Here are some top tips for breeding fish – short and sweet and to the point.

Whatever your reasons are for breeding your fish – maybe just for the pure enjoyment of raising more fish and stocking your tank; or to have extra fish for feeding some larger fish or perhaps to make some profit by selling to aquarium stores.These are the best ways to do it.

1. Choose the type of fish to breed- know their methods of reproducing. The different species of fish breed in distinct ways. Some fish give birth to live offspring, for example guppies) and others build nests and lay eggs. Both of these techniques are quite thrilling to watch and it will depend on the type of fish you are breeding what you need to have ready.

2. You will need to be careful about the size of the tank and the number of fish that it can support. Many species of fish will usually eat their fry (fish babies ) so if when you decide to breed, you will probably need to buy a special tank for the breeding process. However, with fish like guppies, you can get away with using some tank inserts that are placed at the top of the tank and separate the fry from the adults. Nevertheless, you will still need to need to make sure that the fry cannot swim through the any holes and small cracks.

3. Having really good filtration plays a huge part in your success with fish breeding. Many filter systems are not designed to handle small fry and tend to suck the babies right into the system. Look around for a filter system that prevents this from happening.

4. If your fish have bred in the main tank, you will need to use a scoop and take out all of the fry and put them into a separate tank if they are to have a chance of survival. Baby fry in a community tank have very little chance of survival. All tank inhabitants will enjoy a feast of fresh “food” including the parent fish! Have the water well prepared in the new tank before adding fry.

5. Fish will breed quite readily if the conditions are ideal for them. However it is best to be prepared for a few failures when you first start out and actually getting the fry to make it to adulthood is quite a challenge. Success will come with experience and a bit of research.Keep learning about your species and try the different methods you find out about.

Fish breeding is genuinely rewarding and can also be profitable once you get the “knack”.

Betta fish have become a very popular choice for the freshwater aquarium. You can find them available for sale in almost every pet store. They belong to a family of fish called Anabantoids and have the fascinating ability to breathe oxygen through a special type of primitive lung known as a labyrinth organ.

If you are interested in Betta breeding then it is vital to learn about the breed and provide the correct environment and care for your fish. Your fish will need to be in optimum health for successful breeding.

The males of the species are extremely protective of their territory and are very aggressive toward other males, and will in fact, fight and kill any perceived “invaders” of their space. For this reason they are also known as Siamese Fighting Fish and you should never keep two males together in a tank. Females, however, can be kept together and live quite happily in a tank along with one male and some guppies.

The male of the species is the most attractive and has long, flowing fins and vibrant colors while the female has shorter fins and is usually not as brightly colored.

Maintaining your tank for Betta breeding is really quite simple, as the fish is not as particular about temperature as some species. However, you do need to take care and watch out for the health of your fish. A 3 gallon tank is recommended so that the fish have enough space and won’t bump or tear their fins, and a larger tank or container will provide a better oxygen level. The best temperature should be maintained between 65 to 75 degrees and it is important not to place the tank in direct sunlight or drafty areas.

It is important to keep the water as clean as you possibly can by changing it regularly. Betas don’t need filtration but the water should be changed every 3 days to prevent your fish from getting infections. Before adding water make sure that it has set for at least 24 hours and then some of the harmful chemicals are released from it.

Remove any uneaten food debris from the bottom of the tank regularly. This will prevent the water from becoming cloudy, smelly and germ infested. Clean the tank accessories regularly but be careful not to use any soap, as this will affect the water quality.
You will soon notice if your Betta becomes sick because a healthy fish is active and energetic.

If you can follow these easy steps in maintaining a healthy tank with happy and active fish the you have taken the first vital step in successful a betta breeding program.

To avoid disappointment and set backs with your fascinating hobby then I recommend that you do some thorough research and find out about all the tips and tricks to ensure your success and avoid mistakes by following the experts in the field.

The most rewarding and fascinating part of being a hobby aquarist is breeding your own tropical fish. The buzz that comes from successfully raising some baby fish (or more correctly, fry) is often the kick start for a lifetime’s passion for many people, and the thrill is one which never entirely disappears even after years of keeping and breeding all kinds of fish. One thing that makes aquarium fish breeding so interesting is the variety of different strategies that fish use for reproduction and the range of different behaviors that they adopt.

