Breeding Tank For Tetras

[MHunt]

I want to try and breed neon tetras as my next project. Mainly as it's more challenging than my just add cool water bronze Cory's.

I get that they are egg scatterers, so am I looking at a bare bottomed tank with a couple of spawning mops, and a sponge filter? I realise the water conditions need to be a bit special, and that once spawned, the hatchery needs to be kept in darkness for about a week as the eggs and fry are quite photosensitive.

Am I thinking along the right lines here? This is all the general information that I've picked up from magazines, forums etc.

What about encouraging spawning, I know the fish need to be conditioned by feeding well on fresh foods, but I guess it's not so simple as putting a pair in the spawning tank and waiting. Even with nice soft acidic water conditions do I need to do anything else to encourage spawning? Raising temp, lowering temp, water change etc?

Thanks for your advice. MHunt.

 

[MHunt]

Bumpage.

I also need advice how to soften the water. Should I start collecting rain water, or is RO the way to go?

 

[Musho3210]

RO is better since you never know what is in rain water, its not just water, lots of pollutants evaporate their way into clouds, its how acid rain forms.

 

[MHunt]

RO is better since you never know what is in rain water, its not just water, lots of pollutants evaporate their way into clouds, its how acid rain forms.

At least the free rain water would have a nice low ph!

 

[Lateral Line]

For a decent percentage of the eggs to hatch, you need virtually zero hardness. Calcium ions in the water react with the egg shell making it to tough for the fry to emerge. Water like that is very unstable and can swing wildly in pH very quickly, with fatal results usually.

It takes a long time to condition fish to water like this. Fish from tapwater placed in this kind of water will suffer osmotic shock, which, depending on the water they are used to, may also be fatal.

 

[MHunt]

So what is the best way to introduce the parents into the tank? I guess with such a low pH and hardness, just putting the parents into the prepared breeding tank may well kill them, but equally, removing them from the prepared breeding tank after spawning straight into the community tank without lengthy acclimatisation may cause similar harm. Can you do something similar as you would for fish from the LFS, bag the parents, and slowly mix the tank water with theirs over a long period of time, and then do the same when removing them from the breeding tank back to the community?

What's the importance of keeping the tank in darkness? Does keeping the tank in the dark also stop the eggs from becoming too hard?

I did a test on the water from my community tank, it has quite a low GH but a high KH, I'm sorry i don't have the numbers, i only did a quick test with a testing strip. The pH was around 6/6.5. What would that be like for starting the breeding tank off with?

 

[Biulu]

I am by no means an expert, but after having read what lateral line said, I thought, that you could maybe get them to spawn in your not so soft water, and then transfer the eggs to ro water?

 

[MHunt]

I have a plan. We've been getting Asda smart price bottled water because my wife doesn't like the taste of the council pop. I'm going to test some with the same testing strips and see what the hardness is. I can drop the pH by other means if needs be, but if the water is soft enough I can use that. At only 17p for 2 litres I can't go too far wrong.

 

[blue_betta]

I have a plan. We've been getting Asda smart price bottled water because my wife doesn't like the taste of the council pop. I'm going to test some with the same testing strips and see what the hardness is. I can drop the pH by other means if needs be, but if the water is soft enough I can use that. At only 17p for 2 litres I can't go too far wrong.

try to get a liquid test, they are more aqurate, ive found the test strips are not as aquarte.

 

[MHunt]

While accuracy would be ideal, I only need a rough idea of the waters hardness, if it is softer than my tapwater, then that is probably the way to go.

Any suggestions on my original post?

 

[MasterP]

If you want to acclimate the neons to soft water slowly and conditio them then put them in the conditioning tank with your regular tank water and through water changes add. the water that you will have them breed in. I don't know that much about breeding neons but i believe a decent size school is needed.

 

[Lateral Line]

If you are serious about breeding egglayers, then you will need seperate quarters for males and females, otherwise, the females scatter eggs regulally and you only get a handful of eggs in the breeding tank. Both tanks need to be slowly aclimated to the ideal conditions you are building in the breeding tank, thus, as I said originally, you need very large quantities of water as you will be almost continually changing water in the breeding set-up tanks, (plural).

"Mineral water" is full of "minerals" - you want water that has no minerals.

A pair is all that is needed in the breeding tank. Usual rules, female in the day before, male in last thing at night, lights out cover tank. Well conditioned pair kept apart rarely fail to spawn at first light.

 

[MHunt]

If you are serious about breeding egglayers, then you will need seperate quarters for males and females, otherwise, the females scatter eggs regulally and you only get a handful of eggs in the breeding tank. Both tanks need to be slowly aclimated to the ideal conditions you are building in the breeding tank, thus, as I said originally, you need very large quantities of water as you will be almost continually changing water in the breeding set-up tanks, (plural).

"Mineral water" is full of "minerals" - you want water that has no minerals.

A pair is all that is needed in the breeding tank. Usual rules, female in the day before, male in last thing at night, lights out cover tank. Well conditioned pair kept apart rarely fail to spawn at first light.

Thanks for that, I guess I have more thinking to do on this one, but i now have a good idea of how to go about the breeding routine if you like for egg layers. I guess those rules work for other egg layers, other tetras, cherry barbs etc.

 

[Lateral Line]

There are exceptions, but the general approach I've laid out there works for most Cyprinids and Characins. There are some species that are shoal spawners, and others which really need unusual conditions, but for regular egg scatterers, yes, those are general principles to follow.

I have an unfinished article on breeding, I must find some time to get it posted.

 

[MHunt]

Well, i may try with my cherry barbs first, if they're easier. But I really do fancy breeding my own shoal of neons. Much more interesting than buying them from the shop.