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Peru Tetras

aarhud

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
343
I'm coming up with my list for an Apistogramma baenschi biotope. Does Peru have a reasonably available tetra that is similar to the Ember tetra Hyphessobrycon amandae? I'm going to include Nannostomus marginatus, but doubt I will be able to reproduce them. My goal this year is to successfully raise a few batches of Characin.


 

MickeM

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
441
Location
STOCKHOLM , SWEDEN
Hi aarhud + all..

Some friends of mine have been breeding Nannostomus species ..and other species too.. ( Heterocharax sp./Trochilocharax ornatus...
I guess these are coming from Peru..)
and this one also... Odontocharacidium aphanes !!

And remember.... "a community tank is not a breeding tank!!" (If you want some surviving fry ??!!)

One way with Nannostomus is to put a couple/(trio?) in a separate tank with a lot of fibre-peat (50% of the total tank volume)
..then add some/lot of plants (Micranthemum..) and some proper light ofcourse..!!
... use OK water..(low pH/kH/TDS/EC),
..feed with live,newly hatched Artemia / BBS..,

...and most of the time - fry will appear in the tank sooner or later..!!:);)

You my also take the female/couple out of the tank after spawning...

These species may have different spawning strategies.., but as long as food, hiding-places and OK water is provided ..they often can manage to reproduce!!
( I have got info that the Troch. ornatus-females may (?) carry the fertilized eggs until they find a "safe place" to attach/release them, in plants or so..?, like most/some Oryzias species do!!)

This "Characin-breeding-tank-idea" for these species ought to work OK if you "scape" a tank that looks similar to the tanks in this link/thread...!!!
But you can also create a "V-tank"(V-becken- german) wich includes a separate area where fry can be safe/grow!!

http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/t...basement-with-planted-tanks.17497/#post-94192


Cheers,
Micke
 
Last edited:

aarhud

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
343
Thank you for the info Micke,

The Odontocharacidium aphanes look really neat! Were Trochilocharax ornatus difficult to spawn? I am really interested in them!

I will have to give your method of breeding Nannostomus a try. I'm practicing culturing infusoria and can collect enough rainwater for the small breeding tanks I have. I have several small tanks that I will use for breeding the characins/Nannostomus. I also bought a few different materials to experiment with building egg traps. I'm going to use a PVC frame cut to fit the bottom of the tank and then secure the mesh to the frame.

The biotope tank will be a show tank and a home while I condition the fish. Fish will be moved to smaller tanks for spawning. I'm sure a couple of Apistogramma fry will make it every now and then, but I don't think any other fry would have much of a chance.
 

aarhud

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
343
So far I have decided on:
Trochilocharax ornatus
Hyphessobrycon loretoensis
Nannostomus marginatus
Apistogramma baenschi
 

MickeM

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
441
Location
STOCKHOLM , SWEDEN
Thank you for the info Micke,

The Odontocharacidium aphanes look really neat! Were Trochilocharax ornatus difficult to spawn? I am really interested in them!

I will have to give your method of breeding Nannostomus a try. I'm practicing culturing infusoria and can collect enough rainwater for the small breeding tanks I have. I have several small tanks that I will use for breeding the characins/Nannostomus. I also bought a few different materials to experiment with building egg traps. I'm going to use a PVC frame cut to fit the bottom of the tank and then secure the mesh to the frame.

The biotope tank will be a show tank and a home while I condition the fish. Fish will be moved to smaller tanks for spawning. I'm sure a couple of Apistogramma fry will make it every now and then, but I don't think any other fry would have much of a chance.

I am actually not sure how difficult the Trochilocharax ornatus are to breed.. since my friend (with the basement) got new youngsters several times I guess.!?. He observed spawning behaviours... and later a few fry/youngsters some times ..
And... the ones he first bought had dissapeared/died (one by one)..
And since the only ones left in the tank after a year or so were smaller in size.. he understood that there were only 2nd generation individuals left!
But I think you can get a more effective result if you either move a spawning trio/group from "peat-tank" to "peat-tank".. or use a V-tank!!

http://veloofahren.ch/Aquarium/v-becken.htm
 

MickeM

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
441
Location
STOCKHOLM , SWEDEN
It is an old technic( 1970-80-90`s ??) for difficult/problematic(?) egglaying fishes, but I guess many breeders have kept it a secret...;)

Or as one persistent, wise and funny man in our local killie-club always says......
"If that(any) species is so hard /difficult to get into spawning....how can it then manage to exist and survive in the wild/nature ? " :D:D:D:D

It is the same thing as for any knowledges I guess... it is easy/logic when you finally understands it!!!:):):)

/Micke
 

aarhud

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
343
Can you explain how the V tank works? Do eggs get pulled into the V chamber?
 

MickeM

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
441
Location
STOCKHOLM , SWEDEN
Hi aarhud + all..

There are several ways to do it...,
but normally you fill the side with no pump/filter in it(Section 1).. with plenty of plants or other spawning-material..
And then you put the grown fishes into that section..where they then can spawn..(place/lay/attach their eggs),
I guess you may also put a net/grill-construction at the bottom if you want to...!!
Then the circulation-effect presses the water towards the coneshaped glasswall with the tight opening ..where the water + wrigglers/fry flow into the other part of the tank..( Safe side/zone!!/Section 2)
..where you can net them up and place them in a second tank nearby if you want to...
But you can also keep the fry in that section to grow for some time.. as long as they do not attack/eat their next-coming siblings..

So you can say that the glasswall separate the fry from their constant hungry,opportunistic parents( often the females??) :):)
..and most of the time the fry will not be able or want to swim back (against the water-flow..) to the same side where the grown fishes are swimming..!!
..and if they do ..they will probably be chased back into section nr 2 again , at least if the grown fishes are bullying or chasing them !!!??

I doubt that all/many eggs will "flow" into section 2..(maybe if you have ridiculously strong current from the pump!!??:D;)),
but most of the wrigglers or fry will !! Especially if you feed them proper food in there..
One side-effect may also be that food (and restproducts) that has been left over from the grown-ups will probably end up in section 2 as well!!??!!

/Micke
 

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