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Post by goldenpuon on Oct 9, 2008 15:49:45 GMT -5
I think I will get a Serpea's tetra then unless anyone else has a preference. Of course, i will be reviewing all of the species beofre I choose for sure.
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Post by eve on Oct 10, 2008 3:36:32 GMT -5
I have written an article about breeding tetras and smal characins in general about a year ago i'm sure it needs some updating, and once carl gives me the green light on adding more articles to the homepage, i will add 1 at a time, but will post them here for more updates to be made i hope this helps you if anyone thinks there is something missing on it, besides pics of course, don't know if all of them work anymore, please just let me know =============================================== Breeding small characins like many kind of tetras
Neon tetra (Paracheirodon innes) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/neons.jpg
Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/cardinaltetra.jpg
Rummy nose tetra (Hemigramma Bleheri) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/rummynosetetra.jpg
Phantom Tetra (Hy roseus) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/hyroseus.jpg
Glow light Tetra (Hemigrammus erythrozonus) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/glowlights.jpg
Long fin Tetra (Brycinus longipinnis) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/brycinuslongipinnis.jpg
Head and Tail light Tetra (Hemigrammus ocelifer) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/head_tail_light_tetra_4.jpg
Lemon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/lemontetra.jpg
Black Skirt Tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/blackphantomtetra.jpg
Black Neon Tetra (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/blackneon.jpg
Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon serpae) i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/Serpae20tetras.jpg
What you will need:
• 1 breeding pair of course (they’re easy to sex since the female is more rounded then the male • 5 gallon tank • Black spray paint • Piece of cardboard big enough to cover the front of your tank • 3 day old water, which is a bit acid and soft (pH 5.5 – 7, dH 1-2, temperature 75 degrees) • A regular lid but without the lights being on, especially not once the eggs are laid • A sponge filter which should be matured in a different tank until you will need it for the spawning tank • A self made spawning mop • Some cabomba grass • About 1 inch gravel for the bottom • And at least a 20 gallon outgrow tank
Spawning them:
• Take your 5 gallon tank and spray 3 outsides with black spray paint, the front site leave just as it is, it will only be covered with the cardboard piece, set the tank up 3 days before you put in your breeding pair, with gravel, cabomba and the spawning mob. • Condition your male and female separate with high protein food such as frozen blood worms and dried frozen brine shrimp for at least 1 week. • Once your female is very round, you will know that she’s ready to be spawned. • Put your breeding pair into the tank in the evening and once they’re settled you will notice that the male will chase the female around the plant and the spawning mop. • The next day the eggs should be laid and you can take out the adults and black out the tank completely with the piece of cardboard, leave the tank just alone and in peace.
Tetra eggs: i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/evelynmarch26/tetras/5-D-tetra-eggs_640.jpg
Caring for the fry:
• The fry will hatch about of 30- 40 hours later, and will be free swimming after another 4 days. • Now you can remove the front cover, put your well matured sponge filter in set on low and start feeding your fry with Infusoria or Liquid fry food, but don’t feed them too much, because you won’t touch the water for another 10 days, you don’t clean their tank in the first 2 weeks of their life. • When the fry is about 1 week old you can start feeding them with newly hatched Baby Brine shrimp. • When they’re about 2 weeks old, you can start introducing powdered flake food. • Now you can start doing partial water changes, but only about 1 cup full a day and gradually moving up to 25%, but don’t forget you will need to replace the water with the same acid and soft water, as you have in there now. • 3 days before you move your fry will be moved into the outgrow tank, you will setup the 20 gallon tank the same way you have your spawning tank, that means the same acid and soft water. • You can move your fry into the outgrow tank when they’re about 8-9 weeks old, the best way to do so, is by taking out the sponge filter and the mop, removing the lid from the spawning tank and submerge the spawning tank slowly into the outgrow tank. Turn it a bit to the side to help the fry to emerge into the bigger tank, as soon as all fry are out take out the spawning tank right away. • Once they’re settled in, like 3 days later you can start doing every other day partial water changes of 5% with a gravel siphon, and replacing it with just regular tap water which should be aged for 24 hours and of course be treated with conditioner. Gradually increase the amount of water you change, but think that it should be increased slowly in a period of the next 3 weeks. • Also at 9 weeks you can start introducing regular flake food. • When they’re about 12 weeks old, they should be eating just regular flake food and ordinary harder water, just like all your other fish • At this point they’re also big enough to be sold and you should have a batch of about 4 dozens of fry, if you did everything right and where lucky enough to raise the fry to be a juvenile. If you want to have more then just 4 dozens of fry, just do the whole conditioning process for a week after spawning them and spawn them right after a week, but only if you have enough tanks and space to do so.
