Things You'll Need
- 10-gallon aquarium
- Fish cave
- Aquarium gravel
- Aquarium filter
- Light
- Tank heater
- Thermometer
- pH test kit
- Commercial chlorine removal product
- 6 minnows: 2 male and 4 female
- Fish food
Instructions
Set up your fish tank. Choose a location out of direct sunlight and rinse the tank to remove any dust or debris that may have settled inside.
Pour a layer of aquarium gravel in the bottom of the tank and use it to secure the filter, heater, plants and cave. The fish cave or ledge can be purchased from a pet supply store, made yourself with found rocks or made by placing a cup or section of PVC pipe on its side in the aquarium. The idea is to create an outcropping to lay eggs on and a hiding place for babies, should they have any.
Fill the tank with water and add a commercial treatment to remove any chlorine. Stir 1 tablespoon of sea salt into the water.
Allow the tank to stand for 24 to 48 hours. Then test the pH of the aquarium. Minnows prefer an environment with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.
Check the temperature of the water. Your target temperature is between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Adjust your heater accordingly.
Go to your local bait shop and purchase your minnows. The goal is to purchase 2 males and 4 females. Look closely at the minnows. Males who are ready to breed will have white bumps on their gills and around their head.
Place the minnow container inside the aquarium for a few hours to allow the temperatures of the containers to become approximately equal. Alternatively, add water from the aquarium to the minnow container, a bit at a time, to help them adjust to the new environment.
Open or submerge the minnow container into the aquarium and allow the fish to swim out into the larger tank.
Give your minnows 14 hours of light per day and feed them twice a day--once in the morning and again in the evening. Offer a variety of foods, crushed fish flakes, brine shrimp, small worms, oatmeal, daphnia, etc.
Watch for signs of mating behavior such as fin flicking, loitering near the cave or females holding eggs. If you notice a female no longer holding her eggs, do not disturb the spawning area for a week or two. If the fertilization was successful, you will see baby fish, or fry, swimming about. If the adults seem inclined to eat the fry, move them into a protective container or place the adult fish in a different aquarium until the fry have grown.