I have bred many fish but I’ve dealt with fry dying, fry being eaten, fry getting stuck to the HOB filter, pregnant fish distressed in a breeding tank, I learned a lot and I think I’ve found the best way to breed fish without having to worry and have better success.
Here is what I learned:
- Larger Tank is Much Easier – I have bred many fish in small tanks such as breeding tanks and 5 to 10 gallon tanks but I learned, the large the tank, the more fry and the better things are. Which then leads to the next part…
- Hornwort and Java Moss – I have kept my fish in tanks with live plants and plastic decorations in hopes the fish will find a place to hide. But I notice that while other plants provided some coverage, parents would go near those live plants and try to eat their fry. One thing that I noticed is that plant which parents rarely try to approach their fry if there is a lot of it is Hornwort and Java Moss. Before I would just have one long strand and felt it was enough but it wasn’t enough. Also, the LED’s weren’t good enough to keep the live plants alive. So, on my Amazon tank with better LED lighting, the plants thrive. Along with fertilizer and Co2.
- Separation – I have one side full of java moss and hornwort. If you have a really large tank, have them on both sides.
- Sponge Filters – I have sponge filters on the corners of where the java moss and hornwort are located. Many of the pregnant fish and the larger fish try to go this area for food but the sponge filters keep these larger fish away from the top where the fry are swimming.
- Letting Nature Happen – With a larger tank and the live plants in place, let nature happen. Let the pregnant fish do their thing. I notice that I get more fry with plenty of hornwort and java moss. Also, a larger number of fry survive.
- Fish Food – Hikari First Bytes and Daphnia has worked magnificently well with the fry.
So far, this has guaranteed success for fry from live bearing fish. I’ve not tried to focus on any egg laying fish but for live breeders, I feel a larger tank and a lot of hornwort and java moss has worked amazingly well.
