How to Make Fish Mate

Keeping fish is a rewarding hobby, and seeing a bunch of baby fish swimming around the tank for the first time is something no hobbyist will ever forget. Fish only mate when they are in a comfortable and safe environment and in top health, so having fish breed in the aquarium gives hobbyists a real sense of accomplishment. However, you cannot force your fish to mate. What you can do is provide a natural environment and a tank with optimal water conditions to let nature take its course.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish tank
  • Fish
  • Rocks
  • Caves
  • Plants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a comfortable and natural environment for your fish by using plants, rocks and caves to recreate their natural habitat as much as possible. For instance, cichlids breed more readily when they have plenty of rock caves to hide in. These caves provide a territory the breeding pair can use to protect their fry from other tank residents.

    • 2

      Make sure you have at least two or three sets of males and females in your tank. Some fish are easy to sex (identify their gender), since the males and females look quite distinctive. Others are more challenging, so you might need to consult the staff at your local pet store to make sure you have a good assortment of male and female fish. When buying fish, always ask the experts at the aquarium center if it is better to have a single male and a harem of females, or a few mated pairs. Some species of fish pair up without incident, while the males of other species can become territorial and even violent toward one another. Many cichlids can safely be kept as several pairs, while two male bettas will fight in the same tank.

    • 3

      Watch your fish carefully as they interact with one another and with their tankmates of other species. Move fish that are acting aggressively toward the fish you hope to mate to another tank.

    • 4

      Check the water quality in your tank on a regular basis, and be sure to do regular water changes. Changing a third of the water each week will help to remove contaminants from the water and keep your fish in top health.

    • 5

      Feed your breeding pairs plenty of high-quality food. Frozen and live brine shrimp provide excellent nutrition for tropical fish, as do bloodworms and frozen vegetarian foods.