i would like to imbark on a breeding adventure!

[honey-lovin]

after stabilizing my community tank (thank you to all the extremely dedicated forum members that walked me through the problems with my community tank)

i came home last night to find roughly 30-40 fry from one of my female lyre tail mollies. i spent a good hour pulling the fry out and had a great time re-organizing the community tank in preparation for more plants

after putting the fry into a holding pen overnight i put them into a small 30 liter rearing tank this morning and hope they do well (ill try post some pictures on my profile for those interested) *the tank was being setup for breeding (or trying) to breed bristle noses...


so after this had all happened i had to rethink breeding bristle noses, as i was unsure of exactly how hard it is to breed them. and if the baby fry would destroy the bristle nose eggs or even eat them after they hatch...

i have read up a lot on breeding them but would love advice and comments for an ongoing project

 

[mgamer20o0]

bn breed in caves and the male will protect the eggs until they are hatched. they will stay in the cave for a couple days then gets kicked from the cave.

 

[honey-lovin]

thanks for your input mgamer, do you have much experience breeding BN's? it would be great to find somebody that has done it before...

i bought myself one massive male and am just waiting on my filter system to arrive and then i shall put my male and female together and see what happens

 

[mgamer20o0]

yea. i have 3 pairs a albinos going plus calicos growing out. do you have any caves for them yet.

 

[Layne2000]

Hiya
Bristlenose Plecs are very easy to breed and you can soon get over run with them.
I got my first pair as babies and they first bred at about a year and a half old and haven't stopped since lol

As said above, the plecs need a cave or 2 in the tank.
Any ornamental cave will do, although you can buy specific caves for Plecs.
Half a coconut is perfect but sand all the hair off and boil it a few times before putting it into the tank.

The male inhabits the cave and the female will lay her eggs in there.
The male protects the eggs for about 10 days until they leave their egg sacks and swim out.
Our baby Plecs have all thrived in a community tank with Swordies and Mollies etc.
Good luck )))

Layne owner of about 200 Plecs lol )))

 

[honey-lovin]

hey layne, thank you for your input, i currently have a small formation of rocks that has small caves and hiding spots in them, looks alright, the tank im planning to use if my current rearing tank, i have 3 tanks (largest, 210 L, 60L and about 20L) the rearing tank is the the 20L one with about 30-40 molly fry i hope that it will be fine mixing the two, i presume it will be, they both need pretty much the same water peramiters and are both comunity fish...

can anybody double check this idea and see if they will be alright to go together, ( my main worry is the fry eating the baby Bn"S)

 

[Layne2000]

Hi Honey
My Bristlenose Plecs are in a large community tank with breeding Swordies and Mollies. All adults and fry get on really well.
Your right in saying the conditions needed for both types are the same, so there is no need to worry.
The plecs are gentle creatures who don't bother anyone, and by the time the plec fry swim out of dad's cave they are pretty much large enough not to be bothered by my Swordies and Mollies.

When my first 2 plecs spawned they only had a few babies and I wondered if they had been eaten but since then, the amount of babies they produce has got larger.

From my experience both Molly adults anf fry and Plec adults and fry will all get on great and live in harmony together.

Re your small formation of rocks that has small caves and hiding spots in them, please bear in mind that the BN males will grow to a full 4 inches long, they need somewhere big enough to suit them when they are fully grown.
The males choose their cave and prefer to stay in the same one for ever. They need room to move about inside comfortably.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Keep me posted )

 

[honey-lovin]

so, im back to give an update on the BN breeding...

i have a male and female:

ruffle: my male is around 3.5 to 4 inches (some fantastic forked bristles)

britney: my female is around 4.5 to 5 inches

(also i have 2 two inch females that i hope will breed aswell)

i have made a desent sized hole in a rocky looking ornament that has been in my tank for a fair while now...

the ornament is iszed at about: 20cm width, 20cm hight, 10cm depth)
inside the hollow ornament its alot smaller. with lots of a few inch hollows

(iv uploaded pictures of the new tank and more to the point, the ornament)


what im wondering is if the cave will actualy be a good place for them to breed in?

please check out my profile albums

thank you