By: Jenn Zamorsky
Tips for Breeding Clownfish
Pomacentridae, subfamily Amphiprioninae
Clown Fish, also known as Anemonefishes, are considered to be the easiest tropical fish to breed. Some fish breeders say that the Clown Fish is also the most sought after tropical fish to have in their home aquarium. Even though the this fish is the easiest to breed, you still have to be careful and considerate when housing these fish.
Here are a few tips to consider
SETTING UP THE TANK
It is very important for the pair of Clown Fish to be in a stress free environment. Therefor, you should consider keeping the 2 fish alone until after the babies are born. An ideal size tank should be approximately 200 L to give the fish room to roam. Clown Fish are used to traveling in schools, so once there are only 2 of them, they may tend to roam together.
When choosing items for the tank, the must have item is a nice anemone. This is important so that the transition from one tank to another is stress free. Other items to consider are a few live rocks and plants, and other rocky substances with a vertical surface. Other tank must haves are a layer of coral on the bottom of the tank, a bright lighting system, and a protein skimmer. Remember to pick up a great filtration system because clean water is very important to your fish's health.
BUYING FISH FOOD
Clown fish need to be fed a mixed diet of fresh and raw seafood and vegetables. For example, you may want to pick up some prawns, mussels and squid. Remember not to overfeed your Clown Fish because they may become unhealthy if they are overfed.
FINDING THE RIGHT PARENTS
An interesting fact about Clown Fish is that every fish is born as a male. So how do you find a male and a female to breed? Well, as adults, the largest and most aggressively dominant male will undergo a sex change to become the breeding female. The second largest usually becomes the breeding male. The rest of the fish in the school are called juveniles and will remain gender neutral. But, if the female disappears somehow, the breeding male will become female and a juvenile will take over the role as the breeding male.
It is always a good idea to ask a professional in the pet store to help you find a pair of Clown Fish to breed.
Although, it is possible for you to choose a pair by yourself. You should look for a pair of fish that tend to wander the tank together; these 2 fish will be comfortable with each other and you can consider them to be "pals" already. Once you get your pair of Clown Fish home, remember to keep an eye on them to make sure that the female does not
Breeding the Bala Shark
By: Frances Stanford
Breeding The Bala shark - Balantiocheilus melanopterus
The Bala Shark, which is a freshwater fish, is one of the easiest to care for in captivity. In reality, this fish is not a shark. It is so named because its features resemble that of a shark, especially the shape of the dorsal fin. It does grow to about 14 inches long as an adult, which means you do need to have a large aquarium tank in which to hold it. These fish are relatively peaceful. Once they reach adulthood, though, they will eat any smaller fish that can fit inside their mouths, such as the neon tetra that are in the same tank.
It is essential to have a hood on your aquarium if you intend to keep Bala sharks. This is because they are excellent jumpers and could jump out over the tank. They also swim very quickly, which means that you should ensure that there are no sharp objects around the insides of the tank.
While it is easy to care for the Bala sharks in your tank, they are very difficult to breed in captivity. It is very hard to tell the gender of the fish. Most owners do not know whether they have males or females until the female starts to breed because it becomes plumper than normal. The female will scatter the eggs she lays in different parts of the aquarium. You should have lots of plants within the tank for this purpose and the water must be maintained between 73 and 79F. Because these fish do grow so large, you must have a really large tank to be successful in breeding them. For babies, you will need to have at least a 55 gallon tank and for adults, you will need a tank that holds at least 200 gallons of water.
The most successful attempts at breeding the Bala shark have occurred in Southeast Asia. Here the fish farmers use hormones to aid in the breeding. Other than that, there have been no reports of other successes in this area.
These fish will eat all kinds of flake food, as well as live and fresh foods. They do need a varied diet, which should include some flakes on a daily basis. You can feed them mosquitoes, fresh or frozen shrimp, blood worms and vegetable foods. Before you do buy a Bala shark, you should do your research on how these fish live in the wild, although they are just about extinct. This will help you replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible so that you may be the first successful breeder of the fish in captivity.
This is not a fish for the beginner in keeping tropical fish. They do like to be with schools of fish, which means that you need to have a wide sampling of fish in your tank.
Breeding The Bala shark - Balantiocheilus melanopterus
The Bala Shark, which is a freshwater fish, is one of the easiest to care for in captivity. In reality, this fish is not a shark. It is so named because its features resemble that of a shark, especially the shape of the dorsal fin. It does grow to about 14 inches long as an adult, which means you do need to have a large aquarium tank in which to hold it. These fish are relatively peaceful. Once they reach adulthood, though, they will eat any smaller fish that can fit inside their mouths, such as the neon tetra that are in the same tank.
