Spontaneous Breeders

[Ludwig Venter]

Most all fish, except livebearers and some Gouramis, must be specifically "set up" for breeding and the adults removed after the eggs are observed to prevent cannibalism.

I have several 4ft x 4ft x 3ft deep heated ponds available for stocking and being the lazy hobbyist, I just want to stock each with single species and apart from periodic water changes & feeding forget about them, but still expect their numbers to increase spontaneously.

Any suggestions?? (Bronze corrys for instance.... will they work??)

 

[england]

cichlids are great as they spawn and protect<mother there young but obviously you will have to sort out so the fry dont interbreed,,,,
bristlenose plecs also have a great ofspring rate

 

[Ludwig Venter]

cichlids are great as they spawn and protect<mother there young but obviously you will have to sort out so the fry dont interbreed,,,,


Thanks Nelly, but telling me "Cichlids are great" does'nt really narrow it down to a specific fish... I want to make these "single type" fishtanks, so I,m actually looking for fish that will just multiply if left alone with no other fish (or themselves) to threaten their babies. That's why I think Bronze corrys or maybe Khuli loaches would be ideal.....Any other suggestions??

 

[orange shark]

not khuli loaches, they are really difficult to breed

i'd try Bristlenose Plecos or maybe panda/sterbai corys

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Ok thanks, taking your advice one of these heated ponds will definitely be stocked with Brisstlenose Plecos (about 8 of them) and I hope to collect many more in about 8 months' time. I have 4 more of these to stock (one currently with thousands of mixed livebearers - which I think is a waste of space and would like something else useful in there) so I need 4 more suggestions.... I still feel strongly about making one a Bronze Corry single species tank, so if anyone has experience that they "multiply" spontaneously, please let me know.

 

[dazsmith69]

convict cichlids and kribensis will breed quite rapidly

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

convict cichlids and kribensis will breed quite rapidly

Convict cichlids will probably breed too much/rapidly/successfully for most people unless they are being used as feeder fish.

 

[dazsmith69]

convict cichlids and kribensis will breed quite rapidly

Convict cichlids will probably breed too much/rapidly/successfully for most people unless they are being used as feeder fish.

is that not what he wants?

 

[geo7x]

Definitely try BNs, they are the perfect breeders. They spawn loads and the dad looks after them while they are still young. Plus when he lets them out the parents won't eat them anyway, and they don't need special fry food just feed same as parents. So you can just sit back and watch.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Yes I agree... the Convicts are a little too prolific.... I'm separating males & Females currently to stop the explosion....and they are also so abundant that I have no swop or sale market for them.

I will take Dazsmith on about the Kribs however and the more I hear about the BNS, the more excited I get cause in all species I've bred in almost 40yrs, they are not amoungst them..... In my days, all available literature on fish stated "not yet bred in captivity" so this is an exciting project.

That's 2 down and 3 to go..... I'm open for more suggestions (must not be very easy breeders either)

 

[dazsmith69]

firemouth cichlids?

angelfish?

egyptian mouthbrooders?

yellow labs?

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Dazsmith 69.... Thanks for the suggestions, but those are too easy to breed..... I'm looking for something challenging (but it must be possible and likely) I've subsequently added Bronze Corrys to my decision, so that's 3 down and 2 to go.

 

[orange shark]

So what have you decided on so far?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

any dwarf cichlids will brred fairly spontaneously, apistogramma cactuoides, agasizzi or something like that.....

 

[Ludwig Venter]

The 3 (out of 5) that I have selected so far are Brisstle Nose Plecos; Kribensis and Bronze Corrys. Need 2 more and on Missy Wiggle's advice I,m thinking of the Apistogrammas, but Ramirezi instead of Cactuoids.