There are basically two main groups of breeders: livebearers and egg-layers. In livebearers the females are fertilized internally and live fry are then born, while the egg-layer’s eggs are fertilized after spawning and later hatch into fry. The majority of fish are egg-layers and these can be further divided into those which protect their eggs and young (parental species) and those which leave their eggs to their own destiny (non-parental). In fact some of these species may well dine on their eggs or fry shortly after spawning or giving birth! Some parental species tend to care for their young for a short period of time and then may also resort to cannibalism as well. They may also eat their young if they are disturbed or upset for any reason during this rather anxious time and can become quite territorial and aggressive while protecting their offspring.

There are many fascinating techniques that egg-layers use:
Egg-scatterers: These (non-parental) species simply scatter their eggs among plants or on the substrate.
Egg-depositors: deposit their eggs on a substrate (tank glass, wood, rocks, plants) and usually lay less eggs than egg-scatterers, but the eggs are larger. Some egg-depositors form pairs and have advanced brood care where the eggs are guarded and cleaned. The eggs take a few days to hatch, and the fry are also guarded by the parents. However some egg-depositors lay their eggs against a surface, where they are abandoned but these species do not usually eat their eggs.

Egg-buriers: bury the eggs in the substrate or hide them in safe crevices.

Mouth-brooders: Are species that carry their eggs or larvae in their mouth.
In some species (ovophiles) the female picks up the eggs immediately after laying. The male has spots on his anal fin which look like eggs and the female thinks these are eggs she has missed. She will try to pick the egg spots off the anal fin while the male releases sperm into the her mouth, and so fertilizes the eggs. The female will carry the fertilized eggs in her mouth until the fry have developed. This may vary from about 18 to 25 days.
Other species of mouth brooder (Larvophile)s lay their eggs on a substrate and guard them until the eggs hatch. After hatching, the female picks up the fry and keeps them in her mouth. When the fry can fend for themselves, they are released.

Nest-builders: Nest builders build some sort of nest for their eggs. The nest is usually in the form of bubble-nest formed with plant debris and saliva-coated bubbles (labyrinth fish, catfish), or a excavated pit in the substrate (cichlids). Nest builders practice brood care.

With such a fascinating range of breeding behaviors is is little wonder that so many hobbyists become entirely captivated and immersed in this amazing field

check out these excellent resources for breeding success!
Keeping and Breeding Bristlenose

Breeding Discus

Have you ever thought about fish breeding  for profit? I have just discovered a really valuable and informative resource about aquarium fish breeding that I think will be of special interest to many of my readers. It does not matter if you are an experienced fish keeper and have successfully bred fish over the years, or if you are a complete newcomer to the hobby. This e-book is packed full of information that is not found anywhere on the internet and believe me I have searched!

It is full of relevant advice and doesn’t leave anything to guess work – every topic is covered, from selecting the fish, keeping them healthy in the right environment, maintaining the tanks through the selling the fish and running a successful business from your hobby!

Here are just some example topics  from  the suggestions for researching and deciding on breeds:

• What demand is there locally for that species? -
• How difficult are they to breed? -
• How many fry are produced at one time? -
• Can the parents stay with the fry as they grow? -
• What tank size will the fry need to get to selling size?Does that suit you?
• Will you be raising just one tank of fry at a time or several? -
• How often will the parents breed, and still produce healthy fry? -
• Are the fry going to need special attention as they grow, or special foods? -
• How much will the initial fish cost you to buy? -
• How much will you get when you sell the juveniles? -
• Are you personally attracted to this species?

This fantastic resource is free – and will only be available for a short time. So check it out NOW!

Maybe you are not really keen to make your hobby into a fully fledged business, then there are many examples of how to save money and lighten the expenses side of the ledger we all face with this hobby. There is substantial information about the whole range of the fish keeping and breeding pursuit that is of huge benefit even if you are not thinking in a business context.

Just take a look here  – Breeding Fish for Profit – and you can download  the book while it’s free.

Other outstanding resources that I can recommend to be great value for all Betta Fish enthusiasts!

Betta Fish Lovers Click Here!

More Betta Fish Secrets Click Here!

Aquarium fish display some of the most fascinating and curious behaviors when they reach maturity, begin “courting” and getting ready to reproduce. If both sexes are present and the environmental conditions are suitable then some species will attempt to breed with no involvement of the owner whatsoever, because of their extremely powerful innate urge to reproduce, as with most living creatures.