It is essential to have a hood on your aquarium if you intend to keep Bala sharks. This is because they are excellent jumpers and could jump out over the tank. They also swim very quickly, which means that you should ensure that there are no sharp objects around the insides of the tank.
While it is easy to care for the Bala sharks in your tank, they are very difficult to breed in captivity. It is very hard to tell the gender of the fish. Most owners do not know whether they have males or females until the female starts to breed because it becomes plumper than normal. The female will scatter the eggs she lays in different parts of the aquarium. You should have lots of plants within the tank for this purpose and the water must be maintained between 73 and 79F. Because these fish do grow so large, you must have a really large tank to be successful in breeding them. For babies, you will need to have at least a 55 gallon tank and for adults, you will need a tank that holds at least 200 gallons of water.
The most successful attempts at breeding the Bala shark have occurred in Southeast Asia. Here the fish farmers use hormones to aid in the breeding. Other than that, there have been no reports of other successes in this area.
These fish will eat all kinds of flake food, as well as live and fresh foods. They do need a varied diet, which should include some flakes on a daily basis. You can feed them mosquitoes, fresh or frozen shrimp, blood worms and vegetable foods. Before you do buy a Bala shark, you should do your research on how these fish live in the wild, although they are just about extinct. This will help you replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible so that you may be the first successful breeder of the fish in captivity.
This is not a fish for the beginner in keeping tropical fish. They do like to be with schools of fish, which means that you need to have a wide sampling of fish in your tank.
At
6:23 AM
Label:
Breeding the Bala Shark
Considering a Home Freshwater Aquarium
- Aquarium Startup
- Considering a Home Freshwater Aquarium
- Freshwater Aquarium Setup Tips
Too many people believe that maintaining a freshwater aquarium requires knowledge they do not have, when in fact they know more than they credit themselves for! After all, how many of us can remember that goldfish bowl mom always made you clean as part of your weekly chores every Saturday morning. The real truth of the matter is that maintaining a 40 or 50 gallon fish tank is much, much simpler than that old goldfish bowl, and may even take less time!
One of the first road blocks a burgeoning aquatic hobbyist encounters on their first visit to the fish store is the realization that there are positively hundreds of different types of fish tanks to choose from. There are glass ones, acrylic and plastic ones; they are round, square, hexagonal and more. Then we realize that this is just the tank - there is still the lighting, filtration, heating, and don't forget the fish!
It can indeed be overwhelming; your choices range from the basic fish bowl we discussed earlier to the modern hi-tech (and costly), self-contained automated ecosystems. And of course there are saltwater setups, cold water setups, planted aquariums, and so forth.
My suggestion to you is don't get overwhelmed, take it slowly; start by visiting several local fish stores and spend some time talking to the staff. I guarantee you will find several store clerks that are so enthusiastically passionate about the aquatic hobby, they'll turn your brain to mush with all the information they want to share.
First spend some time with the fish tanks themselves, get a feel for the size and design that catches your eye, make a note of the dimensions so you can walk around the house later and plan the perfect spot to put this new aquarium.
Next head for the fish display tanks, browse the fish aisles and take notes on the species that you find fascinating, you will usually find an information tag on each aquarium with a little bit about the fish you're looking at.
You'll want to collect information on the following:
* The adult size of the fish species, males and females are often different sizes.
* Its social ranking - timid, community, semi-aggressive, aggressive, solitary or somewhere in between.
* Its preferred native environment - murky shallows, fast running streams, river deltas, and so forth.
The optimum water temperature and pH levels, plus any other information that is specific to that fish's water habitat.
Be sure to go back and review your list with that enthusiastic store clerk before you leave, first hand information is invaluable.
Now spend some time researching the fish you collected information on and narrow the list down to what will work for you. If you are opting for a community aquarium, it is imperative that you only put fish together that can survive in the same aquarium - this means the same social ranking, water temperature and pH levels; if you don't, both you and your fish will be seriously unhappy!
Once you have a pretty good idea of what you're after, you need to get the aquarium and the equipment to go with it. If your budget is extensive, do return to that store with the enthusiastic clerk and make his day; if this is not the case, you can find some smokin' deals through the online and local add listings. Too often a hobbyist with a complete setup, sometimes even including the fish, has lost interest or is moving and can't take their aquarium with them - their loss is your gain.
