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The Right Conditions

In order to encourage breeding you need to provide safe, comfortable aquarium conditions. It becomes more important than ever to achieve optimal chemical levels. There should be no ammonia or nitrites present, the pHneeds to be just right and the temperature kept steady. On the other hand, some fish respond to temperature changes by breeding. Some fish prefer acidic water and some alkaline. A little research will reveal whether you need to introduce additional hiding places or a particular substrate to encourage a certain species of fish to breed. While some fish are very particular about breeding conditions, others are not. Beginners should opt for the less challenging species, such as Mollies, Guppies and Platys, to breed.

A Primer

Some fish are livebearers and some lay eggs. Livebearers, in general, are easier to breed. Livebearers give birth to "fry," or tiny copies of themselves. Fry are not born until they are able to take care of themselves independent of their parents. Be careful not to let them be born in a tank of live food eaters or your fish babies will be quickly consumed. Egg layers use a variety of spawning methods, each one requiring specific conditions. For successful breeding, do some homework ahead of time, keep aquarium stress factors to a minimum, provide conditions as close to those the species would find in a natural habitat, and keep a log of all events for future reference.