# I May Have Some Breeders.



## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

I bought some reds a week or so ago, and I started noticing a few of them had some black kind of "growing" on their analfins. I assumed it was fin rot or something, and ignored it. (although in the back of my head, I thought about the possibility of breeding).

Today I get up, look them all over and they all look fine. @ 4:30pm I go back into my room to check whats going on and two of my red bellys are JET black and circling each other.

This is breeding behaviour right?


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## Dolphinswin (Jun 26, 2010)

Yes... have they stated moving gravel? building a nest?


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

One of my reds kind of looks down @ the sand and acts likes hes trying to eat food on the sand that isn't there. I assuming hes blowing the sand out of the way or trying to fan it away?

and yeah, theres a pretty big void in the sand (enough to see the bottom of the tank).


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

MPG said:


> One of my reds kind of looks down @ the sand and acts likes hes trying to eat food on the sand that isn't there. I assuming hes blowing the sand out of the way or trying to fan it away?
> 
> and yeah, theres a pretty big void in the sand (enough to see the bottom of the tank).


Congrats man, sounds like some exciting stuff...


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

MPG said:


> One of my reds kind of looks down @ the sand and acts likes hes trying to eat food on the sand that isn't there. I assuming hes blowing the sand out of the way or trying to fan it away?
> 
> and yeah, theres a pretty big void in the sand (enough to see the bottom of the tank).


 Sounds like breeding.


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## BuckeyeGuy777 (Oct 30, 2010)

sweet man


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## THE BLACK PIRANHA (Dec 8, 2003)

sweet cant wait to see pics.


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

I remember reading that you should do a colder water change to help move things along.

How much colder are we talking about? 2-5F?


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

MPG said:


> I remember reading that you should do a colder water change to help move things along.
> 
> How much colder are we talking about? 2-5F?


 If it is breeding it shouldn't like they will already be going at it so Id just leave them alone and not disturb them. Water changes are for when you wat them to breed not when they are already going to.


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

CLUSTER ONE said:


> I remember reading that you should do a colder water change to help move things along.
> 
> How much colder are we talking about? 2-5F?


 If it is breeding it shouldn't like they will already be going at it so Id just leave them alone and not disturb them. Water changes are for when you wat them to breed not when they are already going to.
[/quote]

True I wasn't sure the water change was to encourage breeding or the actually spawning.

Now I play the waiting game..hopefully i wakeup to some eggs..make my day.


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## HGI (Oct 27, 2009)

lucky bastard, non the less congrats


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

Well I have no doubt in my mind its breeding behaviour. I checked in periodically all day today (3-8pm) and the one red was standing in the exact same spot on the other side of the tank by himself (guarding a nest?) and the female was completely black again (after going red again last night because I checked up on them).

I hope its just a matter of time now. If my reds weren't so skittish I would watch but if I came in during this they would freak out. I wouldn't even know if they had eggs right now because I'm leaving them alone..haha


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## marco (Jan 2, 2003)

out of the 9 years ive been keeping reds, my fish dig all the time. but never eggs


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Anything?


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

Nothing to report. Still same behaviour though. I got my hopes up I better not get let down!!!


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Try a colder then usual water change ideally with a python or something so you can change the water without disturbing them too much.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Nothing yet? If you had a fish circling tight in one spot, he was fanning eggs. I think your eggs are getting buried in sand.


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

BRUNER247 said:


> Nothing yet? If you had a fish circling tight in one spot, he was fanning eggs. I think your eggs are getting buried in sand.


Nothing. Even if they get buried in the sand, won't some of them hatch and I would notice?

I am going to leave the room for a good 24-48 hours and hope thats the problem. They are currently in a semi-high traffic area and they are skittish pygos to begin with.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

If they're skittish drape a towel over their prefered spot but leave 1-2" at the bottom(between towel end & sub) this will give them comfort plus you can still see them spawning on the floor. Maybe offset your top so there's a 1" gap somewhere so you can look down on them. Either way you can watch them without them knowing it. Idk bout sand & eggs.I hate sand.I do know eggs a sticky. If sand sticks to them & the male fans them around they could get buried & be killed, as sand packs & I'm sure eggs can be damaged by being buried. Also siphoning eggs or wigglers would be a pita.


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## MPG (Mar 14, 2010)

I'll try that, I'll probably cover half the tank in towels.

After about a week of using this sand I realised it was a mistake. Never using sand again. Doesn't look good enough to justify all the cons.


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