Advice on breeding neons – neon tetras
A swarm of neons is bought for breeding. After about 8 to 12 months, the animals are fully grown and suitable for breeding.
The most important prerequisite for breeding is absolute cleanliness and suitable breeding animals. Breeders must be kept in very soft water with a total hardness below 4 and a carbonate hardness below 4. Neons that have previously swum in harder water seem to have no offspring.
Red neon Photo: Norbert Heidbüchel
A small breeding tank with 30 to 50 liters of water is filled three quarters with distilled water. Other breeders indicate a length of 60 centimeters as the minimum size for a breeding tank. The breeding tank and all technical items such as the heating rod and spawning grate must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
The pool is filled with peat-filtered water, which has a correspondingly low carbonate hardness and total hardness. The pH is adjusted to 5 to 6 by adding tap water or oak extract. Suitable values are e.g. B. Total hardness 4, carbonate hardness less than 1 and pH value 5. Even with a conductance of approx. 20 µs, a pH value of 4.6 and a temperature of 29° C, the offspring succeeded.
The water must also be very clean. It can e.g. B. peat-filtered osmosis water can be used, which is then additionally filtered through filter floss and a UV lamp.
Top4 for neon tetra breeding:
The temperature should be 24°. The water stays for a day.
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Except for a filter and a heater, there are no furnishings in the breeding tank. No substrate, no plants, etc. Some growers recommend putting java moss in the tank. Microorganisms develop there, which are food for the young. In addition, the spawn is somewhat protected in the java moss, so that the parents do not eat all the eggs immediately. As protection from the parents, however, a spawning grid is safer.
Fine-leaved plants are also used by some growers because red tetras spawn between fine-leaved plants. However, fine-leaved plants are problematic in low light and often grow poorly. A special plant basin can be set up to help. There and in the breeding tank, the plants are grown in braids. If the plants in the breeding tank turn yellow, the plants can be replaced quickly and without much effort.
Well boiled wool threads of any color can also be used as spawning substrate.
The filter must not be too large, otherwise the young will be sucked into the filter. Air operated foam filters or mat filters are suitable.
When the water parameters are constant, a pair of Red Neons is deployed. A pair is set up for breeding that is clearly attracted to one another and, if possible, has already spawned. If you look closely, you can tell females by their convex belly.
Some breeders will put a small flock of neons in a 2 foot tank. This way you can be sure that you will find matching pairs. After some experience, they seem to spawn more easily.
Red neon Photo: Sophie Weirauch
Neons spawn at certain intervals. If the time of the last spawning is known, the animals can be targeted much more precisely. The breeding animals are fed well and varied before they are born. If possible with fine live food. To begin with, the breeding pair is placed in the prepared breeding tank in the evening. Sometimes the animals spawn in the early morning hours of the next day.
However, the fish often simply swim around in the aquarium for 3 to 4 days. So that the water is not polluted, black mosquito larvae are fed sparingly once a day.
With a bit of luck, the females will start spawning. The animals always spawn at night or early in the morning. Some twilight should shine into the aquarium by e.g. B. is placed near the window.
Otherwise the breeding tank will be darkened. To do this, some crepe paper is placed on the cover to block out the light. So that the animals do not feel disturbed, the sides and, if necessary, the floor are covered with foil or black cardboard. Only a small observation window remains free. However, the cover must be able to be opened. Red tetras spawn even in strong light, but the eggs die immediately.
If the pair does not spawn, they are removed after 5 to 6 days. The breeding tank is cleaned. Later, a new attempt is made with a new pair.
If this is tried often enough with different pairs, they will eventually spawn. The animals often spawn when it is so dark in the tank that you can still see everything but there is no direct light. Some neon breeders report that the breeding tank must be absolutely dark during the spawning season.
Red Neons Photo: Sophie Weirauch
After spawning between fine-leaved plants or in spawning cotton, the pair is removed and the tank is completely shaded. The spawn should now get as little light as possible. It is not easy to see the spawning grains in the dark. You can briefly touch the spawning grains with a weak flashlight. If there is no spawning substrate, the eggs are easier to see.
After spawning, the parents are carefully removed from the breeding tank. A remedy against spawn fungus is added to the water. Otherwise the eggs will mold very easily.
The larvae hatch after about 36 hours at around 29°C. After another 36 hours they swim freely.
As soon as the young are swimming freely, they are fed sparingly with rotifers, paramecia, fine powdered food, etc. 4 times a day. The boys only gain weight slowly. After a few days, the young take Artemia nauplii and Cyclops dry food. The light intensity is gradually increased. The older the young become, the more light they can tolerate without being under stress.
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