How to Speed Up Fish Breeding Rates

Breeding aquarium fish can be an exciting and lucrative challenge for aquarium hobbyists. In addition to learning more about their fish -- and about fishkeeping in general through breeding -- hobbyists can acquire more fish to stock their own tanks or to sell to others. Breeding aquarium fish is not always easy, however. It requires research to understand the conditions under which different species are likely to reproduce, and the hobbyist must be attuned to the behavior of his fish to know whether they are in the right mood for breeding.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish tank (10 or 20 gallons)
  • Live aquarium plants
  • Breeding pair of fish
  • Fish foods (live, frozen, pellet)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Research the needs of the particular species of fish you hope to breed and set up a breeding tank separate from your main tank. The breeding tank should be at least 10 gallons -- preferably 20 for larger species of fish -- to allow plenty of room for your breeders to swim.

    • 2

      Fill the breeding tank with water as close in temperature to the main tank as possible, using some water from the main tank if you wish. When breeding most fish, a bare-bottomed tank is recommended. By omitting sand or substrate, it makes the breeding tank easier to clean and it will be easier to see the eggs or fry once your fish have spawned.

    • 3

      Decorate the tank sparsely with live plants and keep the lighting dim. If you are breeding egg layers, introduce some broad-leafed plants to serve as places for your fish to lay their eggs. If you are breeding livebearers, add bunches of plants and allow some to float on the surface to protect newborn fry from being eaten by their parents.

    • 4

      Introduce your breeders to their new tank. Some species of fish, such as guppies, will breed readily as long as a female and a male are in the same tank, but others need time to form pairs or trios. Determine the sexes of the fish in your main tank and single out a male-female pair that you want to breed, keeping in mind that some species, such as the Corydoras catfish, breed more readily in trios than pairs.

    • 5

      Maintain a high water quality, according to the requirements of your fish, and a steady temperature. Some fish need certain conditions to become ready to breed. For example, the discus fish requires soft, acidic water.

    • 6

      Feed your breeding pair (or trio) a varied and nutritious diet. Supplement the normal diet of your fish with pellet, live, freeze-dried and frozen foods. Do not feed your fish significantly more than usual -- just give them more nutritious foods with a higher protein content.

    • 7

      Determine whether any external factors are necessary to encourage your fish to enter a breeding state of mind. Some fish, such as Corydoras catfish, breed during the rainy season, so you may need to imitate the slow drop in temperature that accompanies a rainstorm. For some fish, simply raising the temperature in the breeding tank may be enough to encourage breeding behavior.

    • 8

      Remove the breeders from the breeding tank after a week or so if they do not exhibit any breeding behavior or if one of the fish begins to show signs of excessive aggression. Aggression is natural in male fish during the breeding process, but if he begins to injure the female or pose a danger to himself, it is best to give the fish a break, return them to the main tank, and try again later.