Catfish are one of the most common species of aquarium fish. They are capable of arousing the interest of both beginners and more experienced aquarists, due to their unusual and active behavior. For those who wish to try their hand at breeding these fish, it is better to choose speckled catfish for the first experiments.
It is necessary
- Separate aquarium with a volume of 30-40 liters.
- Fish transfer landing net
- One female and two or three male speckled catfish
- Aquatic plant
- Aerator for aquarium
Instructions
Step 1
Speckled catfish can spawn in a common aquarium, but a separate vessel will guarantee that the eggs, and then the fry, will be safe. Give your fish a 30-50 liter aquarium to spawn. Transfer one female and two or three males there. The female speckled catfish can be easily distinguished from the male because she is larger.
Step 2
Create conditions for the catfish that will stimulate their willingness to spawn. To do this, add fresh cold water to the aquarium (so that the temperature drops by 2-3 ° C) and create enhanced aeration. The soil is not required, but the plants may be needed by the female to accommodate the eggs. Place at least one algae bush in the aquarium, pressing its roots with a stone. The female can also lay eggs on the glass of the vessel, if this option seems more attractive to her.
Step 3
Spawning should occur within 24 hours after transplanting the fish, most likely in the morning or afternoon, since the catfish are not active at night. If the fish do not want to rush to spawn, leave them in the spawning ground and feed them - this means that they just need a little more time to get ready for the process. During spawning, catfish first move quickly around the aquarium, and then the female, choosing the most illuminated areas of glass or plants, attaches eggs to them. After a while, the process is repeated. After spawning, the fish can be returned to the general aquarium.
Step 4
During the next 8-12 days, the eggs will develop. If the temperature in the spawning ground is raised to 27-28 ° C, the eggs will develop much faster, which will save them from the influence of parasitic fungi, which inevitably destroy part of the eggs. The use of antifungal drugs, such as methylene blue, will also help preserve the eggs. As soon as the fry hatch from the eggs, return the water temperature to the previous value.
Step 5
Since catfish fry hatch quite large, it is not difficult to pick up food for them. If there is no special dry food for fry, you can grind food for adult fish into powder, or finely chop the tubifex. There is a special type of food for catfish - pellet tablets that sink to the bottom, where the fish pick them up. The fry are quite capable of eating one such pill collectively, sticking to it from all sides. With sufficient nutrition and frequent water changes, young catfish grow quickly. By the age of one month, they can already reach about one centimeter in length, and at 8 months they are considered sexually mature and capable of reproduction.