- Aquarium Startup
- Considering a Home Freshwater Aquarium
- Freshwater Aquarium Setup Tips
How to Breed Fancy Guppies
Step By Step Breeding Fancy Guppies - How to Breed Fancy Guppies
1. It's good enough for a start to only have one or two guppy trios of the same species. You should have about 8 to 10 tanks in order to preserve a purely single strain. As for breeders and fry, a smaller 5 gal tank is enough as container. Fancy Guppies are not difficult to keep because they can adapt to various water conditions. A pH of 7.2 in moderate hardness is just perfect water condition for them but they can live to water that is amidst 6.4 to 8.6 provided, they are accustomed appropriately. All you have to do is, first, place your newly bought guppies in a clean breeding container (remember not to use soap in cleaning it) that is just enough to keep the trios and big enough so that you can add equal volume of water from their new tank. DO NOT LET THE UNOPENED BAGS FLOAT. If you are done putting the trios in said container, just let them be there for awhile.
About 15 minutes, you may begin putting about 3-4 ounces of water gradually into the tank. You should do this procedure little by little over a period of one hour, until the volume of water is twice the amount. You need not rush this familiarization procedure. Avoid chances of fish jumping out of the container. If you have done all the steps and the fish have accustomed themselves, slowly pour them into the new container. DO NOT GIVE FOOD YET. A little monitoring and patience will do. One hour later you give them food only slightly, a little young salt water shrimp or a pinch of any dry food is enough. You should wait until the next day to feed them again. Approximately one month you can start breeding fry. Be ready to have extra container to breed each baby fancy guppies. Finally, about 3-4 weeks later, you should start sorting out virgin females from the rest of the fry as future breeders.
2. The advantage in keeping the fry in small containers is that they can easily find food for themselves without using up much energy. If you have reached about 60 fry, it's time to breed them separately in 10 gallon containers.
3. Feeding your newly born fry with young salt water shrimp every day until they reach at 4 months old is very essential for their growth.
4. All the essentials and the pick of almost all best breeders are inside the box filters. To do this, you will only need a layer of polyester cotton along with few marbles or gravel. I prefer using dolomite gravel as a good water buffer. You can easily find dolomite in most pet stores which sells brine fish. Oyster is also a good substitute to dolomite. Other equally good type filters are sponge filters, provided they are used appropriately. Make sure that sponge filters are rinsed thoroughly without destroying all living bacteria.
5. As to water changes, a 30-50% weekly change required for healthy growth and size. Tap you tanks always from the bottom and make sure not to put water in tanks which has previously lost water through evaporation. In order to know the tap and tank water condition, you had better purchase trusted water test equipment. These kits for pH, hardness and ammonia are user friendly. If it's your first time to breed fish, you must have good grasp of underlying principles in water chemistry and its consequence on raising tropical fish.
6. To keep you fancy guppies, you need not feed them every minute; they can survive with periodic feeding. The main cause of death among tropical fish is overfeeding. The best foods you can give to your guppies are tiny pinches of crushed flake food in good quality which should be given at least every hour. Your fancy guppies can have indigestion if you feed them with freeze dried food so as much as possible avoid giving it to them. If you are keen enough and if you observed that your fish looks aggressive, better not feed them yet.
7. The best time to separate your fry by sexes is 4 to 5 weeks after. To do this sort out enough females that you will need in planning for your next set of breeders. You can easily detect if the fry is female because in its anal fins, where the fertilization takes place, there is a dark spot directly above. This is referred to as "gravid spot". You may not need inferior fish so better cull it out. This is important because if you have best quality breed, you would not want it to mix inferior ones. More importantly, if you have culled out over 20% of the litter then you are actually raising mixed-breed guppies.
8. Gravel and plants can make your tanks crowded so it is better to keep it simple and bare as this has something to do with maintaining control and avoiding problems. For more useful information on the life cycle of your guppies you can check on some books. A book about fundamentals on tropical fish like your guppies would be very helpful if you have never experienced raising live-bearers. To know if the female fish is pregnant, you will notice that it is fatter and rounder in appearance compared to other fish. Your female fish might look squared-off just before giving birth. Their "gravid spot" will look darker too.
9. Take note to maintain temperatures between 76 and 82 degrees for your breeders and fry while older guppies can live between 72 to 76 degrees.
10. Do not get too excited by acquiring too many fish in the beginning. Take note that litters of healthy fancy guppies happen every 30 to 36 days. It is not a smart option to mix different litters together until they are 3 months old. This is true even to guppies of the same breed. You will be surprised to know that you can actually have breeding stock more than expected. But, the most important thing to remember in raising them is to start off with the best quality strain in order to save more especially if you bought this from a guppy breeder known to have good reputation.
By : Chintmani Abhyankar. Ezinearticle
At
6:24 AM
Label:
How to Breed Fancy Guppies
Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates
Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates - In their natural environment, cherry shrimp are primarily prey animals. When kept in an aquarium, they are easily targeted by fish as potential food, even fish too small to eat them they may harass them and stress them to death, sometimes biting off limbs.
For best results breeding should take place in isolation. Small, non-aggressive fish such as dwarf rasabora, neon tetra and cardinal tetra, otocinclus catfish, and some species of killifish can be kept with adult cherry shrimp as well as dwarf gouramis, but are other than the otocinclus & some other herbivorous fish, are likely to eat any baby shrimp. Most cichlids, including angel fish, will harass and readily eat adults as well. With enough cover and hiding spaces, live plants such as moss work well, one can have a colony of cherry shrimp survive in a tank with larger fish preying on them. Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates By: Wikipedia
For best results breeding should take place in isolation. Small, non-aggressive fish such as dwarf rasabora, neon tetra and cardinal tetra, otocinclus catfish, and some species of killifish can be kept with adult cherry shrimp as well as dwarf gouramis, but are other than the otocinclus & some other herbivorous fish, are likely to eat any baby shrimp. Most cichlids, including angel fish, will harass and readily eat adults as well. With enough cover and hiding spaces, live plants such as moss work well, one can have a colony of cherry shrimp survive in a tank with larger fish preying on them. Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates By: Wikipedia
At
9:00 AM
Label:
Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates
How to Breed Red Cherry Shrimp
How to Breed Red Cherry Shrimp - Breeding red cherry shrimp is as easy as putting a pair of adult male and female together in an aquarium. You can observe the eggs developing in the female's ovaries as a white or yellow triangular "saddle" marking on her back.
When she is ready to lay the eggs, she releases pheromones into the water to signal her availability to males. The male shrimp in the tank will often become agitated, swimming very actively about as they search for the source of the pheromones. After a brief mating process, the female lays her eggs and affixes them to her swimmerettes.
Breeding Red Cherry Shrimp
The eggs turn darker and darker until the young shrimp hatch after about three weeks. When the young hatch, they are tiny (~1 mm) copies of the adults. They have no planktonic larval stage.
They spend their first few days of life hiding among plants, where they are almost invisible, nibbling on the biofilm on the plants. They then emerge and graze on algae on tank surfaces and ornaments.
When she is ready to lay the eggs, she releases pheromones into the water to signal her availability to males. The male shrimp in the tank will often become agitated, swimming very actively about as they search for the source of the pheromones. After a brief mating process, the female lays her eggs and affixes them to her swimmerettes.
Breeding Red Cherry Shrimp
The eggs turn darker and darker until the young shrimp hatch after about three weeks. When the young hatch, they are tiny (~1 mm) copies of the adults. They have no planktonic larval stage.
They spend their first few days of life hiding among plants, where they are almost invisible, nibbling on the biofilm on the plants. They then emerge and graze on algae on tank surfaces and ornaments.
At
8:55 AM
How to Breed Zebra Fish
How to Breed Zebra Fish
These are a perennially popular fish and are named for the stripes running the length of their body. They are happiest in groups and love to zoom around the tank, continually on the move. They can be bred in community tanks quite readily, but egg and fry survival is much better in a separate breeding tank.
Step by Step Breeding Zebra Fish
First, we should start with the water chemistry, because this is obviously very important to the fish. This species are tolerant of water temperature and conditions. However, for breeding purposes, it is best to maintain a PH of 6.6, but no higher than 6.8. As for the temperature, you should keep it between 78 and 82 degrees F.
What about sexing the zebra fish? Obviously, this is just as important. Males have blue and gold stripes while females have blue and silver stripes, but it takes quite a close look to distinguish them. Other distinguishing signs are that the females have a body that is more compressed looking. They also have an extra girth at their abdomen when they have eggs. The males have an appearance that is more streamlined.
Now, we are going to look at conditioning the breeders. It is important that you feed them a variety of flake and live food anywhere from three to five times each day until you notice the females are ripe with eggs. This could take up to three weeks. Then it is time to transfer the breeding pair, if using a separate breeding tank. Often breeders will use two males to one female that is egg rich. Having this type of ratio will make sure the eggs get fertilized.
