# Breeding Disaster



## Davo (Jan 29, 2004)

I have been waiting for my P's to breed for ever... ( I have 24 RBP in a 240 Gallon) About tweo weeks ago i noticed that about 4 pairs weere showing signs of spawning. The blowing intp the sand, tight circles, and the darkening of the colour. They had even distroyed the plants that were planted.

This went on for a couple of days and i couldn't really see any eggs at all. Suddenly on the day that I was flying out to England on a business trip, i happend to peep into the tanks (Lights off and some algae grown on the glass) and saw thousands of little babies!!!!!!

As I had to catch the flight that morning therre was very little that I could do....

One week later when I returned.... NOTHING was left







I was expecting this but was hoping for a miracle. No Luck.

When will this happen again??? I want to breed them so badly!!! How often will this happen?


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

That sux,

You have a very high chance of them breeding again, or maybe
even another pair of your fish breeding

That trip better have been important.


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## Davo (Jan 29, 2004)

The trip was work related therefore I had no choice in the matter!!! I would have stayed back for my babies. Thanks for your reply mate. Let's hope they breed some time soon.

The problem is I don't thinks I will be able to change the babies into a new tank. Catching them from the main tank will be very difficult.

Should I switch off the power filters that I have connected to the under gravel filters? Or the external filter? Can the small fellows get sucked in ??


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## HOLLYWOOD (Feb 6, 2003)

Once they breed and have reached the state where your feeding brine shrimp, every day of care and feeding is crutial for they're survival. Count on 1 1/2 to 2 months of constant care. Now if you can dedicate that time then go ahead and pursue the P breeding avenue. Otherwise I would think twicve about breeding P's.

Sorry if im off topic but just thought I would paint you a picture.

As far as when you can expect them to do it again, I would say soon. Once they start breeding its almost clockwork for next spawn to occur.


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## pinchy (Jun 3, 2004)

my first breed was about a month ago and they have done it 3 more times scince then


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## Davo (Jan 29, 2004)

Thanks Guys. I'm looking forward to a re run!!


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## Phtstrat (Sep 15, 2004)

Did you say thousands? You better ship me some of those


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## mr limpet (May 10, 2003)

Frequent water changes may help trigger news spawning. Your best bet for retrieving the babies is to siphon them up when they are eggs.

I did, and put them into a five gallon tank with a sponge filter, using 100% parent tankwater. Several days after hatching they will become free swimming. That's when I started feeding baby brine shrimp (bbs) twice a day, three times on the weekends to catchup as two feedings a day isn't quite enough, and performed daily water changes, again using parent tank water. After a couple weeks, I transferred them to a ten gallon, a couple weeks later to a thirty gallon. The 30 served as a grow-out for another month, where I started feeding them frozen bloodworms, mosquito larvae, micropellets and beefheart along with adult brine shrimp. Predation was high, though. If you have a 55 that would be better as you will end up with hundreds of fry.

I did this once, and I'll never do it again. In comparison, raising dwarf SA cichlids was cake. Piranha fry really need a lot of care. Constant water changes, siphoning, feeding, day in and day out for two months. In the end I put them back in the tank, nickel sized, as feeders because I couldn't get rid of them.


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## Davo (Jan 29, 2004)

that was helpfull. Thanks a lot. shall try the water changes.


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