How to Breed Flounder

Flounder are bottom-dwelling, flat-bodied fish that prefer slightly salty water. They are characterized by both eyes on one side of the head and spiky fins that run the entire perimeter of the body. All varieties of flounder can camouflage and will bury themselves in mud or sand to hide from predators. Until around 2007, Flounder have been difficult to breed in captivity. Large hatchery research facilities have just recently been successful at breeding Flounder with much intervention. Breeding Flounder at home is not recommended, as they have shown that they will not breed on their own in captivity.

Things You'll Need

  • Salt water fish tank
  • Flounder fry
  • Shrimp and other crustaceans
  • Brackish fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy Flounder fry -- the term used for Flounder hatchlings -- at a pet store if you want to raise a Flounder from a baby.

    • 2

      Purchase a saltwater tank and set it up to a salinity of 2 tsp. per gallon of water. This is an ideal amount of salt for baby Flounder fry. As the Flounder grows, slowly increase the salt until the water is brackish. Brackish water is water that is saltier than fresh water but not as salty as ocean water.

    • 3

      Increase the amount of salt to 1/4 cup per gallon or a salinity of 1.015 when the flounder is full grown. Captive Flounder will only grow to about the size of your hand.

    • 4

      Feed Flounder shrimp and other crustaceans -- available at pet stores -- on a daily basis.

    • 5

      Put other fish in the tank. Flounder will live peacefully with other brackish water fish, but will not breed with each other in captivity. Breeding Flounder lay up to a million eggs where rivers meet the ocean. The eggs float to the top, are carried downstream and will hatch within two weeks. Because the eggs aren't laid in a hole or cave-type areas, recreating the natural environment for the eggs is nearly impossible and hatching them is extremely difficult in a home setting.