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Breeding Tropical Fish

Many tropical fish tank owners will grow to love their hobby so much that it is only a matter of time before they get an itch to make babies! Breeding tropical fish can be very rewarding, but firstly there is a big decision to be made. Will you breed egg bearers or live bearers. There is a significant difference between the two, and the effort needed to be successful.

Egg bearers lay eggs in the aquarium and their minnow babies hatch from the eggs once they have reached maturity. Live bearing mothers give birth to live minnow babies, like humans do.

I would recommend starting out breeding live bearers, unless you already have extensive experience breeding tropical fish. Egg bearers are fairly complicated to breed and would require a lot more time and expertise, even then there is no guarantee of success.

One of the most important things to consider is keeping the baby fry away from the rest of the fish in your aquarium. Adult fish will only see the babies as tasty food and even the parents are likely to eat their own young, often as soon as they are born!

It can be very disheartening and upsetting if your baby fry become fish food. If you have a good supply of thick foliage and plants in the tank it is possible that some fry will make it to maturity. But it won’t be very many. It is a much safer option to put the pregnant mother in a nursing tank when you think she is ready to give birth.

It can be tricky to start with to tell when the mother fish is ready to give birth. You will learn the signs in time. The main things to look out for is a very black and swollen abdomen. If you are unsure, it is better to move the mother earlier. After the babies emerge, transfer the mother back to the community tank, but leave the fry to mature in safety.

Live bearing fish are normally very easy to breed, they do not require too much attention and do most of the work themselves. Interestingly guppies will be pregnant several times from each insemination.

This information is food for thought but it is barely the tip of the iceberg. If you are serious about breeding tropical fish you should seek further advice and do a lot more research.