  Get your experience from the more common varieties first. Half grown fish are best to buy—you are sure of obtaining young fish, and it is interesting to watch them mature. Fish ready to spawn: Females become heavier. Also on live bearers the dark spot near vent becomes larger and darker. Males chase females continually at spawning time. Labyrinth male builds bubble nest. Live bearers are easiest to breed. Eggs are hatched within the female’s body and the young are born alive. Female live bearers seek secluded places to give birth to their young. If one corner of the community tank (toward light) is heavily planted, and ample floating plants provided, quite a few young will survive. These can be removed until old enough to return to community tank—in about 4 or 5 weeks, dependent on growth. Female live bearers will eat their young. If placed in separate tank remove female as soon as brood is produced. Female live bearers will produce several broods after being separated from male. Live bearer’s fry are sometimes born with an “egg sac,” usually the result of premature birth. Tools
AVOID To save young live bearers, females are frequently placed in a trap. Be sure female has ample room to swim freely. Many varieties of traps are available. To breed egg layers, male and female should be separated for several days before being placed in spawning tank. All fish are more prolific during warm weather. Practically all fish will eat young fry. Algae—a fine green plant growth—is caused by an excess of light. Remove as much of the growth as possible and reduce amount of light. Floating algae—green water—is caused by the same condition. Cut down light and condition usually clears itself. (See page 4.) Coloring water in tank a faint pink with a solution of potassium permanganate will usually clear this condition. Green water is actual healthy water for fish. Algae may be cleaned off glass by scraping with safety razor blade. (Fig. 8.) Cloudy water usually caused by improperly balanced tank. Remedy: more plants or less fish, better light, more scavengers, less food. FIG·8 Cloud at bottom of tank is usually caused by decaying of excess food. Plants thrive better in deep sand; roots spread and absorb decaying matter. Always use sea salt. Table salt is questionable since it is chemically treated to prevent caking. Tropicals thrive under more crowded conditions than goldfish. 2 or 3 pairs per gallon in healthy aquarium, about 6 fish body per gallon. Always sterilize net with boiling water after handling sick fish. Slow leaks in aquariums will usually be sealed by painting all inside and outside seams with liquid aquarium cement. To obtain number of gallons of water in tank—divide cubic contents in inches by 231. |
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