# breeding conditions



## TONYHAACK (Nov 8, 2006)

one way i heard of breeding P's is to put a blanket over the tank to make it real dark and every water change only take out 10% of the water until you get down to about 40-50%. from there you use a powerhead so it siphons the water up but releases it on top of the water to simulate the rainy season and then within a couple weeks they should start to breed. i could be 100% wrong but this is just what i heard to do. i really want to breed my reds but i dont know how to start what i need and if my conditions are correct.


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

You can breed your reds without even simulating the dry and rainy seasons. You don't even need the blanket either. It may help though if you have skittish pygo's or alot of activity around the tank (example: If it's in your living room) Then the blanket would provide some good coverage from interuptions.

Iv'e heard they breed easiest in slighty acidic water (ph around 6.0 -6.5) But I know they can breed in higher ph's..so i'm not sure how important that is.

By the way what size are your reds at the moment?
Are they showing any breeding colours or behaviour?


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## CROSSHAIR223 (Jan 17, 2005)

How old are your reds and are they changing to black yet???


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## TONYHAACK (Nov 8, 2006)

i have 5 reds in a 125 and they are ranging from about 6 to 7.5 inches. their colors havent changed any darker but i do notice 2 of them have huge bulges. the other day i also saw one of them moving the gravel around with their mouth so they are probably making the nest bedding to their liking.


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## CROSSHAIR223 (Jan 17, 2005)

Hold off feeding them for a while as well as a water change. I'd wait a week or so. Between now and then slowly raise the temp to 83 degrees. Try a degree higher every one or two days. After a week feed them heavily (I use shrimp) then change the water after 3-4 hours or wait till the next day. I usually do about 30-40 gallons and use COLD water. I stick with this routine for a couple of weeks and I always get results. Every 5-8 days I feed then do a water change with COLD water, don't get me wrong it's not freezing but it's definitely in the high 50's to low 60's. I do this until I get them to start breeding then go back to my usuall feeding and water changes. I've been using this stuff called Spawn Aid and to tell you the truth I don't notice anything different. I use it in the fry tanks though and have noticed a higher survival rate as well as a quicker growth.


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