20 Gal Breeding

[KoiAngels]

I found a 20 gal high kit and want to make it into a breeding for profit tank.

Thinking about breeding fish of different water level and will breed in catch cups.

1. Thinking about breeding

CPD -(Midwater- Catch Cup)

Habrosus Cory/Hoplisoma - (Bottom- Catch Cup?)

Apistogramma Cacatuoides  -(Bottom - Cave)

Guppies (1m/3f)(can remove if necessary)

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2. I want a top dweller species to breed.

I am contemplating between Red Neon Blue Eyes and Clown Killifish

Would either of these breed in a catch cup with java moss/Spawning mop

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3. Has anyone had experience breeding habrosus corydoras, do they spawn in catch cups?

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3. Which are better for conditioning fish for breeding, Bloodworms or Tubifex worms

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4. Are there any live food cultures that can be started without a starter culture for fry and adults.

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Thanks

[Tlindsey]

On 7/14/2024 at 10:49 PM, KoiAngels said:

Guppies (1m/3f)(can remove if necessary)

Yes may get rough for the guppies once eggs are laid by the apistogramma. @KoiAngels

[Fish Folk]

I love your desire to spawn lots of fish.

Before launching into a consideration of your plans, it is important to thoroughly think through what you might need to have ready if you are _successful_. 

1st, You will need a way to protect fry from predation by adult fish. It is not clear here what you envision with your use of “catch cups,” but unless you have a secure environment for fry to grow, you will lose many early on. 

2nd, you will not be able to consistently make a profit selling fish that are not mature. A few venues — Club auctions, or occasionally an LFS — may occasionally buy juvenile fish… but normally, customers want young adult fish mature enough to spawn. This puts you into a long, challenging waiting game as fry grow. Honestly, I suspect that in order to actually raise viable hatches, you will probably need at least 60 more gallons of aquarium space to pull this off. 

3rd, you must be absolutely on top of your water parameters. When Ammonia and / or Nitrite build up faster than Nitrate is converted and either consumed (plants) or water-changed out, fry will fall apart. Your filtration plan needs to be sufficient for the whole project.

4th, as your inquiry correctly indicates, fry from many species require live foods to develop. Most require culturing that begins from a starter culture. Hatching artemia nauplii (bbs) is a common staple in most breeders’ fish rooms. I also recommended vinegar eels and grindal worms. Daphnia (or Moina) are excellent if you have experience. Outdoor vernal tubs can produce larvae, green water, etc. 

[Tony s]

The thing to remember about community tanks. Your yield of fry is most likely going to be very reduced. Fish will definitely eat other fish’s fry. To maximize output, you’ll want species only, smaller tanks. And then possibly grow out tanks as well

Smaller tanks are less expensive, but require more maintenance to keep in breeding conditions.

[lefty o]

wanting to actively breed for profit in a 20, pick 1 breed of fish.

[Sammy]

On 7/15/2024 at 7:46 AM, lefty o said:

wanting to actively breed for profit in a 20, pick 1 breed of fish.

I used an eg trap to a breeding box for my CPDs and pick Daisy's Ricefish eggs from floating spawning mops... but there are still some blue eyes in my CPD grow out tank.

So, yeah, 1 species per tank is better. 5 gal tanks make great breeding/ grow out tanks and are easier to manage 

[Zeaqua]

If I had to choose, I would keep the CPDs, Habrosus cories, and the clown killis. I wouldn’t personally add the guppies or Apistos, although you could replace the cories with the apistos, if you’re ok with losing a few fry to them. Not sure if you’re saying that you want to breed the fish inside of the catch cup, which I wouldn’t recommend, but you could definitely raise the fry inside of it. Also, all three would do great with a good amount of water sprite or some other leafy plant for fry to hide inside of.

[KoiAngels]

I plan on using a a small deli cup filled with moss to get the  Cpds and Habrosus corydoras to lay eggs in them . Can I replace the Clown killifish with Pseudomugil Luminatus?

@Zeaqua

[Zeaqua]

I haven’t kept any Pseudomugil species, and I have heard that they do prefer longer tanks to tall ones, but you probably could!

[Sammy]

On 7/20/2024 at 11:12 AM, KoiAngels said:

I plan on using a a small deli cup filled with moss to get the  Cpds and Habrosus corydoras to lay eggs in them . Can I replace the Clown killifish with Pseudomugil Luminatus?

@Zeaqua

Love those Luminatus. I swap out floating plants for floating spawning mops and put in an egg harvester that I use on CPDs and get eggs in both systems. Hit them with live Grindals and chopped blood worms then swap in a couple gallons of cooler conditioned water one evening. It's a good trigger.

[Phirefase]

My two cents is to start breeding one fish at a time and introducing more to the tank over time. The phrase “jack of all fish, master of none” comes to mind when polyculturing fish.  I have done it before but it becomes a pain to catch the fry out. The only poly culture I have right now is some praecox rainbows and bristlenose plecos. I think you could probably get those three fish to spawn together in a tank except the apistos. They are super aggressive when they guard their eggs and would probably make the other fish stop spawning.  I have spawned all those fish except the cory cats, so dm me if you want more advice. 

[KoiAngels]

I was wondering if the aggression would some down if I remove the Apistogramma Eggs after they lay them.

Also if I replace the Cactuiodes with Macmasteri and the Habrousus with pygmy corys would that work better?

Thank @Phirefase

[Phirefase]

They do calm down once you remove the eggs. I don’t think it will make a huge difference which dwarf cory cat or apisto species you go with. You could always try it out and see what happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I would be interested to see how it all works out and what the tank ends up looking like. 

[KoiAngels]

I asked because I had heard that Pygmy corydoras swim more midwater so they might stay out of the apisto's territory more often.

I didn't want to put pygmeus with cacatuiodes after reading this so I decided with macmasteri because I have heard that they are a bit smaller (aquadiction)

Thanks