Sometimes new aquarists will become alarmed when their fish start acting quite strangely. Chasing is a common behavior which often precedes mating. Usually it is harmless and part of a normal courtship ritual, where the male will madly chase the female around the tank. This is innocent particularly in the non-territorial types of fish such as live-bearers.

In some species the courtship can be rather a rough affair and this is also typical in the oscar species for example but be wary if it seems to be getting out of hand and the female is being injured, or if two fish are harassing another ferociously. In this case the “offender” will need to be removed. Familiar behaviors with cichlids will include lip locking or “mouth fighting” and this is not the fond gesture it would appear. It is a way of testing strength of a potential partner between males and females or if performed by two males it signals a possible dispute over territory or a prospective female partner.

Some other “body language” signals to indicate future mating are the act of and displaying by the male with quivering of fins and at the same time slapping his tail or body. Quivering of the fins and sideways body exhibition make quite an interesting dance routine to attract the female. Other species make use of coloration and will become more vividly colored to attract a potential mate. Fish with special breeding colors may be quite plain in their usual appearance and use their color to impress and be noticed.

Perhaps size matters! It is interesting that research has shown that female fish will choose a larger male over a smaller one for a mating partner every time. In one experiment some mollies were given imitation males as tank-mates with varying body sizes and fin shapes and they were observed to spend much more time swimming near the larger ones with more impressive fins. In another test male guppies were noticed to only approach a predator fish in the tank when females were present, and that the females consistently preferred the males who went closest to this dangerous fish. This gives researchers the theory that females want this “bravery trait” to pass on to their offspring.

Watching different mating fish behaviors is endlessly entertaining and something quite unique. It will give every aquarist another dimension to their hobby and provide a rewarding and educational experience for a lifetime of engaging recreation. If you are considering breeding tropical fish then get started and give it a go, it doesn’t need to be at all difficult and will be such a satisfying achievement.

Angel fish are perhaps one of the most easily recognized of all aquarium fish because of their triangular bodies and long, graceful flowing fins. They come in many attractive colors and it is little surprise that breeding Angel fish is very popular with so many aquarists.

It can be a little difficult to distinguish between the sexes. Mature females have a slight bulge in the belly area when viewed straight on and males have a slightly more curved head and tend to be larger than females. Many aquarists like to buy a group of juveniles and let them form their own pairs when they are mature.

A breeding pair can be conditioned together in a spawning tank and given live foods such as blood worms and brine shrimp. Frequent water changes are necessary with the minimum being about 50 percent done weekly with some breeders opting for daily changes form 25 – 40 percent. Angel fish prefer soft, acidic water. An ideal pH if 6.5 or below and hardness of about 5 dH. They like the temperature to be between 80 and 84 degrees F.

When they are about to spawn they will choose their site in the tank and begin cleaning it. They prefer a flat a surface like a rock or piece of slate or perhaps a broad plant leaf. They will become very territorial and chase other fish away if in a community tank, so it is much better for them to have their own separate tank for spawning. The female will deposit eggs, which are light amber color and translucent, in neat evenly placed rows and the male will then follow along and fertilize them using his papilla. Egg numbers will range from several hundred up to a thousand or more for a mature and healthy pair.

The parent fish will then begin their egg minding duties of fanning and removing any white (bad) eggs. One of the real pleasures of keeping fish is now on display and watching a pair of angels caring for their brood is a marvelous experience.

Sometimes inexperienced parents may eat their eggs, so just remove the eggs and hatch them in a separate tank if you think this may be the case. If the parents eat just a couple of eggs it is no cause for alarm as they are only selecting an infertile or fungus affected egg.
It may take a number of spawns before a pair will learn to raise the fry without eating them. Stress of any sort can cause them to get anxious and eat their spawn. Continuing with the best food right through the hatching and rearing period and having excellent water conditions will also help encourage the angels to raise their spawn and be good parents.

The cycle will be ready to start all over again in about 20 days or even sooner with a pair of healthy angels. However it is wise to create some resting times for the female to regain her strength and grow healthy by separating her from the male at regular intervals.

Fish reproduce sexually so it is a handy thing to be able to identify males and females when setting out to breed. This is not always easy to do as differentiation of the sexes is not always easy to spot in some species.

Every species has what is known as primary sex characteristics which are the parts of the body required for reproduction, such as ovaries and testicles. Unfortunately these can’t be seen easily and we usually need to rely on secondary sex characteristics to distinguish between males and females. In fish these characteristics include size, body shape, coloration, markings, fin shape and behavior.

Fortunately some species are dimorphic which means that it is easy to identify them by using secondary sex characteristics. For example many of the livebearers can be told apart by the shape of their anal fins. In females and juveniles the anal fin is fan shaped, but in males the anal fins thicken and fuse as they mature to form a gonopodium – a tube-like organ used for internal fertilization of the female. With most livebearers, males are usually more brilliantly colored and/or have longer fins.

Some examples of easy to identify secondary sex characteristics in other species include the male Pearl Gourami which has a red breast and long pointed dorsal fins, while the female has shorter, more rounded dorsal fins and a silver breast. With the bristlenose catfish, males have much larger bristles than females.

If we use behavior as an indicator then males will often chase females around the tank and where males are involved in care of the eggs and fry, they are often quite aggressive near their spawning sites. Sometimes the drive to reproduce is so strong that two females may court one another through the lack of a male tank-mate, and may even lay eggs.

Unfortunately in some species males and females resemble each other so closely that even seasoned aquarists cannot differentiate them by sight alone and use what is known as the Venting Technique. This requires removing the fish from the water and turning it upside down to examine the shape of the genital opening or vent, located between the anus and tail, where the fish excretes either eggs or sperm. In females the vent or ovipositor (egg laying tube) is shorter and wider than the male’s genital papilla, but these differences can be quite subtle and do require a lot of practice and experience. It can be quite stressful for the fish when being removed from the water, so the process needs to be carried out quickly and efficiently and is best usually left to the skilled breeders.

Sometimes the drive to reproduce is so strong that a pair of female fish will court each other through lack of a male tank-mate. This is common with Anglefish which may even spawn and lay infertile eggs.

Indeed, sexing fish can be a little tricky and probably the best way to overcome this situation is to start out with a group of about half a dozen juveniles and with this system there is an excellent chance of having a good mix of both sexes.

Oscars are a very popular member of the cichlid family. They are considered by some aquarists to be among the smartest fish to be kept in the aquarium. They can recognize their owner and eat from their hand. They are long living and grow very quickly and very large so a substantial tank is an obvious requirement for keeping these fish.

Breeding Oscars is really not a difficult task, as the fish are usually quite content to go about breeding without any assistance from the aquarist. Of course for this to happen you will need a breeding pair, and it is very difficult to differentiate between the sexes.

The best method to acquire a breeding pair is to get about 6 young specimens and let them grow into adults together and form their own pairs. This will take 12 months or more but will certainly be successful. The other alternative is to buy a breeding pair which can be quite expensive. You will know when your Oscars are mature and ready for mating when they begin some of the ritual behaviors such as lip locking, chasing each other around the tank and nipping each other. Some fish may become overly aggressive toward another and if you notice it is particularly one-sided, and one fish is continually beating the other then the culprit should be removed to avoid losing one or both.

The mating ritual behavior may go on for some months before they are actually ready to breed. At the right time the pair will locate a suitable place for the eggs. They like a flat surface and some large rocks or pieces of slate are best. If there are none of these in a tank they will dig up the gravel or sand to clear a patch on the bottom of the tank. They will then prepare the surface by cleaning it thoroughly using their lower jaw. They will become very protective of their rock and not let any other fish near it.

When the time comes and they are ready the female Oscar will begin circling over the area and laying a batch of eggs which the male will then swim over and fertilize. After all the eggs are laid, both parents begin the caretaking process. They first fan the eggs with their pectoral fins to supply them with oxygenated water. They may also mouth the eggs to clean them and destroy any bad ones that have not been fertilized.

The eggs will hatch in about 3 days. At first they are a helpless wriggling mass attached to the rock and will survive from their egg sac for the first few days. After that they will need food and plenty of it! Fortunately feeding these fry is not as difficult as with other species because of their relatively much bigger size. They can eat the regular dry flakes crushed with the fingers without any problems.

You will need to decide if you want to watch the Oscars raise the fry and therefore risk the possibility of them eating the eggs, or if you want to be certain of keeping as many fry as possible and removing the eggs to hatch safely in their own tank. When they grow to about two inches in size they can be sold.

Live foods for your fish are particularly beneficial when conditioning them for breeding. They are high in nutritional value and essential vitamins which have not been destroyed by processing or by leaching in the water as in the dry foods available commercially. Live foods are also better matched to the natural feeding instincts of fish being just like they would eat in their natural environments and they will respond much more eagerly to this food.

There are many worms that fish really enjoy. They can be purchased at the pet store but also be easily cultured at home. Earthworms are an easy no-cost solution and need to be rinsed carefully to remove all soil before using. They can be fed whole or cut up, depending on the size of the fish and the worms. Minced in a kitchen blender they will make excellent food for fry (note: definitely recommend an old one specifically for the purpose). Ensure that the worms have not been gathered from ground that has been treated recently with pesticides or similar chemicals.

Earthworms are easy to culture and supply an ongoing economical food source. You just need a plastic container filled will compost rich in organic matter. Keep it moist and add worms. They can be fed vegetable kitchen scraps, fruit, cereals, grass clippings, leaves etc. Egg capsules appear on the surface as small white dots and will hatch as baby worms in a matter of 3 or 4 weeks.

Whiteworms are small and white and range from about half and inch to an inch and a half in size. They can be cultured with a culture purchased from the pet store. Use a plastic container just 8 x 12 inches and 2 inches deep, containing peatmoss or slightly acidic compost. It should be moist but never too wet and covered with plastic or cardboard and kept dark. Put some pin holes in the cover to provide air or the worms will suffocate. They can be fed on bread pre- moistened with water and cereals such as porridge oats, also pre-moistened. Replace any food if it starts to go moldy and experiment with the amount and quantity of food given. Do not remove any worms until the culture is thriving and there are plenty of worms around the food when the lid is lifted. If the culture has the right consistency then the worms will be clean when they are removed and can be fed straight to the fish, if not the culture may be too wet and the worms will need to be rinsed.

Grindal worms are smaller than white worms, growing to only about a quarter to a half inch in size. They can be cultured in much the same way as with white worms, possibly with a shallower container. Grindal worms are not very prolific breeders and care is needed not to run down the culture by taking out too many at once. They are easy to remove as they congregate on the underside of the lid. Feed with moistened cereals, baby foods and bread.

Feeding live foods is not only very beneficial for conditioning fish for breeding but also the most economical method.

Zebra Danios are ideal for getting started with breeding, as they are prolific breeders. They are easily recognized by their bright blue horizontal stripes and will only reach about two and a half inches when fully grown. Females are larger and plumper than the males in general. They are hardy and attractive and have loads of character. Zebras are an active and curious little fish, which dart around the tank playfully.

It is best to have a separate tank set up for breeding. A 5 gallon tank will be fine. The tank should have a two inch layer of course gravel or marbles on the bottom and only about six inches of water. Add some plants with fine leaves and maintain the temperature at about 78 degrees F.

Zebras like to spawn in schools so it is best to place a least two, preferably three sets of breeders with two males to each female in the breeding tank. This will make sure that the eggs are fertilized and encourage the spawning process. They should be conditioned with good food such as tubifex and whiteworm and fed 3 or 4 times daily. Lighting in the tank should be controlled to give a cycle of about 14 hours of light on to 10 hours off each day. Fish will usually lay their eggs within 1 -2 hours of the lights going on. The females will drop between 300 and 500 hundred eggs. Right after spawning the eggs are in danger of being eaten, so the layer of gravel or marbles on the bottom serves the purpose of allowing the eggs to fall between the crevices and stay protected from the adult fish.

Healthy fertilized eggs have a clear appearance for the first day or so and bad eggs will look white and opaque. Before hatching you may be able to see small black spots where their eyes are developing. They should hatch in 2-4 days. Don’t be alarmed as will then lay on the bottom while their swim bladders develop for about a day. Finally they will be free swimming and hungrily seeking food.

The fry are tiny and fragile at this stage. It is important to be very careful when changing water and looking after the tank. The adults should be removed at this stage. The fry will be able to survive on their egg sack for the first days and then will become hungry and can be given Infusoria – live microscopic food which can be bought at a pet store in powdered or tablet form. Another food possibility is to give the yolk of a boiled egg which has been pushed through a small mesh sieve, as a good source of protein and later some very finely crushed flakes, or fry food such as “Liqui-fry” and perhaps some microworm. Try not to overfeed and siphon out any left over food after 30 minutes to prevent it from decaying and creating bacteria which will make the baby fish ill.