Tetra Breeding Setups, what say you?

[Shadow]

For South American Tetra, more Nano types, what have you all found the best way to set up your tanks for breeding? Ways that have brought you lots of success? 

From substrate, plants, hardscape, water parameters...I am curious as I am researching this atm. 🙂 

[Opie]

I am hoping to breed these soon,also. I heard PH is very important for them.

[GoofyGarra]

@TheSwissAquaristis doing a project with Glowlight Tetras.

 

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

Peat is the most important thing, with rainwater a close second if you’ve got hard water like me. I put some peat in a filter media bag (unfertilized peat), squish it a couple of times in the tank and leave it in the dark for a couple of days to kill off anything that could go for the eggs. 
I’ve managed to do Glowlights like this, and I might give my neons and black phantoms a shot. 

[Shadow]

On 11/6/2023 at 12:54 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

Peat is the most important thing, with rainwater a close second if you’ve got hard water like me. I put some peat in a filter media bag (unfertilized peat), squish it a couple of times in the tank and leave it in the dark for a couple of days to kill off anything that could go for the eggs. 
I’ve managed to do Glowlights like this, and I might give my neons and black phantoms a shot. 

So do you leave the peat in the bag in the tank for a few days without any fish, then remove the back and re-add the peat? Also, what pH are you looking for? My tap is baseline 7.0 pretty much. I am setting up an RO system soon before I start the projects, so I assume that water will be fine. Also temps? I see you are using the plastic grating technique I have seen a few breeders do. Anything else? Going to try this with Blueberry and Melon tetras, so hoping I can get them to spawn. They aren't very prevalent in the hobby right now, so wanting to help give access to more in the hobby so we aren't all paying what I paid for the ones I have currently LOL!

[TheSwissAquarist]

I just squeeze the bad a couple of times in the tank (bearing in mind that I’m using a 5 gallon tank). I’m more looking to bring water hardness down from sky high 16 degrees. 
Temps around 26 degrees Celsius (I think that’s 76 Fahrenheit?) because I remember that Rosario LaCorte mentioned how the Amazon gets hotter during the rainy/spawning season. 
Blueberry tetras are some of my favorite fish by far. If you scale this system up a bit by keeping the peat in there a couple of days pre spawning I expect you should be able to get similar results to mine. 
I’ve only used this technique with Glowlight tetras, but theoretically it should work with any tetra within the same geographic range. 

[Shadow]

On 11/7/2023 at 12:27 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I just squeeze the bad a couple of times in the tank (bearing in mind that I’m using a 5 gallon tank). I’m more looking to bring water hardness down from sky high 16 degrees. 
Temps around 26 degrees Celsius (I think that’s 76 Fahrenheit?) because I remember that Rosario LaCorte mentioned how the Amazon gets hotter during the rainy/spawning season. 
Blueberry tetras are some of my favorite fish by far. If you scale this system up a bit by keeping the peat in there a couple of days pre spawning I expect you should be able to get similar results to mine. 
I’ve only used this technique with Glowlight tetras, but theoretically it should work with any tetra within the same geographic range. 

So basically you put the peat into a small media bag, let that sit a couple days then squeeze and leave some of the peat in or do you just leave some java moss over the spawning screen? Also, clean bottom tanks I assume so you don't lose the eggs once they drop them? 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/10/2023 at 12:10 AM, Shadow said:

So basically you put the peat into a small media bag, let that sit a couple days then squeeze and leave some of the peat in or do you just leave some java moss over the spawning screen? Also, clean bottom tanks I assume so you don't lose the eggs once they drop them? 

I just leave some moss over the spawning screen. The peat always leaves some dust in the tank, but it’s relatively easy to see the eggs. 

[Shadow]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:15 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

I just leave some moss over the spawning screen. The peat always leaves some dust in the tank, but it’s relatively easy to see the eggs. 

Watched the Randy Carey ted talk on ACO Members Only section on Youtube...super informative. Think I have an idea now combined with your suggestions on how I will set it up. 🙂 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/11/2023 at 12:20 AM, Shadow said:

Watched the Randy Carey ted talk on ACO Members Only section on Youtube...super informative. Think I have an idea now combined with your suggestions on how I will set it up. 🙂 

Best of luck and keep us updated!