Lemon Tetra Behaviour

[melh1979]

I've just been watching my lemon tetras and wondered if I'm interpreting their behaviour correctly!

I have 8 lemon tetras - 5 of which have been in the tank for 3 weeks and other 3 for a week and a half. I'm not sure of the ratio of males and females but there are two which I'm thinking are definately males (slightly bigger with darker black on bottom of anal fin). I've just been watching these two chasing after what I am assuming to be females, into the (fake) plants and wiggling in front and next to them showing off their fins. Is this them trying to impress the females so that they'll breed with them - or do fish not behave in that way? The two doing this have also been chasing and nipping at each other and another possibly smaller male. The females don't seem that impressed - they just swim away when they get the chance and the male just tries someone else!

Am I interpreting this correctly or am I reading too much into it!? I had read that lemon's preferre slightly acidic water to breed but mine is alkaline. Do the males try to woo the females even if the water isn't good enough for the females to spawn? Or do they not try to woo them at all!
Thanks!

 

[NEONCORY]

Here is what I experienced when I had Lemon Tetras in my community tank.
Yes, I believe what you are seeing is in fact their breeding behavior. The male usually circle around the potential mate to show off their color, finnage., etc.
When and if the female is ready to mate and show interest in the male. The male will drive the female to the thicket of the plants if such a spot is available. I found my jungle like heavy planted tank was suitable. And they go through such a small opening in the plants. And their act itself is such a quicky. Also I think they prefer to fertrize the eggs in lower part of the tank in plant thicket(moss, algea what not). Unlike other Tetras like Neon or Glowlight which go up near the surface of the water to release the eggs. Which have more time for other fish to eat the eggs while the eggs are falling to the bottom. That is one of the reason why quite often Lemon Tetras survivor pop out in my community tank. Also their water requirement for breeding is not strict as Neon. I believe Lemon egg can hatch in higher ph and gh than Neons or Cardinals. So I think you can breed in like neutural 7 ph and probably 10~20 gh after all I got some survivors when I was using top water. I'm not sure about exact since I never set the breeding tank for the Lemon but they just do their own in the heavy planted community tank. And I never fed to condition either.
Personally I think they can get their offspring if you even have a pair as long as they are not too old. Without the special care from the keeper of the fish. But I'm sure you will be more successful if you have nice group or breed in the breeding tank and conditioned with live and meaty food. I never than that with Lemon. I done that with Neon and Glowlight since I don't think you can get frys without the breeding tank for them.
Anyway, about the Lemons. They bred without the help from me. They were mostly fed flakes and seldom fed live food. Also they tend to spread the eggs after the water change even day or night.
I think I never tried to breed the Lemon because I didn't have separate tank or the time at the time I kept them. Maybe I should get some young pair or group and try to breed in near future.
Although my next tetras to breed would be Diamond Tetras and Sterbai Corys since I am growing their groups up as this writing and never done that before.
And always I could use few more batch of Neons since they are my favorite and I need more when I set the 55G. And of course I need to grow all the Panda Cory frys.
Anyway, good luck to your Lemons. Your males are definately ready but female may need to condition to fat them up. And if you can separate the sex and feed them meaty food(worms, BBS, daphina etc) to condition for week or 2. And you can do little web-search and figure out the optimal water parameter for the breeding Lemon.

 

[melh1979]

Thanks for the reply. Yes that is exactly what they were doing. I have had a look and noticed what look like eggs on some of the leaves of the plants but they are near the top of the plants. I did see one eating some of the eggs though! I wasn't attempting to breed them at all as the tank has only been set up for 3 weeks! I imagine most of the eggs will be eaten before they hatch or the fry will be in any case. The pH of the water is about 8-8.2. We mainly feed them flakes but they have been having frozen daphnia as a treat and the odd pea to help their digestion. Do you know how long before the eggs will hatch (if they are not eaten first!)?

 

[NEONCORY]

Yes. Like most of thet Tetras, Lemon tetra eggs hatch in about a day. It depends on the temperature. However, they need another 5 days or so to be free swimming fry. Even then, they are so small you have tough time seeing with your naked eyes just like most of other tetras. And they do need lots of help to survive in the tank with other fish including their own parents. Also your ph might be higher end for the eggs to hatch. Here is one of the link you can read about.

http/www.timstropicals.com/Inventory/Tet...e/LemonInfo.asp

Good luck. You might need to set the separate breeding tank if you serious about getting tetra frys.