Breeding and Strains: Method of Breeding

• Another thing a lot of people overlook is the dividers, there is many things you can use to divide a pair (egg crate, Perspex, garden trellis cage, etc) but I’ve found regardless on the material used it needs to be kept in the tank or have a hatch/cut-out for the female to enter and escape.

In my experience it keeps a sort of territorial boundary and reduces aggression, remove that boundary and it’s like they need to start again on a hierarchy.

Pairing should be done without female having any tube out start with them in the tank divided no plate for 24hrs Minimum.

• If they seem comfortable (she isn’t sitting in top corner fretting and lost colour), then add a plate 50/50 under the divider after 24-48hrs open the hatch and let her go throughout her own, this way she understands how she can escape him.

Observe:

• He will chase her and yes at times she will fret keep a eye she is escaping and not gonna die from him been dominating if she is scared for her life close the hatch leave them longer divided try again in 48hrs.
• Once she is comfortable here slip the plate completely to his side so she understands once she lays she has to be 100% in his territory, comfortable and essentially accepting his a suitable mate
• This may take a few goes but eventually she will accept him sometimes you may even have to divide them again if she doesn’t show any sign of plate cleaning or dropping her tube, basically make her miss him I guess.

• After she drops tube and lays leave the male with the eggs a min of 4-6hrs, shooting milt is exhausting and if you rush this he won’t shoot the whole plate

• You can let them raise till wrigglers but u won’t get as many hatch as artificially fanning the eggs with a air stone.

Removal of the Pair:

• I personally remove the parents to another tank separate them or move the eggs to a separate tank/tub/bucket
• If the tanks large lift the plate and ensure that the air is running past the eggs, flowing water paste the eggs, I’ve even used light power heads
• If the tanks small u can lay plate down the water movement will be sufficient with just a air stone

Reduce Bacteria Infection:

• Add methylene blue I have only recently started using and have found it definitely does give you better success rate as it stops the white fury fungus killing the eggs (dose rate 99% powder 0.14g per 40L) (Liquid 1ML per 40L)
• Have used malachite green before but methylene blue is by far easier

Water Change:

• If using Methylene blue as soon as the fry hatch do a 50% water change from the parent tank, or another tank that is seeded with exactly same parameters, temp etc daily for next 3 days.