Breeding Fish for food

Subject: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:25 pm

Well for now I am going to grow out 10 BN plecos in a 20g H but aside from that I want to get something going in a 10g I plan to pick up. I was looking for suggestions on fish that breed super easy, are cheap and can be kept in a 10g or two. I want to breed the fish mainly for a constant supply of food for my larger Cichlids aside their staple diet. I have a lot of larger Cichlids so I would like to get a group that breed a lot. Any recommendations welcome.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:30 pm

I was thinking of going with some endlers for a similar reason. I hear they breed like rabbits but haven't actually bred them myself.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:31 pm

Feeder guppies are all I can think of at this point, I'm syre there are lots of other fish, but I don't have a lot of experience with feeder fish. Mollies breed real fast.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:34 pm

Guppies would be my choice (what I've done in the past). The only drawback is the tank has to be so crammed with plants to prevent cannibalism that ya wonder how the fish can swim. Still worthit if ya don't mind that, though.

Do endlers cannibalize their young as badly as regular guppies?

WYite

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:39 pm

Yes...I think they do. They are very similar to guppies and will even breed with guppies...though it is frowned upon. A planted tank for hiding spots is a good idea.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:41 pm

Hmm...well tonight is my Friday so I was going to go to the animal shelter tomorrow and donate 20 bucks for three 10g tanks all with stands pumps filters, one with a double stand. These will be for my breeding project.....I don't really care what they look like because they will just be used as breeding tanks...Then it will be off to the LFS to get some fish, thats the plan anyway.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:43 pm

Well with 3 tanks you can separate the fry from the adults then the plants wouldn't be required.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:44 pm

hmmm...looks like I might have to invest in a sponge filter or two. I sense another DIY thread coming on!

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:46 pm

Mabey some platys or swordtails would work for ya. The are easy to breed and grow fast.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 7:57 pm

Mostlycichlids wrote:: Hmm...well tonight is my Friday so I was going to go to the animal shelter tomorrow and donate 20 bucks for three 10g tanks all with stands pumps filters, one with a double stand. These will be for my breeding project.....I don't really care what they look like because they will just be used as breeding tanks...Then it will be off to the LFS to get some fish, thats the plan anyway.

Well ya said a 10 gallon in the original post! Three tanks makes it a lot easier, LOL.

If ya decide on one tank though, What I' do is take the tank and stuff it with java moss, anacharis and water sprite with a couple of high wattage light bulbs. Throw in a coupla snails for clean up. You'll rescue more fry by separatin' 'em from the parents in another tank, though.

WYite

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 8:11 pm

Sweet....thanks now I just have to research and choose what I want to buy.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:55 pm

Cons or guppies.

haha just saw the 10g part. if you had a 20 long you could get cons

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Only slightly bigger than a 10, but in the past when I've been short on tanks I've used an Eclipse 12, with a sexed pair of cons to pump out feeders. It never slowed them down any.

Just depends on how much you care about the cons is all. Smile

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Wait. How could I have forgotten minnows. Minnows are also prolific breeders and work well for feeder fish.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:22 am

Hmm minnows sounds good how fast are their growth rates. I dont want to go Cons cause then I will have another tank wrapped up in Cichlids.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Minnows are pretty quick and with two 10g tanks you'd be set. I use sponge filters for the fry since I'm lazy and don't like being bothered with the fry food. Though they seem to take ground flake just fine too.

Get 4 4in chunks of 4in diameter pvc pipe and put in 2 males and 4 females in the tank. Put in two chunks of pvc in the breeding tank. The other two are for swapping.

Males will guard the eggs, up until you move the eggs to a new tank, then the males will be ready to go again. The females seem to be egg machines and will pump out eggs as many times as the males go at them.

Not sure how big you want to get them, but it seems to be about 6 months from fry to adult (3in) size minnow. I let 'em loose in the hatchling tanks when they're about an inch though.

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Tue Feb 10, 2009 5:23 am

Thanks for the info...after doing some research I think I am going to try the minnows. I am going to do the main tank which will be a 20g this will be for the adults. The other two will be 10g tanks....these will be bare bottoms one for new fry the other for larger fry to grow out for feeders. The pvc seems like a good idea, although through reading I didnt see anything about cave spawners. I did read that the eggs will hatch two days after they are layed. I guess it would be best to move the eggs a day after they are laid? Sponge flters in the fry tanks....Water around 68 degrees. Is there anything I am missing? I dont think I will have to worry about heaters.

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

What I have are fathead minnows - Pimephales promelas. The fish farm sells 'em as crappies.

76ish degrees, pvc pipes, I keep their tub in the plant room, so they get 16 hours of "sunlight" a day so it's like summer lighting all the time. They lay eggs in the pipes and the male guards it.

Too tired to get into full detail right now, but if you can't find anything or need it I can give you more info later. Smile

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:16 pm

Not to get off-topic, saint, but how do ya confuse a fathead with a crappie?

WYite

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:01 pm

Well I took the easy route and went with guppies....I got 6 females and 2 Males....I think the Plecos will be here tomorrow, so I will have to get stuff situated. I was going to get white cloud minnows but three places had none or they looked sick. I will start a DIY thread soon, it should be fun watching the Cichlids destroy the guppy fry in a few months!

The Turtle Whisperer Posts : 1930

Wyomingite wrote:: Not to get off-topic, saint, but how do ya confuse a fathead with a crappie?

WYite

Sorry. Crappie Minnows, is what they got 'em listed as on their availability sheet. I can only assume it's a bait thing? Maybe they're good for catching crappies? Never having gone fishing I don't get half the weird names they got for the stuff they sell as bait. Smile

Subject: Re: Breeding Fish for food Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:31 pm

Best of luck Mostlycichlids! Looking forward to the DIY thread.

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Breeding Fish for food

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