Freshwater

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Part IV: Breeding and Other Fun Stuff
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
The guppy is probably the easiest aquarium fish to breed. Guppies would
breed in a puddle of water if given half a chance. Combine several males with
a few females in a species tank, and within a year you will have to purchase a
new aquarium to house all your new fish. Guppies readily breed in a community
aquarium, species tank, or spawning tank. Males have a gonopodium and
are more brightly colored than the larger-bodied females. The young fry are
born fully formed and ready to eat food. Standard water temperature for
breeding is 74–78 degrees F; dH 12; pH 7.
Convict cichlid (Archocentrus
nigrofasciatus)
Breeding convicts is very easy. Because convicts who are breeding can be
very aggressive toward their tankmates, put them in their own spawning tank
with a few plants and rocks or a flowerpot turned on its side. The female is
larger and shows much more color than the male. She also exhibits black and
red bars during the breeding cycle. Water for breeding is 69–79 degrees F; dH
8; pH 7.2.
Convict spawning occurs very rapidly. They lay their eggs in a rock cave or in
a flowerpot. Both parents help take good care of the young — unless they
begin to quarrel. If the parents fight, remove the losing partner. The young
eat readily and flee to the parents when they feel threatened.
Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Angelfish breed steadily when you provide the proper conditions. Angle a
piece of slate (about 45 degrees), 2–3 inches wide, against the glass of the
tank for your angelfish to lay their eggs on. The spawning pair will clean off
the slate before using it. When the housework is done, the female lays her
eggs on the slate, which the male then fertilizes. Angelfish often pair up, so
the easiest way to start matching them with a spawning partner is to pay
attention to who hangs out with whom. Male angelfish have a bump
(common among cichlids) on the front of their heads. The genital area is
round in the female, and pointed in the male.
After the eggs are fertilized, both parents use their fins to gently fan them
with water and remove any infertile or damaged eggs. The eggs hatch within
48 hours, and the fry absorb their yolk sacs before searching for food. Some
angelfish are carnivorous and eat their own eggs. (Angelfish also help their