Keep in mind, some of this is light hearted, meant to be funny. Breeding can be frustrating, these are things I've actually learned. Things that aren't always in your "how to breed" files. I feel every new breeder needs to know some of the "behind the scenes" things that aren't always explained. Everyone knows to condition, water changes, temperatures.. What about the other stuff? Add to it as you will.
1.) Not every fish is going to breed. It doesn't matter how long you condition them, how much you feed them, how long they get to see the male/female. Some fish will never breed. It's part of being a breeder. Fish can be asexual too, you need to respect that
2.) Matchmaking is real. Some fish aren't meant for each other... just like in humans. You can't throw two fish together and expect them to breed. The behavior between two fish will be obvious. If the male AND female are tail slapping each other, it's likely they DON'T enjoy each other's presence and would really rather not be stuck in the same tank as that slob of a fish
3.) Pairing fish with similar temperaments is also important. Throw a gentle fish in with an aggressive fish, you're more then likely going to end up with a dead fish. But put two aggressive fish in the same tank, They'll either attempt to kill each other or realize they're perfect and spawn. Or... In my case, refuse to breed twice until I move them to a separated tank with two other fish and have the female decide to jump the freaking barrier and spawn with him on her own time
What have you learned from breeding? :grin2:
1.) Not every fish is going to breed. It doesn't matter how long you condition them, how much you feed them, how long they get to see the male/female. Some fish will never breed. It's part of being a breeder. Fish can be asexual too, you need to respect that
2.) Matchmaking is real. Some fish aren't meant for each other... just like in humans. You can't throw two fish together and expect them to breed. The behavior between two fish will be obvious. If the male AND female are tail slapping each other, it's likely they DON'T enjoy each other's presence and would really rather not be stuck in the same tank as that slob of a fish
3.) Pairing fish with similar temperaments is also important. Throw a gentle fish in with an aggressive fish, you're more then likely going to end up with a dead fish. But put two aggressive fish in the same tank, They'll either attempt to kill each other or realize they're perfect and spawn. Or... In my case, refuse to breed twice until I move them to a separated tank with two other fish and have the female decide to jump the freaking barrier and spawn with him on her own time
What have you learned from breeding? :grin2:
