Fish Spawning-Breeding Techniques

Fish Spawning Breeding Techniques

 

In terms of fish breeding there are primarily five main kinds of fish spawning techniques used by fish. These are: live-bearing, egg scattering, substrate spawning as well as mouth-brooding and the very interesting bubble nest building.

Live-Bearing

A lot of common species of fish which are recommended to beginners fall in this category. Some of these are mollies, sword-tails, guppies as well as platies. In case of live-bearers, the eggs of the female fish are internally fertilized by the male one and as a result fully formed fry are released in the tank. It is quite difficult to estimate when the fertilization will happen.

If you are a beginner then this fish can be your best option as it is quite easy to breed. They do not require any particular water parameters or environment. But you must provide cover and protection to the fry when they are born.

Egg Scattering

You can easily guess from the name that the fish belonging to this category usually scatter the eggs in the fish tank. You can notice the mail chasing the female one aggressively and will go on to fertilize the eggs. A few examples of egg scattering fish are barbs, tetras, silver dollars, danios etc.

The parent fish of this category are not bothered at all about caring for their fry. So they fray have to fend for themselves. Moreover, many parents will in fact eat the fray themselves. So it is better to separate the fry from the parent once they are born. You can even separate the eggs as well.

Substrate Spawning

There are some fish who are substrate spawners. In terms of breeding they are a little choosier compared to egg scatterers. They like rocks, woods, caves, plants, and even snails attach eggs. When the female lays her eggs, the male fish will follow her and will fertilize the eggs them. Some examples of fish using substrate spawning are species of catfish, some species of cichlids, and killifish.

Mouth-Brooding

Some example of mouth-brooders are cichlids, catfish etc. Generally during spawning the male fish will tempt the female one and will go to a flat rock. Subsequently, the female one will lay eggs and the male will fertilize them. After that, the female one will pick up the fertilized eggs in to her mouth. She will keep the eggs there for some time. Gradually, the fry hatch in her mouth. When the fry grow up and are big enough, the mother will not allow them to come back to her mouth any more.

If you are interested in breeding fish belonging to this category you must take good care of the mother during the whole process. The eggs remain in her mouth for 3-4 weeks. Naturally, she will not take any food during the process and may become weak and thin. So she needs to be separated into a tank alone. You must reintroduce her to her original tank only when she has regained her strength.

Bubble Nest Building

Mainly two species of fish, Gouramis and bettas make bubble nests at surface water in order to lay eggs in. It is the male who makes the bubble nest and also looks after the fry in most cases. They mate at the surface and then the female will drop her eggs. After that male will take those in his mouth and will carry them to the bubble nest.

When the eggs are in the bubble nest they can occasionally fall to the tank bottom. In that case the male will again take them back to the nest. When the fry are born, the male fish will help them to stay in the nest until the babies are good swimmers.

Conclusion

Fish breeding and raising frays are real fun and can be a rewarding experience for the fish hobbyist. Each species of fish has its own rituals regarding breeding and you will draw enough pleasure out of the whole experience.

Tweet

Subscribe to receive free email updates: