getting Hoplosternum to breed

[Bas Pels]

Yesterday, I fed my head standers, Abrahamites (10) en Laemolyta taeniata (7), the green from growing carrots. I grew them myself, without any pesticides, so I know I am safe.

This stuff needs to float around for a while before it gets eaten, and obviousaly it collects in a quiet place, that is, in the front of the inner filter.

This morning I saw a lot of bubbles there, and my Hoplosternum littorale male making more in that spot. The female was alsso in the area, and courting the male, who responded. Obviously, they are i heat

A while later the green was eaten, and the bubbles are gone. Now I would like to get them to produce eggs.

I put duckweed into the tank, which is not eaten, but what more can I do?

The tank is large, 400 cm or a little over 13 feet, so I think agression form the Hoplo male will not be too much of a problem. Eggs can easily be raised in another tanhk, I got a few dry ones waiting to be used again.

Now the problem is, the headstanders will eat most plants. Adding jave fern will only make them happy, for instance. I recently tried a Blackberry plant, it was ignored for a week, but is eaten now. So any suggestion which comes down to adding floating plants will not work

Anybody any idea?

[bekateen]

I presume moving the head standers out of the tank isn't an option?

[jac]

You could maybe use a spawning mop. Attach it to something so it hangs near the surface ;)

[Bas Pels]

I presume moving the head standers out of the tank isn't an option?

Nope, firstly I don't have place to keep them, secondly, they are rather shy when I get into the tank, I would have to redo the wholew tank. That would kill al lheat any fish is in, and take a week of my time

I'l ltry the spawning mob

[mountainman36]

ive heard of folks using a perware lid floating on the surface. its supposed to work well

[Bas Pels]

Due to having very, very much plant material, I dicided to try another option - adding so much plant material, the fishes would be unable to eat it all

It worked, and the male has now a large nest, some 30 cm (1 foot) across and 10 cm (4 inches) high. It is made from moss, vallisneria, Najas and other plants

The male was rather docile, but now he is rather agressive, especially to the female, but also to other fishes. I would assume today they produces eggs (I've been away a lot of time today, I saw nothing).

Now I think, the tank is unsuitable for raising the fry, so I think the nest will have to be remouved.

a) when will that have to be
b) how closely should the new tank follow the water in the old tank (the new tank is empty, has recently been drained, and the old tank has plenty of water to spare, but it is 2 stairs, so I rather use fresh water from the tap)
c) assuming the male will stop breeding when the larvae swim, is imprinting something I should take into account (Pterophyllum scalare is said to have lost their breeding due to lack of sufficient imprinting, or lack of selection)

I would be happy if I could raise a few dozen fry - or more.

[Bas Pels]

Today I took the nest out, it was deflating, and about to sink back to its original way of floating

Perhaps due to the current in the tank, which was turning the nest too, it was an almost percect circle, I would estimate it above 35 cm across

It is now floating in a 250 liter tank, filled for 3-4th, that is, 30 cm, with tap water. Part of the nest is almost touching the sand

I do hope some fry will hatch, that ought to happen in about 4 days, or less. On the internet I did find H littorale should have fry of 6 mm, that is 1/4 of an inch

[bekateen]

Very cool. Is it possible to see eggs amongst the bubbles?

Cheers, Eric

[Bas Pels]

I didn´t look, and now there is no room to look

[panaque]

Cool, I hope it goes well
Some good information in this thread (and others by member "hoplo"):
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =6&t=21883

[Bas Pels]

Thanks for finding this posting. I do remember hoplo, but could not find her postings

[Bas Pels]

I just went to see, and saw lots of fry. the size of a young guppy, not newborn. That is, over 5 mm long (corresponding wit what I had found)

An estimation of the amount is - I would guess every inch there is another one, and the tank has a free room of 115 * 50 cm. That would mean perhaps a Thousand fry.

While I do have room for raising such an amount - there are 5 tanks about the same size (250 to 350 liter) which have been emptied recently in this room alone - each capable of raising 150 fry to 5 cm, I don't think the market could absorb 1000 Hoplosternum

[bekateen]

Wow, congratulations! Good luck with all those fry. ☺ Perhaps my only word of perspective is if you have 1000 now, you probably won't still have all 1000 by the time they are large enough to safely transfer to other keepers.

Cheers, Eric

[Bas Pels]

That's a comforting thought, Eric.

I have arranged to sell a 100, when 5 cm, so I won't need to raise more. Perhaps I'll use 2 tanks, in order to be certain any eventual accident will not cost me the full litter

[crkinney]

I had to remove all the plant life form my tank to stop the breeding all those guys do is breed I have three in an out side tank and nine indoors and would like to get rid of about six.