PlanetCatfish.com

Our success with breeding Megalechis picta

The Megalechis picta spawned on the 9-9-07, its the first time for us and we was so excited.

The male had a bubble nest for about 4 days and every day i was putting my hand in the nest to feel for eggs and on the 9-9-07 we had eggs.

Temp 25c (77f)
PH 4.4

Pic of male


Pic of bubble nest day of spawning


Pic of eggs 3rd day


Pic of eggs day 5 morning hatching


Few pics of them now, about 17 weeks old






Any question, please feel free to ask.

Wow

Very impressive, you keep treating us with new candy

hoplo wrote: Any question, please feel free to ask.

1. What approximate size when fish first spawn?
2. Do you condition the fish?
3. Do you trigger spawning?
4. Does the PH have to be so low, 4.4?

You should write an article for Shane's World

zenyfish wrote:
1. What approximate size when fish first spawn?
2. Do you condition the fish?
3. Do you trigger spawning?
4. Does the PH have to be so low, 4.4?

You should write an article for Shane's World

Sorry for the delay in replying to your question, we have been very busy.

1. Well the females are about 5" and the males are about 4". I think the males may be a couple of years young than the females and are not related to them.

2. and 3. We did the same with these as we do with all our breeding stock, plenty of water changes and feed them well, we use JMC pellets and the high protein food the odd tub of flake we may win in fish shows and sometimes live bloodworms, but on this occasion we had got a pint of live tubifex and we gave all the fish some as a big treat for them all. Well about a few days or so after that we notice that the male Megalechis picta was trying to make a bubble nest, but nothing happened.

4. What happened to the PH was, (this is still continuing on from Q. 2 & 3) a week pasted and we (my hubby & i) had a mix up with the water changes with the Megalechis picta tank, he thought i had changed them and i thought he had change them, so they did not get a water change.

We noticed the male had made a nice big bubble nest, so i put my fingers in and nothing, but the male was looking after the nest so every day a put my fingers in and on 9-9-07 we had eggs, so i checked the temperature and the PH of the water, the PH was 4.4, i asked my hubby if he had done a water change and when he said no, well that's why the PH was low.

We have tried to let the PH drop again, but the male has not made a bubble nest since.

All we can think is that it was the live tubifex and may be the PH.