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Reproduction of tropical fish in the aquarium

There are many species of fish to reproduce without major difficulties in the aquarium at home. We will analyze how to provide them with the ideal conditions for their reproduction.

Disco fish with their young
Disco fish with their young
It is very common among newly initiated amateur aquarists who discover from one day to the next small offspring in their community aquarium. We usually buy female fish, especially in species such as the Mollys and the Guppy or Lebistes, which are already fertilized. These live fish will quickly fatten and give birth to their young. And very difficult is to look for the young in a large aquarium, well populated and planted... Here we will explain how we detect these cases and everything related to mating of various types of fish such as ovíparous, viviparous and ovoviparous.

Choice of fish for breeding

If you want to go safe buy young fish in groups, so that they form pairs naturally in your aquarium. Buy them in groups of 6 or 8 to encourage them to reproduce in groups. It will be easier, or rather, your chances of success will increase. Buying young fish, has the added benefit that the aquarist will take care of and know the evolution of the fish from juvenile. Always find out the diets indicated for each species of fish. Study and get advice on the reproductive habits of the desired fish. If you do not do it from the beginning, you can get some unpleasant surprises.

Generate conditions for playback

Breeding of fry in aquarium
Breeding of fry in aquarium
In order to generate conditions conducive to reproduction, you will need to obtain information on the reproductive habits of the selected species. In some species the male should be separated from the female just after fertilization occurs. Other species see how couples stick together and raise the fry. It is vital to feed fish properly. This should not be confused with overfeeding. Please note that females of certain species will need foods rich in amino acids, present in for example in mosquito larvae.

Be strict with maintaining waterconditions. If the aquarium water is not well oxygenated, it could cause the females to not spade. Depending on the population of your aquarium, you can prepare a separate fish tank, specially adapted for spawning. This fish tank must have the same water as the main aquarium. The eggs will hatch here.

The spawning period and subsequent

During the spawning period, fish incur an immense expenditure of vital energy. Once this process is finished, be sure to provide the fish with a very calm and well oxygenated environment. It will require almost constant feeding. It's time to recover energy and avoid stress or annoying aquarium mates. Note that some fish only eat their offspring in the first set, then they will learn to care for them. If you can allow adults parenting you will discover a beautiful process.

Labyrinthid fish make bubble nests. Do not remove the males until they have taught the fry to swim. Females should be removed. Others, such as scalars, must be separated after hatching. Consultance with specialists is essential.

When eggs are deposited on a rock or plant leaf and adults are removed, eggs will require a gentle but constant flow of water. This is what adults would have done with their fins during the development of the offspring.

Feeding of fry

Newborn fry feed on infusory cultures during the first few days. After a week, depending on the species, it is recommended to move to highly nutrient-rich foods such as freshly hatched saltwater shrimp, commonly known as artemia.

The next step in the evolution of the offspring is to consume flake food and Daphnia. Be sure not to overfeed or leave decaying food residue in the fish tank of juveniles. It will prevent infections by bacterial development.

Merely herbivorous fish should be fed with algae, which can be replaced with lettuce or peas. Remember something IMPORTANT: feed the young with a lot of constancy, but not in excess.

© Adrián Blanco 2005 / 2006 — No full or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —

por Adrian Blanco