Re: Breeding and Plant tanks

[Paul Sears <psears at nrn1_NRCan.gc.ca>]

> From: zachary.villers at twcolumbus_com
> Subject: Breeding and Plant tanks
> 
> What experience does everyone have with breeding fish in plant tanks.

	The only species I have bred is Flame Tetras.  I first got them
to breed in an empty tank, and went to huge amounts of trouble to raise
the fry.  Since then, I have just let them get on with it in a 160L
planted tank (lots of Java Moss).  The fry have spurned any of the 
food I have thrown their way, but seem to do just fine.  In fact,
neglecting the tank was a sure recipe for more Tetras for quite a while.
They seemed to love the jungle.  I put a sponge on the filter intake
after I found small fish in the filter (some even survived that!).
Right now the population is in decline.  I suspect that the snails that
got introduced lately may be eating the eggs or small fry.  On the other
hand, the population may just be too inbred.  I started with six of them
about eight years ago.  The high point was about forty of them.  The 
other fish in the tank were otos (the last died after about seven years)
and SAE's more recently.  An attempt to get neons going failed, at least
in part because of neon disease, I think.

> I would 
> like to breed a few different species.

	I would like to get some dwarf gouramis.  I like the idea of
bubble breeders.  One day......

> As Im writing this, I am postulating a few set ups, such as Epiplatys 
> annulatus in a weed choked jungle, maybe some egg scatterers (tetras) in a 
> shallow tank with lots of chain sword. Does anyone else have set ups like 
> these? What measures can we take for sensitve fry care? Any ideas are 
> appreciated.

	I'd like to hear the results.

-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada