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Breeding tetra: Advice

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seangee

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Was going to set up the breeding tank today but remembered that I'm on holiday next month so I'll wait till I get back so I can ensure the fry get fed and water changed daily.

One question I have is around the light sensitivity of the eggs. How sensitive are they? My proposed breeding tank is opaque so I won't be able to watch the spawning. Do I just introduce the fish in the evening and remove them in the morning in the hope that I have eggs or is it ok to look into the tank to confirm. No lights in the tank so it would just be ambient light from the room in the daytime.

Secondly is it safe to assume that the parents are unlikely to eat all the eggs between the time they are released and the following morning. It will be a bare tank (actually plastic bin) with woolen spawning mops.
 
Is this the breeding of the cardinal tetras that was mentioned in an earlier thread (not sure if you or someone else...?)? If yes, then light is said to be crucial. Hans Baensch wrote that cardinal tetras have a light phobia that extends to the fish as well as the eggs.

I have never set up spawning tanks for characins so I won't suggest what I haven't tried. I couldn't offer more than what you can find here:
http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-axelrodi/
 
Is this the breeding of the cardinal tetras that was mentioned in an earlier thread
Sorry I did mean to say its the glowlights (Hemigrammus Erythrozonus). I figure cardinals are a bit ambitious for a first attempt at intentional breeding. The info on SF corresponds with an article I found on PFK and my only decision is whether to use a group or a single pair.

Yes it was my previous post. I would be perfectly content with 20 - 30 new fish. Any more than that will have to go to the LFS for credit.
 
All tetras have photosensitive eggs and their eggs must be kept dark to hatch. Have a picture on the back and sides but leave the front open until they have spawned. Then remove the parents and cover the front. Don't have a tank light on.

Tetras normally prefer to spawn in fine leaf plants like Java Moss. They might use a spawning mop but they might not.

The breeding tank should have a thin layer or gravel to make the fish feel more secure and to help hide the eggs. You should try to cover half the base with plants or mops.

If you breed them now, you can experiment a bit with lighting and if it's a fail, you can breed them again when you get back.
 
All tetras have photosensitive eggs and their eggs must be kept dark to hatch. Have a picture on the back and sides but leave the front open until they have spawned. Then remove the parents and cover the front. Don't have a tank light on.
Thanks @Colin_T. Do you know how photosensitive, i.e. total blackout or is it ok to take an occasional peek with the room lights off and the blinds drawn. Tank is plastic anyway (think 40l ice cream tub) with no light and I was planning to cover it with a towel.

Also how long do the fry remain photosensitive. I realise tetra don't appreciate bright light but since the tank has no light and no glass that shouldn't be a problem once they pass the critical stage.
 
As far as I know, the eggs are sensitive to light but once the fry are free swimming, they aren't.

Normally covering the front back and sides of the tank and keeping the tank lights off is sufficient for the eggs to hatch. You can look into the tank (for a few minutes) with normal room light and it won't affect the eggs.
 

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