Showing posts with label Ancistrus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancistrus. Show all posts

2017-06-30

Breeding CATFISH - The Bristlenose

Many aquarists tend to think of catfish simply as the "cleanup crew" and have them solely to keep the tank free of algae and to consume the bits of food that slip past the fish that feed higher in the tank. However this species is fascinating in its own right and breeding catfish is relatively easy in the home aquaria.

English: a Bristlenose Catfish (ancistrus doli...
A Bristlenose Catfish (ancistrus dolichopterus) (male) is sitting on a coconut shell
(Photo credit: 
Wikipedia)

The bristlenose catfish are popular because of their novel looks and their hard work! Within days of adding a bristlenose to a tank, every trace of algae will be gone. They are easy to breed in a community tank. The mature male has much longer bristles than the female and tends to be larger. They are not overly critical about water conditions but do prefer slightly acidic water, with a pH between 6.5 and 7 and a temperature between 75 and 80 degrees F.

As the bristelnose is a cave spawner you need to make sure that there are plenty of suitable hiding places in the tank. PVC pipe, flowerpots tipped on their sides, coconut shells and bogwood which the bristelnose likes not only for hiding under but for eating as well, are all good choices. They will also welcome thick plants around the perimeter of the tank Keep the water well oxygenated with good filtration, an airstone and pump.

To condition your bristelnose for breeding feed them with shrimp pellets, and some semi- boiled vegetables such as zucchini and cucumber. Quite often a large water change or slight increase in temperature can trigger spawning. Courting behavior varies, some pairs will spend days in preparation while others get straight "down to business". The male chooses a nest site in the PCV pipe or flowerpot and the female will then join him to lay a clutch of around fifty adhesive orange colored eggs. The male then fertilizes them and begins fanning them with his fins to aerate them.

The male is on duty guarding the eggs until they hatch in about three to five days. In another week they will become free swimming and will then need to be fed. Suitable foods are finely crushed vegetables like blanched lettuce, peas, zucchini as well as baby brine shrimp and minced bloodworms. Remember that bristelnose are bottom feeders and make sure that the foods make it to the bottom for them and are not snatched up by the other fish. Another source of food can be created by putting some rocks in jars of tankwater and leaving them on a sunny windowsill where they will grow a good coating of algae. Then place the rocks in the tank for the fry to feed on. Regular water changes together with a varied diet will ensure the healthy growth of the fry.




2017-02-23

BUSHYNOSE PLECOS Are Easy To Keep And Breed

Breeding Bushynose Plecos can be a lot of fun and very rewarding. This is a great beginners catfish and there are also a lot of different strains, colors and fin varieties to choose from.

There are a couple of things you need to do to set yourself up for successfully breeding Bushynose Plecos.

P7231495
Photo by Alex Sorokine

1) Set-up a bare bottom tank for your colony of fish. A 40 gallon tank works well with this. Use only bubble filters, or any other filter that cannot suck up the young fry.

2) You can either purchase adult fish or juveniles to start your colony. If you purchase adults, then a ratio of 1 male to 4-5 females is ideal. If you purchase juveniles, the purchase 6-8 fish and let them grow up into adults. Pick the best adults from the group for your breeding colony. Sexing Bushynose is easy and can be done when the fish are around 3" or larger. Adult males have an intensely bushy nose, while females do not. Females also have a wider body than males when viewed from above.

3) Males will need a cave of some sort to entice a female to join him in. When the female is ready to breed she will join the male in the cave, lay her eggs and then leave. The male will take care of the eggs and young fry from there. He is a good parent.

4) Providing the proper food for both the adults and the fry is very important. Bushynose have large appetites and require a diverse diet. Make sure to stay away from proteins. In large quantity protein can bind up and kill your fish. Foods like zucchini, romaine lettuce, spirulina flakes, and algae wafers are perfect foods for both adult and fry.

5) Water changes are essential. Since you will be feeding your growing fish a lot of food, daily water changes of 25-50% are recommended. Water changes are one of the most important parts of keeping tropical fish so do not skip this part. Monitor your water quality for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
You can raise Bushynose fry in the same tank as the adults, but you may want to separate them to prevent over stocking of the tank. Bushynose fry grow quickly and you should have fish that you can sell or trade within 3 months.

    At Tropical Fish Resource we have over 20 years of experience keeping and studying tropical fish. We travel all over the world researching and documenting different species in the wild. Our goal is to educate people about the sustainability of the tropical fish hobby and how keeping tropical fish can impact the environment. [http://www.tropicalfishresource.com/index.html]
    Article Source: EzineArticles