guppies or swordtails.
Equipment Needed:
Breeder Box or Breeder Net
Breeding Grass
5 or 10 gallon tank for the baby fish or a tank divider that you can use for your main tank.
A pair - 1 female and 1 male, 2 females to 1 male works even better
Two of the more popular tropical fish for beginners has to be Guppies and Swordtails. Guppies and Swordtails are livebearers which means that their babies come out swimming. Like most livebearers, there is not much to getting your guppies or swordtails to breed. If you have a male and a female then you will eventually have a pregnant female. The gestation period for livebearers is usually 28 days but can range from 20 to 40 days.
Place the male and female in the same tank together and they will soon mate. You are probably asking, how can I tell when the female is pregnant? When a female guppy is pregnant she will develop a dark triangular shaped gravid spot near her anal vent. This will get larger and darker as the pregnancy progresses. While you are waiting on the female to develop the babies it's time to make sure you are prepared for the delivery. We use plastic breeder boxes and always have without any problems. A breeder box is a small box plastic box about 4 inches long by 3 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
There is a removable "V" shaped trap in it which serves to separate the mother from the babies. When the mother fish has babies they fall through the slot in the "V" into the bottom of the box. After the mother is finished having babies, you can remove the "V" trap and the mother so that they babies have more room to grow. Some people have had bad experiences with breeder boxes and now only use a breeder net. It is also a good idea to purchase some real or plastic breeding grass for the top of the aquarium. The breeding grass is just in case the mother gives birth before you have a chance to put her in the breeder box. The young babies instinctively will swim to the top of the aquarium and the breeder grass provides a great hiding place so they won't get eaten by the bigger fish in your tank.
To feed your new arrivals you can use finely crushed flake food. Using your fingers, you can rub the flakes into a fine powder. Some only feed live foods such as baby brine shrimp. Live foods would definitely be the best way to go, but for most this is simply not feasible. Crushed or powdered flake food will suffice. Try to feed the babies 3 very small meals per day. You will invariably feed too much and the excess food will drop to the bottom of the tank or breeder box. To clean a breeder box we like to take a 3 ft. length of aquarium tubing and a small bucket. Use the tubing as a siphon to clean the bottom of the breeder box. Be careful not to siphon any baby fish.
Try to perform 25% water changes weekly for your baby guppies. This will aid in the optimal growth of your baby tropical fish. After a few weeks in the breeder box your new babies will soon outgrow their home and you will need to move them either to a new tank or your main tank with a divider installed. By 8 weeks old your baby fish will most likely be able to return to the main tank without a divider.
For more tropical fish and aquarium information, please visit fishlore.com - tropical fish & aquarium information.
Mike is an editor at FishLore.com. Designed for beginners, FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more! fishlore.com - tropical fish & aquarium information
best cleaning company Highland Park ..Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other... Read More
Traditionally, a doggie treat was just that, a treat that... Read More
As all cat owners know, a feline can be a... Read More
Training a dog is a fairly difficult task. Some find... Read More
Are you concerned when your dog or cat eats grass,... Read More
Dog Travel SuppliesThe shopping part along for dog travel supplies... Read More
A puppy wanting to chew makes you want to scream!... Read More
Did you know that more than one million north americans... Read More
Ever had a hankering for a certain breed of dog?... Read More
Now that my services have expanded into the "matchmaking" business,... Read More
Your dog's dental health is so important for his total... Read More
Having a boxer dog as a pet, although low-maintenance, require... Read More
Bark CollarsMany pet owners become lost as to what to... Read More
Bringing home a new puppy, ushers in a wave of... Read More
When I had a Toy Poodle, I used a small... Read More
Humming birds are wonderful birds that are smart, playful, and... Read More
"Your cat has feline diabetes." If this is your vet's... Read More
If you have a dog or cat that is an... Read More
Even if you haven't had a run-in involving your pet... Read More
I am a dog lover by nature. I have just... Read More
How important is a dog name? Well let's think about... Read More
If you're reading this I think it's safe to assume... Read More
Dogs and kids, it's a combination that at it's best... Read More
With ancestors who were a breed of tenacious terriers, most... Read More
Even a cat that compulsively cleans itself can benefit from... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..Now that you're dog has shown you so much love... Read More
If your kids have been begging you to get a... Read More
Is your bird a seed only eater? Did you know... Read More
Over the last 15 years, I have raised nine orphaned... Read More
A respiratory tract ailment can be fatal to your parrot... Read More
Large dogs and extra large dogs require more thought and... Read More
Mum, dad, can we get a puppy? Its a plea... Read More
The first thing to realize when you are training a... Read More
Some sources seem to indicate that living with a serval... Read More
There are headstrong dogs that know too well that a... Read More
What should you feed your cat to make sure he... Read More
In most cases you should not be too concerned about... Read More
What happens when we die? In our society, death is... Read More
An essential to your dog's health is his/her regular annual... Read More
It is Winter time again, a time of the year... Read More
Over the past 30 years we have learned so much... Read More
Every day, people by the millions pour food from a... Read More
The Story Continues... Following the first of many visits to... Read More
If you are beginning to feel like an endangered species... Read More
Boxer Dogs Information - What Are Boxer Dogs? Boxer dogs... Read More
Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take... Read More
We've all heard the phrase, "Free as a bird." In... Read More
Almost every dog owner will have to use some sort... Read More
Keeping a fish tank is a wonderful and relaxing hobby,... Read More
Dogs make great loyal pets and are always pleased to... Read More
Pet |