Megalechis breeding setup

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 09 Jul 2003, 14:08

Hi!

I have 3 M.personata which are 1/2 m/f. Ive had the male for about 1.5 years and its grown well up to aprox.12 cm tl. Its got nice long pectorals with an orange touch. About 6 months ago i got two small ones who are now around 8 cm with short pectorals.

I was wondering if i could set up a 60 cm tank as a breeding setup for them? How do i dinstinguish which fem he prefers? Or should i put all 3 into the breeding setup and wait for sth to happen. Also are the females allready mature? They are well conditioned with rounded bellies. In my bigger tank is lots of surface movement so the guy didnt really have a chance to build a bubble nest. How high must the water lvl be in the breeding tank??

thx for answering
Christian

Chrysichthys · Post by **Chrysichthys** » 09 Jul 2003, 15:29

I have no experience of it myself, but as I understand it, two or three ripe females can contribute eggs to the bubblenest. Just watch afterwards in case the male bullies the females, and if so, remove them.

There's an article on M. personata in the CotM Archive.

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 09 Jul 2003, 19:16

I would use a bigger tank if I were you.
It's easier to SAY to remove the female -if the male gets nasty- than to actually DO it. That female won't swim voluntary in the net, and nets and hands near the nest will cause the male to destroy the nest! (if not downright attack you).
In a 80x40x40cm tank you can leave the females with the male. They like to nest in the corners; this is possible by making a low flattoppped rockpile or woodpile wich ends some 10 cm below the surface.
Float a 15x15cm piece of styrofoam in such a corner (it'll be attracted to the glass-sides by co (or ad?) hesie or something), and the male has a nice resting/nesting place.
It definitely worked with the Hoplosternum punctatums we breed (me and Pectorale). We have two males and three females, and use a 100x35x35cm tank; the males take the opposite corners to breed, and the females stay. When the eggs turn dark, we remove the whole nest and put it in a 60x30x30 tank to hatch.

A trio works fine, like you have; males indeed do spawn with more than 1 given the chance. And although Megalechis can reach 16-18 cm or so (males! females usually stay 13-15 cm max), they already can and do spawn at the sizes you have them, but the number of eggs will be smaller (still several hundred so no worries

).

If you want them to spawn NOW just dump in a lot of colder, softer water at once using a shower or so. But the chances are fairly big, spawning attemps will start in september; the usual start of Hoplo-season.
btw feeding black or red mosquitolarvae and tubifex will help too.

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 09 Jul 2003, 19:51

Hi!

Ive got some experience breeding Betta splendens so i imagine it being similar with bigger fish.

Ill just give it a go in the small tank as i dont have money/space right now for a bigger one.
Mine love "Stint(e)" dunno if you dutch guys know them. Small frozen feeder fish.

btw r u going to the honkball ec next week?

Pectorale · Post by **Pectorale** » 16 Jul 2003, 10:53

No not likely, but I am going to follow it on TV. It's usually either the Dutch or the Italians who'll be EC anyway.Since we beat Cuba at the Olympics, we think we can actually become Olympic Champions so that's the real goal, qualify for the OG.

What size are these feeder fish, because my Hoplo's aren't that big, just 9-12 cm so I wonder if they could manage prey larger than say 3 cm.

Pectorale

Caol_ila · Post by **Caol_ila** » 16 Jul 2003, 13:27

Hi!

Looking good for the krauts so far! lol (The reason must be our dutch headcoach! ;)

The grecoamericans look strong on paper and Spaniodomincans too...too bad that germany dont have players from overseas.

The stinte are around 5 cm and very slim. I chop them up and the Hoplos "rip" the pieces apart. Tonights a tstorm in the forecast...ill do a big waterchange later and hope for the best.

greets
C

Sid Guppy · Post by **Sid Guppy** » 17 Jul 2003, 17:08

Hoplo's aren't piscivores, unless you count newborn livebearers and such.
They DO like carrion and such, hence your succes in feeding stint (it's called "spiering" in Dutch). It is however a very polluting food and especially chopped it will waste the waterquality. Best give such food only to Pims, Bagrids and stuff.

better stick to bloodworms, tubifex, chopped earthworms, daphnia etc etc.
If you really like to spoil them, get some roe (fish eggs); it often comes with buying a big uncleaned fish for dinner, if you slice it up.
Especially flounders have a good quality roe, so do small cod and seabass. Best stick to marine fishes; you have to feed it raw, and freshwaterfishes can have the same internal parasites as your Hops. So better lay off the carp and such.

Fisheggs are also known to stimulate spawning and -obvious- the forming of eggs in the female fish. Most cats are notorious eggrobbers, and often the presence of eggs triggers spawning behaviour; it's a sign for many catfishes that the rainseason is well under way.