They’re a species which are very hard to breed, but once you get it done, it’s amazing to watch them grow. You will need to have lots of patience to breed them. Good luck doing so.
Also please use caution and still research the certain species you want to breed, since there are still slight differences on rearing them and what water quality it needs to be!!
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Post by Carl on Oct 10, 2008 10:32:19 GMT -5
This would be an EXCELLENT article to post, especially if can add some pictures along the border of the article that "pop up" for better viewing.
Good Job!
Carl
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Post by goldenpuon on Oct 10, 2008 17:26:28 GMT -5
Thanks Eve, although I do not have a 20 gallon to use. Would using several 4-5 gallons for grow-out work as well? Also, you said that I should not touch touch the water for the first 2 weeks or so but that could be a problem. What happens if one of the fry dies? That was my problem the several of the times I've had betta spawns; I was told not to touch anything for the first few weeks and then some frys died and I left them there. Then their bodies would just sit there and grow cottony stuff on them. That combined with weak and slow growing fish is why I am giving up breeding bettas. Couldn't I gently siphon a fry lout that die? Also, I am not sure if I should use gravel. If a fry dies and it gets stuck in the gravel, I won't notice it until its too late and cottony stuff is growing on it which in my experience seems to go hand in hand with the rest of the fry dying, at least for bettas.
Last, I have about 3 brown towels I can cover my tank with and make it dark plus cardboard I can put over it to make it even dimmer. Could that work instead of paint? I am a little nervous about using paint on a fish tank and also if I wanted to use the tank for something else, I would be permanently black.
Sorry for all the questions. I really liked your article. I just need to know a few things for sure before I get any deeper into this. Thanks!
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Post by eve on Oct 10, 2008 18:02:53 GMT -5
no need to apologize for questions the reason for not touching the water, is because of the water parameter difference you would cause it's very important to keep it as it is if you dont' overfeed, that shouldn't be a problem at all my guess here, they're kinda like killies, but not quite they're extremly light sensitive, therefore the complete black out and yes, you can use anything to black out the tank, as long as there is no light getting in someone who is just into breeding characins and nothing else, will of course spray paint it (good point in adding into the article)
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Post by eve on Oct 10, 2008 18:04:42 GMT -5
This would be an EXCELLENT article to post, especially if can add some pictures along the border of the article that "pop up" for better viewing. Good Job! Carl thanks carl <blush> it needs to be worked over, then i would do it just as i did with the DIY, put it basically as a draft on my personal blog, and then transfer it to yours just let me know when you feel like you want it put up, and i will work on editing it Eve
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Post by goldenpuon on Oct 10, 2008 19:03:11 GMT -5
Thanks Eve. You missed a few of my questions but that's ok. They were hard to see with the way I typed my last message. Sorry about that.
Would it be ok not to use gravel?
Also, I'm hoping I could split ecah spawn between two or three 5 gallons. Would that work? Thanks.
Can I siphon out fry if I find dead ones? (I know it's normal for a few to die here and there as not all fish are born as healthy as others.)
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Post by eve on Oct 11, 2008 23:07:05 GMT -5
Thanks Eve. You missed a few of my questions but that's ok. They were hard to see with the way I typed my last message. Sorry about that. Would it be ok not to use gravel? Also, I'm hoping I could split ecah spawn between two or three 5 gallons. Would that work? Thanks. Can I siphon out fry if I find dead ones? (I know it's normal for a few to die here and there as not all fish are born as healthy as others.) sorry, didn't mean to miss them was late and i was exhausted when i answered i guess it would be ok without a gravel, but don't hold me to that once you're at that stage where you would transfer them to a bigger tank, yes, absolutely you could split them between more other tanks, which will give them space to grow out yes, you can siphon out the dead ones, but not until the danger period is over, in which you're not supposed to touch the tank at all
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Post by bikeguy33 on Oct 12, 2008 0:50:09 GMT -5
new suggestion....why not a male tank. a small tank is beautiful with alot of color. like the guys mentioned.......breeding is not necessary. enjoy the fish....and they live long enough to become close
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Post by Carl on Oct 12, 2008 9:29:40 GMT -5
new suggestion....why not a male tank. a small tank is beautiful with alot of color. like the guys mentioned.......breeding is not necessary. enjoy the fish....and they live long enough to become close Not that all the suggestions here have been great, but this is the most practical IMO based on tank size, budget, and simply level of stress and enjoyment. Carl
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Post by goldenpuon on Oct 12, 2008 11:07:19 GMT -5
Thanks so much guys. I could try not breeding them and just enjoying them. But then again, my goldfish try to spawn every night when they're not supposed to and even though they're a bit thin. (I wonder if that's why). Who knows, I might find eggs in the tank one morning. lol Of course, I'll have to do more research and think it out first. But thanks so much guys! I'm thankful that you care!
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