egg layers

[Kittycat]

Hi, guys, I just wanted to ask what egglayers are among the easiest to breed? I've not been able to breed anything but guppies. I tried several times with bettas, but all I had to show for it were poor, beaten up fishes with ruined fins. I also got 4 rams some months ago, but they never paired. I have a school of 8 neon dwarf rainbows, never saw eggs, either; nor my ottos (but I didn't expect that from them since their breeding isn't a common occurence). Now I'm thinking of kribs, but I'm not sure they'll happily breed in my tank, either. Any suggestions?

PS. If it's relevant--my tank has inverted flower pot, fake logs and potted live plants, but no gravel on the tank floor itself, so I probably can't get any fish that likes to lay eggs on gravel.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Kittycat

I would not hesitate to suggest cory cats to anyone who wishes to try their hand at breeding an egg laying fish. I would particularly recommend the bronze or albino C. aeneus, which are especially easy to get to spawn.

These fish have relatively large eggs, which means large fry, at least for egglayers. This makes them easier to feed at the start, which is a great benefit to a new breeder. They are also popular little fish, and many independent lfs will be happy to buy them from you once they are big enough.

 

[The-Wolf]

I'd recomend danios

for all the above reasons except smaller eggs

 

[Kittycat]

Don't corydoras need gravel substrate? That was why I didn't stock with them before. How do you sex them? Also, do they care for the eggs, or would I need to have a species breeding tank?

Thanks for the recommendation, The-Wolf, I hesitate with danios for the reason you mentioned--schooling and space requirements...

 

[The-Wolf]

Corys prefer sand as a substrate.
It's better for their barbles.

 

[sylvia]

Three-spot gouramies... very easy to breed but you need a seperate tank and raising the fry can be difficult because they are rather small... However, an established, planted tank should contain food for tiny fry and commercial liquid foods and powdered flake can be offered later. For a not-so-established tank, you can start growing your own infusoria to feed the newly-hatched fry very easily. They breed like bettas pretty much - only they are less likely to kill each other if not yet ready to spawn

I'm not sure whether cories will breed without a substrate... They don't exactly care for their eggs but I don't think they eat them either and I've heard the female will carry them, clean a spot and then deposit them there. Danios are very easy but, again, you need a seperate tank or the eggs and fry will get eaten.

 

[Inchworm]

Don't corydoras need gravel substrate? That was why I didn't stock with them before. How do you sex them? Also, do they care for the eggs, or would I need to have a species breeding tank?

Hi Kittycat

Corys don't necessarily need a substrate, but when they are in a breeding tank, I like to have a small layer of fine gravel on the bottom, which I will remove after they spawn. The reason for this is that they are apt to lay their eggs on the tank floor it it is bare and since they also sit on it, they smush the eggs with their own weight.

The gravel (or sand if you prefer) need not be deep and can be easily removed once they have spawned. I find it much easier to raise the fry in a bare bottomed tank than one with a substrate. It is much easier to keep track of them and also to keep the tank clean.

Female corys are longer and huskier than the males. It's usually easy to see the difference by looking down at a group of them, (if they are mature) from the top of the tank. Females also have larger and rounder ventral fins than the males.

If you scroll down on the following link, you will see my description of the setup I use to breed my corys:

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...l=breeding+tank

 

[Kittycat]

Thanks, everyone! I'll give those cories a serious consideration. They're really cute.