Bristlenose Breeding

[Angry_Platy]

As many of you may be aware, I currently have 2 batches of bnose fry...one batch are approx 1.5 inches long, the other batch are an inch long (give or take)...they are keeping the tanks algae free and I love them!!

My issue is....in the last 3-4 days I have noticed about 4 bnoses that are a lot smaller than the rest...as in....about the size of newly hatched bnoses...in the tank I have the male adult bnose, the babies and my other fish....no adult female bnose in there...my female bnose has been in the 75gall for 2 months now....

SO...my question is....how old do bnoses have to be to lay eggs/spawn...could it be possible that some of my inch long bnoses have allready started breeding or could the small fry I am seeing just haven't been eating as much (though my two batches are clearly distinguishable size wise)?? None of the fry are at an age where I can sex them yet so i am not sure if I have to separate them how I am meant to do it!!

Any help would be appreciated....

 

[yhbae]

I purchased 4 of them when they were about 1 inch. After about 10 months, two of them reached about 2.5 - 3 inches, while the other two stayed about around 2 inches. One of the large one is the lone male.

They started to spawn about 9 months after the purchase. Figuring they are about 4 months old at the time of purchase, that would make them just over 1 year old...

 

[smithrc]

our male is about 3.5 inches - our female is about 2.5

they have just started to spawn

 

[Angry_Platy]

Yeah...when mine bred the male was 3 inches...the female 3 and a half...that was a week after I put her in the tank...thats why I was baffled when I see a tiny one like a new born with all the other babies being so big...

 

[CFC]

They are the runts of the litter and in nature would be the ones that wouldnt make it, proffessional breeders would cull them It is quite likely that these smaller ones will die off naturally before reaching maturity, it is my experience that every spawn has at least a 25 to 40% mortality rate before the fry reach adulthood.

 

[samthefishman]

hi
i got 2 male bnose and 2 female.
1 male is quite large (3 inches or more)
both females r over similar size (2.5 and about 2)
i also have another male about 2.5 inches
i got plently of wood in there, both females are fat, but they will not spawn!!!! its starting to annoy me. I got no other fish in there because i like bnose and i want to breed them. the large male is constantly in a hollow log i think hes making a nest, but he has been doing this for days, even weeks.
if u have ne tips could u please tell me.
regards
sam

 

[Synastic]

Whoa Chookie,

You have some natural bunny Bnoses.

 

[samthefishman]

i dont understand?!?!