Would you Like a Fry with That? (the Baby Fish Kind)

Everyone loves babies; a puppy, a kitten, a duckling, a fry.  Yes, I said a fry.  How can any fish lover not love baby fish? Keeping tropical fish has been growing in popularity, and breeding them has grown in popularity too. Breeding fish can be fun, rewarding, and profitable; but first you need to know how to do it. You should research your specific fish and how to breed them, but you should also learn the basics.

The first thing you should find out about your fish is what kind of breeder they are. This means finding out how they bear their young. Fish fall into several categories of breeders, including: live bearers, egg scatterers, egg buriers, egg depositers, nest builders and mouth brooders. It is very important to know what kind of breeders you have because it determines how you treat the eggs or fry. For example, egg scatterer's eggs are quickly swept away in the wild. Since this does not happen in an aquarium, the parents will eat the eggs when they stick around, so precautions must be taken to prevent this from happening. Other fish need different types of substrate or other materials in the tank to help them properly breed. No matter what kind of fish you have, you should thoroughly research what kind of breeder you have and what steps to take. As a side note, live bearers are generally considered the easiest to breed and are preferred by beginners.

The next thing you need to determine for proper breeding is the sex of your fish. While it may seem logical to just take a bunch of fish and put them together and let them breed, this is not the best route. It is generally accepted to practice selective breeding. This involves choosing the best fish and breeding them. This helps ensure more healthy offspring that are more likely to survive and be attractive. Like it or not, people prefer attractive fish. If you are separating two fish to breed, it is essential to be able to tell the difference between males and females. You may need to do some research to find out how to tell the difference, but there are some easy ways to tell. The male livebearer is the easiest to distinguish because he has a modified anal fin that helps him in mating. Many fish have a difference in size and coloring; usually the male is larger, more brightly colored, and has more elaborate fins. It may be more difficult to tell in some species (and impossible in others), but it's better to go find out how to tell than to have two males in a breeding tank together.

Once you know the sex of your fish, you can then choose which fish are the "best" breeders. You want to choose fish that are young and healthy with a good physical appearance, have good color (bright, colorful markings), have a healthy appetite, and are very vital and active. If a species has more than one coloring type, try to get two fish with the same coloring because the young will be more attractive. You also want to be positive both of your fish are of the same species; some species can interbreed but their offspring are sterile. Having these features will help them breed strong, healthy babies. This may seem like a biased way to breed, but you will have to take care of the fish that are born, and if they all die because their parents were sickly it was a waste of your money and effort.

The most important trait for a fish keeper to have is patience, and with breeding it is no different. You may think you are ready to breed once you have your fish picked out, but it is best to wait. First you must get your fish in good shape to have healthy babies. If your fish are new, you might want to give them a general disease treatment to make sure they're healthy. Also you should give them high quality food to make sure they're getting all the nutrients they require. However, what kind of food is best also depends on the kind of fish you have.

Some fish can be bred in a community tank, while others will need to be separate so you’ll need to setup a new aquarium. Whether or not you breed in a separate tank, you should separate the fry when they are born so they are not harassed or eaten by other fish. If you don't have a separate tank, you can get a breeding net to keep them in, but avoid using plastic breeding traps. The breeding tank can be small, but depends on the size of the fish. Don't use decorations in the tank and use a foam filter. You don't want anything in the tank that could damage your fry. Also, make sure to have an appropriate air pump for this small tank. Fill with 50% water from your main tank and 50% new treated water. If this is not feasible, let it run for a few weeks before you put the fish in it to breed.

Once your tank is set up, you can begin breeding. Some species of fish may require stimulation to begin spawning, so look up what the trigger for your species is. It may involve temperature changes or the simulation of the rainy season, so look it up or ask someone at a pet store to find out exactly what you need to do.

Take the parents out as soon as the babies are born (or the eggs are laid, depending on the type). Also, be sure to do regular water changes in the rearing tank (be sure not to suck up any fry). Once your fry are born, there are several options for feeding. They make a product called liquifry that you can feed. Just make sure you get the right type for the fry you have. You also have the option of feeding live food, which many people prefer because it lasts longer in the tank without going bad. Lastly, you can feed them dry food; just make sure you grind it up into a fine powder so they are able to eat it.

As your fish get bigger, you may notice yourself running out of room for all of them, even in the community tank. Before you don't have any space for them, research places they can go. Try local pet stores, fish clubs, or even online.

As you may have noticed in this article, the most important thing to do when considering breeding your fish is RESEARCH. Without looking up specifics for your type of fish you are much less likely to succeed in breeding them, so keep reading and learning and good luck with your new additions.