Upon
arrival, place the spawning substrate containing the eggs in a
container with soft water to a depth of 2 to 3 centimetres to which 1 to
3 drops of methylene blue have been added, depending on the volume of
the water. The eggs are quite sensitive to light, so be sure to keep
this container in a dark place and remove any fungussed eggs from it
every day with a pipette. Depending on the water temperature, they will
hatch in around 20 - 30 days, maybe longer.
The
fry can be fed BBS or Microworms right after hatching. Larger food can
be introduced after around 2 - 3 weeks. As the fry become bigger, you
may gradually increase the depth of the water in the rearing container.
Because of how vulnerable fry are to velvet illness, the rearing
container's water quality must be carefully monitored at all times. For
optimal development, feed them twice daily and perform partial water
changes every 2 to 3 days.
- Average Eggs Water Incubation Period: 20 - 30 days at 22°C - 23°C
- Fry Size: Medium (can be fed BBS right after hatching)
- Sexual Maturity: 6 - 8 months
- Life Span: up to 3 years (depends on food and keeping conditions)
- Filtration: moderate
- Water Changes: 1/3 weekly
- General Hardness: 0 - 8 dGH
- pH: 6.4 - 6.8
- Temperature Range: 20°C - 23°C
- Lighting: moderate light
- Diet: live foods (Bloodworm, Tubifex, Artemia, Daphnia, Black Worms, Grindal Worms, White Worms)
- Keeping Difficulty: demanding