Pregnant Neon Rainbowfish

[Dan Steveo]

Hey all

i looked at my tank today and noticed the male NR flaring at the female, he was and still is following her around showing his colours to her and protecting her from other fish...

So i looked closer at her. She has quite a plump belly, thing is i've only had them about a week. and she was slim then, do they take long to lay eggs? i though't i'd check here before looking for some sites... Much better advice on here.


if she is preggers any idea when she'll drop and if they're eggs and where she'll likely lay them etc.


Thanks...

Dan

 

[Dan Steveo]

Just saw a site that explained someone's experience... one question though. anyone think my 4 bristlenose and 1 clown pleco would eat the newly hatched fry from the bottom?

I'm thinking they will.

 

[lauraf]

Pretty much the only fish that won't eat fry are the fry's parents, and that's only some of the time with certain species. Sooooo, yes.

 

[nanu156]

they are the most sesiptable when they are eggs. but yeah plecos will eat anything organic hanging out on the bottom, most fish will eat their babies if given enough time.

 

[Dan Steveo]

oh... ok thanks guys, i'll have to save some if i can... i don't think a net will do too good would it? i mean as the male usually chases the female into a rooted plant etc... if she's in the net i'm guessing she will still lay won't she.... maybe a breeder net would be best though... catching her would be hard though... she's qick.

 

[lauraf]

A separate tank just for the breeding rainbows is the best bet. After the eggs are laid and fertilized, you remove the parents. Sooo, unless you have a spare tank . . . . .

 

[OrangeCones]

oh... ok thanks guys, i'll have to save some if i can... i don't think a net will do too good would it? i mean as the male usually chases the female into a rooted plant etc... if she's in the net i'm guessing she will still lay won't she.... maybe a breeder net would be best though... catching her would be hard though... she's qick.

Seperating egg layer females from males will not get you fry. The eggs are fertilzed outside the female by the male. She does not lay fertlized eggs.

If seperated, she MAY lay unfertilzed eggs, but more likely, will absorb the eggs and not lay at all.

 

[Lotus]

My neon rainbows somehow breed in a community tank. That's not to say it will happen for everyone (inhabitants have included loaches and angelfish). The rainbows like to lay eggs on mossy plants in the bottom corner of a tank. If you find where they're laying eggs, you can take out the item and raise the fry in another tank. You will be able to see the eggs, but they're very small. Once they hatch, they stay near the surface (at least mine do).

Rainbows are the tiniest and slowest-growing fry I've ever raised. They take months to even get to half an inch.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Thank you and great to see you on here again lotus..

If i put both parents in the breeder net would they be ok? and if i didn't and it's like yours... did some of the babies grow to muturity or were all eaten?

thanks...

 

[Lotus]

You could put them in the breeder net with some moss, perhaps. They like to lay eggs on something mossy. When you see eggs or fry, remove the parents. Or, put them in their own tank for a few weeks, then remove them (and raise the fry).

Some of mine make it to maturity. I think they've been breeding for maybe three or four years in the tank. I started with six, and now have maybe 20, with most of the original ones having died off. So, they're definitely multiplying.

Mine seem to go through periods/seasons where they'll lay eggs every day or every few days for a few weeks.

 

[Alex James]

You are in luck. Probably the other one is a male.
If the neon suffer from dropsy it will look pregnant but will not live long.

 

[Dan Steveo]

Ok thanks lotus i'll try the moss and them together.. i only have the pair and i do want more so it'd be good to keep a good few... my pleco's and so on are non stop eating and i don't think they'd be safe on the floor while they're consuming the sacks.

Alex james, thank you, i'll keep an eye on her.

 

[Dan Steveo]

OK so she's still nto dropped yet, she looks bigger now though, i'll let her first batch just drop naturally and see if they survive.. i hope they do... if i get some java moss in time i could put the pair in there but i don't want them to abort... i'll just get loads of moss and i'm sure they'll use it as protection...

I'll keep ya'll updated...