Spawning Zebra Fish
Spawning typically occurs at daybreak, so the best time form the transfer is late in the evening. Some breeders position the tank so that it will get early morning sun light to facilitate spawning.
Setting up a Breeding Tank
When setting up the breeding tank, a five and a half gallon tank with a twenty five watt heater will be quite suitable. You should also have air stone that is supplied with air coming from a vibrator pump. Don't set the air stone up until after the fish have laid eggs. Make sure you include enough marbles on the bottom of the tank. The marbles should be two and a half inches deep going across the entire tank bed. The marbles will protect the eggs from being eaten, as they sink down between them where they are safe from hungry fish.
Once the tank has been properly conditioned, the fish should breed after a couple of days. If they do not start to breed, then you should raise the temperature by a couple of degrees. You may also want to change five percent of the water in the tank. If they still haven't started, then change another five percent of the water and put the temperature to eighty two. On the third day, if breeding still hasn't started, then only change five percent of the water and don't raise the temperature.
Following these simple procedures, you will find that breeding zebra fish is not only quite easy to do but also very captivating.
How to Breed Zebra Fish Article by: Ezinearticles
These are a perennially popular fish and are named for the stripes running the length of their body. They are happiest in groups and love to zoom around the tank, continually on the move. They can be bred in community tanks quite readily, but egg and fry survival is much better in a separate breeding tank.
Step by Step Breeding Zebra Fish
First, we should start with the water chemistry, because this is obviously very important to the fish. This species are tolerant of water temperature and conditions. However, for breeding purposes, it is best to maintain a PH of 6.6, but no higher than 6.8. As for the temperature, you should keep it between 78 and 82 degrees F.
What about sexing the zebra fish? Obviously, this is just as important. Males have blue and gold stripes while females have blue and silver stripes, but it takes quite a close look to distinguish them. Other distinguishing signs are that the females have a body that is more compressed looking. They also have an extra girth at their abdomen when they have eggs. The males have an appearance that is more streamlined.
Now, we are going to look at conditioning the breeders. It is important that you feed them a variety of flake and live food anywhere from three to five times each day until you notice the females are ripe with eggs. This could take up to three weeks. Then it is time to transfer the breeding pair, if using a separate breeding tank. Often breeders will use two males to one female that is egg rich. Having this type of ratio will make sure the eggs get fertilized.
Spawning Zebra Fish
Spawning typically occurs at daybreak, so the best time form the transfer is late in the evening. Some breeders position the tank so that it will get early morning sun light to facilitate spawning.
Setting up a Breeding Tank
When setting up the breeding tank, a five and a half gallon tank with a twenty five watt heater will be quite suitable. You should also have air stone that is supplied with air coming from a vibrator pump. Don't set the air stone up until after the fish have laid eggs. Make sure you include enough marbles on the bottom of the tank. The marbles should be two and a half inches deep going across the entire tank bed. The marbles will protect the eggs from being eaten, as they sink down between them where they are safe from hungry fish.
Once the tank has been properly conditioned, the fish should breed after a couple of days. If they do not start to breed, then you should raise the temperature by a couple of degrees. You may also want to change five percent of the water in the tank. If they still haven't started, then change another five percent of the water and put the temperature to eighty two. On the third day, if breeding still hasn't started, then only change five percent of the water and don't raise the temperature.
Following these simple procedures, you will find that breeding zebra fish is not only quite easy to do but also very captivating.
How to Breed Zebra Fish Article by: Ezinearticles
At
7:47 AM
Label:
How to Breed Zebra Fish
How to Breed Swordtail
How to Breed Swordtail
The Swordtail or Xiphophorus helleri is a member of the family Poecilidae in the order Cyrinodontiformes. The sword fish is endemic to both North and South America. Their natural habitat stretches from Vera Cruz, Mexico to Honduras.
The name swordtail is literal. These fish are named for the extended pointed region at the bottom of the caudal fin. This species is sexually dimorphic. The extended tail is found only among the males of the species. The different sexes do share the same color palette. The female is often slightly larger than the male.
Swordtails are related to another popular fish among freshwater aquarium owners, the plati commonly referred to as the southern platyfish. They are so closely related that they can crossbreed with one another and do so regularly in the wild.
Just like their cousin, the southern platyfish, the swordtail's prolific breeding has wreaked havoc on previously uninhabited ecosystems. Feral populations can be found in both Africa and Australia. This ecological nuisance has caused damage in both its new spawning grounds.
