36 Breeding Requirements: I have fish in a breeding setup, but they just won't breed. Why do my fishes' eggs keep fungusing and the fry dying?
Description
This article is from the Aquaria: Good (and Bad) First Fish; Breeding FAQ, by Dean Hougen and Elaine Thompson
36 Breeding Requirements: I have fish in a breeding setup, but they just won't breed. Why do my fishes' eggs keep fungusing and the fry dying?
Many fish will not breed successfully without specific requirements.
These include:
A mix of male and female fish.
I know this sounds obvious, but some fish are not easy to sex.
In species that are difficult to sex, is best to start out with
at least six young fish so that you are certain of getting both
males and females. Starting with many fish also gives
monogamous fish a chance to pick compatible mates. Sometimes if
a single male and female are introduced, they will not breed.
Other fish, like livebearers, killifish, and polygamous
cichlids need more females that males so that females are not
harassed by amorous males.
Extremely clean water.
Most fish will not breed if there is any ammonia or nitrite
present, and large amounts of nitrate are toxic to baby fish.
Some fish, especially tetras, must be bred in a breeding tank
that is bare and sterile so that their eggs do not fungus. For
more information about clean water, see the beginner FAQ.
A varied diet.
Fish that are producing eggs need better food that fish that
are just living in a community. Breeders call the process of
specially feeding parents conditioning. Conditioning foods
include live foods, fresh frozen foods, or spirulina based
foods. Find out the specific requirements of the fish you
intend to breed. If you need information about live foods, see
the live food FAQ.
The correct environment.
Fish that breed on substrates need proper substrates to breed
on, like peat, rocks, shells, or plants. Some fish are shy and
require a lot of cover, caves, or dim light. There are also
fish that require a particular water chemistry to breed.
Examples are discus, which require very soft, acid water or
African cichlids which require very hard, alkaline water.
External cues.
Many tropical fish breed in the rainy season. When it rains,
streams flood, the water hardness drops, and there is thunder
and lightning. Adventuresome breeders with rainy season fish
may try large water changes with distilled water, watering cans
to simulate rain, strong currents, and even flashing lights and
loud noises. Temperature changes may also stimulate spawning,
as may changes in the light/dark cycle.
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