Breeding Project For Hard Alkaline?

[dwarfgourami]

Hi everybody! I have been doing very little with my fish lately, just kept the tanks ticking over, as I thought I might end up emigrating and having to sell them all, so my heart wasn't exactly in it. Now the danger is averted, my tanks are staying and it's soon my birthday. So the ideal time to be setting up a new small project.

What I am looking for is a suitable, easy, small egglayer to breed

(have already got a number of unusual livebearers and have bred bristlenoses in the past so would like something new)

I could clear one 40 ltr and one 30 ltr tank for this and/or the parents could go in one of my big tanks later

I do however have very hard alkaline water so that rules out quite a few

The two that came to mind were

danios (but not sure they would fit into my larger tank community as being a bit whizzy, and wouldn't want to keep them in the 40 ltr longterm)

or

multies (but they couldn't go in my large community tank; wouldn't the 40 ltr be a bit small for a longterm whole colony)

other easy breeders you see suggested are

cherry barbs- but do the eggs hatch in hard alkaline water

and

corydoras (this is what I'd really like- but have never had any luck with my peppereds, they spawn but the eggs aren't fertile- could it be the water?)

any suggestions anyone?

 

[OldMan47]

The water is probably too hard for most cories to spawn successfully. I am faced with the same thing and use a mix of RO to make the water soft enough for my cories. A fish that will spawn with success in that water is kribensis. IMO the 40 litre is just big enough for a pair but the fry would need to come out almost immediately.

 

[Colin_T]

The water is also too hard for Danios and barbs. they will live happily in hard water but often become egg bound when kept in hard water.
You want to keep small rainbowfish, Melanotaenia praecox and Pseudomugil signifer. They are fine with most other fish and do well in 30-40litre tanks. Keep a group of 6-8 of each and away you go. They breed prolifically and are reasonably easy to rear up.

More info on rainbows can be found here

http/members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Contents.htm

 

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks to both of you!

Oldman47- that confirms what I thought about the corys. I've had mine for over 3 years and they spawn the moment they've had a good dinner, but the eggs never develop. Kribensis might be a thought, I had just assumed that the tank would be too small.

Colin- rainbows certainly a thought. I'm wary of pseudomugils because I've had no joy in the past; and I know it's not just my tanks as I keep seeing them moribund in the lfs. Only one lfs that stocks them, wonder if there is a problem with their supplier. But maybe the praecox would be an idea.

 

[helterskelter]

Melanotaenia praecox very easy and will be fine in our hard water.

What i did was have a family group with a clump of java moss, then every 4-5 days move the moss to a hatching tank for 7 days to hatch all the eggs , then put it back in to the tank.

I've also seen people rear fry with the parents.

I feed them on brine shrinp alone and they was fine, but some mirco worms would be good at first.

You can in fact do this with most of the rainbows sold in shop's.

Also DG good to see u back again, so what livebeares have you got ATM

 

[Colin_T]

Pseudomugil signifer should be easy to keep as they are pretty tough and will tolerate all sorts of conditions.
If you have problems with rainbowfish often the best thing to do is add salt. Use 1 heaped tablespoon of rock salt per 20litres of tank water. Leave the salt levels high for a couple of weeks then do small water changes to dilute it.
Rainbowfish often stress out during transit and will panic and damage themselves when put into a new tank, or if the PH is too low or the nitrates too high. Salt helps them to calm down and they do a lot better.
Having lots of aeration will also help them.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks Colin. I might try this.

Hi Alan! Have now got a thriving colony from the xiphophorus evelynae I bought at Corby last year. Also blue limias and humpbacks and endlers all breeding.

 

[helterskelter]

Thats good to know, well keep us informend into what u do then