Like many of the fish you see in fish stores today, the swordtail has been selectively bred to increase its appeal for the aquarium owner. Swordtails come in an assortment of colors including orange, red, black, green, yellow and multi-colored varieties.
Swordtails have a good natured temperament. They are the perfect fit for community tanks. They prefer the swift moving water and heavy vegetation of tropical rivers and streams but can make themselves right at home in creeks and canals. Accordingly they can adapt to a multitude of aquarium conditions.
Swordtails thrive in slightly alkaline waters ranging from pH 7.0-7.3 with water temperatures between 72-79 °F. They can grow as long as 5 inches and have an average life expectancy of up to 5 years.
Swordtails are omnivorous. They are not picky eaters. They can subsist on a diet of nothing but tropical fish flakes but regular protein supplements will help maintain their virility and coloration.
Breeding Swordtails
The Swordtail is a live bearing fish. They share similar traits with other live bearers. The males have a modified anal fin known as a gonopodium that is used to inseminate the female during spawning. They also have a tendency to harass the females of their species. A mix of 2-3 females per male is recommended to curb incidences of domestic violence. Providing plants for the females to hide is also beneficial.
Swordtails commonly breed in community tanks. The urge to reproduce is so strong in this species that the females are hermaphroditic. In populations consisting entirely of females one will frequently transform into a male to insure the propagation of the species. The female will develop a dark gravid spot on her abdomen after she becomes pregnant.
Fry have a four to six week gestation period. They will emerge from the female fully developed. Like most live bearing fish, adult swordtails will eat their fry. This can be easily avoided by the use of a breeding trap.
Fry can be fed newly hatched shrimp brine, powdered or liquid fry food formulated for live bearing fish. An economical and readily available substitute is powdered eggs.
How to Breed Swordtail Article by: Ezinearticles
The Swordtail or Xiphophorus helleri is a member of the family Poecilidae in the order Cyrinodontiformes. The sword fish is endemic to both North and South America. Their natural habitat stretches from Vera Cruz, Mexico to Honduras.
The name swordtail is literal. These fish are named for the extended pointed region at the bottom of the caudal fin. This species is sexually dimorphic. The extended tail is found only among the males of the species. The different sexes do share the same color palette. The female is often slightly larger than the male.
Swordtails are related to another popular fish among freshwater aquarium owners, the plati commonly referred to as the southern platyfish. They are so closely related that they can crossbreed with one another and do so regularly in the wild.
Just like their cousin, the southern platyfish, the swordtail's prolific breeding has wreaked havoc on previously uninhabited ecosystems. Feral populations can be found in both Africa and Australia. This ecological nuisance has caused damage in both its new spawning grounds.
Like many of the fish you see in fish stores today, the swordtail has been selectively bred to increase its appeal for the aquarium owner. Swordtails come in an assortment of colors including orange, red, black, green, yellow and multi-colored varieties.
Swordtails have a good natured temperament. They are the perfect fit for community tanks. They prefer the swift moving water and heavy vegetation of tropical rivers and streams but can make themselves right at home in creeks and canals. Accordingly they can adapt to a multitude of aquarium conditions.
Swordtails thrive in slightly alkaline waters ranging from pH 7.0-7.3 with water temperatures between 72-79 °F. They can grow as long as 5 inches and have an average life expectancy of up to 5 years.
Swordtails are omnivorous. They are not picky eaters. They can subsist on a diet of nothing but tropical fish flakes but regular protein supplements will help maintain their virility and coloration.
Breeding Swordtails
The Swordtail is a live bearing fish. They share similar traits with other live bearers. The males have a modified anal fin known as a gonopodium that is used to inseminate the female during spawning. They also have a tendency to harass the females of their species. A mix of 2-3 females per male is recommended to curb incidences of domestic violence. Providing plants for the females to hide is also beneficial.
Swordtails commonly breed in community tanks. The urge to reproduce is so strong in this species that the females are hermaphroditic. In populations consisting entirely of females one will frequently transform into a male to insure the propagation of the species. The female will develop a dark gravid spot on her abdomen after she becomes pregnant.
Fry have a four to six week gestation period. They will emerge from the female fully developed. Like most live bearing fish, adult swordtails will eat their fry. This can be easily avoided by the use of a breeding trap.
Fry can be fed newly hatched shrimp brine, powdered or liquid fry food formulated for live bearing fish. An economical and readily available substitute is powdered eggs.
How to Breed Swordtail Article by: Ezinearticles
At
7:42 AM
Label:
How to Breed Swordtail
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
