Breeding Freshwater Tropical Fish

"Breeding Freshwater Tropical Fish"," If you have recently purchased a larger aquarium you should keep the smaller one and use it as a breeding tank. Using a breeding tank will isolate the breeding pair and protect the eggs and fish fry from being eaten by the other members of a community tank after spawning has occurred. Egg scattering fish do not exhibit signs of parental instinct. Aquarists frequently add floating plants to their breeding tank to hide the eggs from predation. Most fish eggs sink. Either way, it is advisable to remove the adults from the breeding tank after spawning. Breeding Live Bearers Guppies, mollies and swordtails are live bearing tropical fish. The best way to avoid this is by using a breeding trap. Breeding traps are typically transparent plastic containers comprised of two compartments. As the female gives birth the fry will drop through to the bottom compartment. The plastic piece that separates the breeding trap into two compartments can then be removed to give the fry more room to maneuver. But remember that they are in an isolated compartment for their own protection. Breeding and Brood Care Cichlids are unquestionably among the most popular freshwater tropical fish to exhibit parental instincts as part of the procreation process. Cichlids have varied and highly complex breeding habits all of which include advanced parental care. · Substrate brooders lay their eggs in the open. · Secretive cave brooders lay their eggs in caves, crevices, holes or abandoned mollusk shells. · Ovophile mouth brooders use their mouths as incubators during spawning. Free swimming fry may remain in the mouth's protective custody for several weeks before being released. After the eggs hatch, the larva is scooped up in the mouth to develop into fry. The male's duty is to stand guard over the female or their brood to protect them from predators. A breeding tank will alleviate the territorial squabbles that are certain to occur in a community tank and safeguard eggs and fry from predation. Both parents will assist their brood in foraging for food, teaching them the skills they will need to survive on their own. Parents and fry have actually been observed communicating during this learning process, both in the wild and in captivity. Cichlids are not the only freshwater tropical fish to demonstrate advanced parenting instinct as interregnal part of breeding. Cichlids were picked as general example of more advanced breeding instincts because of their immense popularity among freshwater aquarium owners. Liquid fry food, infusoria, or rotifers are among them. Some aquarium owners feed their fry hard boiled egg yolks that have been strained though a cloth or pulverized in a food processor. Whatever your choice, remember that fry are very small. Over feeding your fry will only serve to foul up your aquarium water.