How to Breed Egg-Scattering Tropical Fish

Characins (tetras, pencilfish, silver dollars) and cyprinids (barbs, danios, rasboras) belong to the egg-scattering group of freshwater tropical fish. They exercise no parental care for their eggs or their young. Egg-scatterers will easily breed in a community tank. This however puts the eggs and fry at risk of becoming the tank inhabitants' next meal. Therefore success depends on setting up a breeding tank. Here are a few tips on how to get the best results.

Things You'll Need

  • Breeding tank (aquarium, preferably 5 gallons)
  • Water from the community tank
  • Marbles, java moss, breeding mesh or fine-leaved plants
  • Mature male and female fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare the breeding tank by filling it with water from the community tank.

    • 2

      Lay the substrate where eggs can settle and fry can hide safely from the adult breeders. A good substrate would be marbles, java moss or a breeding mesh. Fine-leaved plants work well for barbs and tetras that shimmy and scatter their eggs and milt onto the foliage.

    • 3

      Introduce the breeding pair into the tank and feed them regularly.

    • 4

      Observe the breeding pair. Barbs and danios usually spawn hundreds of eggs, while tetras have a tendency to have a small brood.

    • 5

      Return the adults to the community tank as soon as the eggs are laid.

    • 6

      Feed the newly hatched fry with green water microorganisms or infusoria. As the fry develop and grow, feed them with mashed egg yolk, powdered fry food or young brine shrimp.