Freshwater

Table of Contents
Filtration ..............................................................................................246
Plants for safety, spawning, and inspiration...................................246
Getting the Water Right ...............................................................................249
pH and dH control..............................................................................249
Water temperature .............................................................................249
Cleanliness ..........................................................................................249
Conditioning the Love Birds .......................................................................250
The way to the heart is through the stomach routine ..................250
The old fake rainstorm trick .............................................................250
The barometric pressure advantage................................................251
The old change the temperature ploy .............................................251
The new guy next door approach ....................................................251
The absence makes the heart grow fonder routine.......................252
So What’s Next? ............................................................................................252
Chapter 20: Let’s Spawn! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253
Introducing the Bride and Groom ..............................................................254
Dealing with aggressive males..........................................................255
Setting up the second date................................................................255
Yay, my fish really like each other!...................................................255
Darn, my fish hate each other!..........................................................255
Understanding Breeding Types..................................................................256
Livebearers..........................................................................................256
The egglayers......................................................................................257
Saving Everyone from Everyone Else........................................................259
Saving Mom and Dad from Mom and Dad.......................................259
Saving the kids from Mom and Dad .................................................259
Saving the kids from each other.......................................................261
Raising the Fry..............................................................................................261
Stepping up to brine shrimp .............................................................261
Giving them a real home....................................................................261
Picking new stock...............................................................................262
Understanding Genetics..............................................................................262
Choosing the best...............................................................................262
Obtaining variation the good way....................................................262
Obtaining variation the bad way ......................................................263
Creating strains through inbreeding................................................263
Choosing the Right Species for You...........................................................263
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) ...............................................................264
Convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) .............................264
Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare).....................................................264
A Few Final Tips ...........................................................................................265
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