Silver dollars and their young

[itiwhetu]

So you have a better idea of who I am I thought I would share this with you. After breeding fish for many years commercially I decided that the true test of a community system (furnished aquarium) was if the fish would breed and raise their young. This silver dollar picture shows the parents and young together they spawned multiply times and a certain percentage of the fry survived after each spawn. What this photo doesn't show is that there were Sterbii cats and emerald greens spawning as well in the base of this system at the same time. I have posted a few photos of fish I have had. Thought it might raise a discussion about tanks. Another tank I had pygmy catfish and clown killifish spawning at the same time. If you are getting bored with the hobby you should try some of these things. I am willing to help you get your head around it if you like. One of the bi products of the system I use is lots of plant that is how I made the Silver dollars spawn.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Very intriguing!

So you have breed fish commercially? May I ask what fish?

 

[itiwhetu]

Most cichlids, most coradoras, whiptail cats, pygmy cats, silver dollars, A large number of tetras, most barbs, killifish. Breeding fish commercially is about breeding those with a high retail value. You are better to breed 30 whiptails than 300 Pristellas!. More recently I spent my time looking at more difficult things like butterfly fish, kuhli loaches etc. At the moment my focus is on African cichlids in small systems.

 

[itiwhetu]

I forgot about Danios, Rasboras, Gouramis. One of the more interesting fish was kissing Gourami ( What do you do with 2000 kissing gourami's)

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What do you do with 2000 kissing gourami's)

Give some to me!!

 

[Retired Viking]

Sounds really cool, I like seeing fry in my tanks, over the years I had African Cichlids, Black Mollies, Guppies, Platys and Red eyed tetras breed in my community tanks. In every case I ended up with over populated tanks but still enjoyed seeing the fry. I hope my tetras in my tetra tank will have fry but after I gave my red eyed tetra away no other tetra fry have shown up.

 

[AquaBarb]

Just come across your breeding post from sometime ago

Wow youve done some serious breeding in your time. Im in early stages of breeding (just for the experience really not profit) and found it really rewarding so far.

The Silver dollars you bred looked amazing could i ask what you fed them pls? Also what kind of african cichlids did you breed?

 

[itiwhetu]

Silver dollars where just fed Indian fern( water sprite). African Cichlids electric yellows and blues. Just to prove I didn't need dechhlorinator on an alkaline tank. I'm not a big African cichlid fan.

 

[AquaBarb]

Silver dollars where just fed Indian fern( water sprite). African Cichlids electric yellows and blues. Just to prove I didn't need dechhlorinator on an alkaline tank. I'm not a big African cichlid fan.

What species are you favourite to breed then? Id guess whiptails might be one.

Im coming to the end of a successful batch of Ellioti cichlids and looking into what to breed next.
Might try my hand on Kribensis next

P.s So from young you just fed your silver dollars just watersprite? Mine dont seem bothered in greens so far.

 

[itiwhetu]

What species are you favourite to breed then? Id guess whiptails might be one.

Im coming to the end of a successful batch of Ellioti cichlids and looking into what to breed next.
Might try my hand on Kribensis next

P.s So from young you just fed your silver dollars just watersprite? Mine dont seem bothered in greens so far.

The fry are fed egg yolk. The parents water sprite, I actually think that was the trigger for them to spawn. That and the early morning sun strike on the tank. Most of the harder to breed fish I have managed to get to spawn on an atmospheric pressure rise and with sun strike on the tank in the morning.
My favorite fish I have bred are Lemon Tetras and clown Killifish. I loved breeding Gourami's of all types but struggled to sell all the young. The Silver Dollars were extra special though.