Breeding Questions

**J Pribb** · 05-19-2009, 07:40 PM

Soooo. Ive been reading alot of the posts in the rainbow's forum and Hobbs is talking about how the bows spawn daily and how people are having such success at breeding them.

I dont see it, lol. When I turn the light on, they are mostly centered on me. I have the tank in a visible area so I can view it from across the room and most of the interaction between the bows seems to be a display showdown more than any actual mating.

Ive read the primer on bows at the other site(forget the name), so I have a general idea of sexual differences. I have 4:2 male/fem ratio 6 total in a 55 gallon.

Is mating happening and Im just missing it, then other fish in the tank eat the eggs? Do they need a breeding tank? I hope not.

I have a few bad photos of the interactions I observe. Maybe you can confirm my guesses on the sex of the fishes.

Photos to come after I upload.

**J Pribb** · 05-19-2009, 08:09 PM

OK, first up is my best picture. Male I believe. Prob about 2in Bosie. How big do they get 3in, 4in?

The two lower seem to be displaying to one another, males showing off? Upper is a female correct?

The most common display, raccing side by side across tank, stopping suddenly to display tail to eye. Both males?

Thanks for you help.

**btate617** · 05-19-2009, 08:26 PM

Google breeding rainbows lots of info may help you out.

http://watershed3.tripod.com/raisingfry.html
http://www.ausyfish.com/australian_aquarium_fish.htm

From what I understand they are easy to breed, most of what I remember reading is having trouble with raising the fry, I believe they are really small and a challenge for some to feed.

Brian

**trojannemo** · 05-20-2009, 02:22 AM

hi there.

first off, the pictures to me all suggest male boesemanis.
Do you have bigger pictures?

this is a female boesemani:

with regards to breeding, it's taking place only if they are old enough (they look young to me based on the pictures) and they get a chance. before i had 9 males and 1 female...i changed my 'bows around and now i have 4 males and 4 females, and it happens everyday in the morning. as soon as my room light goes on (i.e. morning sun equivalent to them) they all get their breeding stripes and begin fighting over the females and in my case, over the small spot of java moss i have.
during this time the males will fight to 1) tell the other males to back off 2) convince the female to go to the spawning site with them. they have to actually make the girls go to the spot they intend to breed on, and then get to it.

this is what it looks like when its taking place:

they color up, start displaying to one another and eventually stop over the java moss and start shaking together

in a crowded community tank with other fish (i.e. not a breeding tank for a single pair), it's very difficult for them to spend much time at it, as the other fish will break it up. check out my video of my M. lacustris pair "spawning" while the other male rainbows were still trying to get in on the action and the angelfish trying to eat the eggs as they fell:

my suggestion, even out the sex ratio to 3/3 or even 2 males 4 females. let them grow and provide them with java moss or a spawning mop...and let them take their time...they will figure it out

hope that helps.

**J Pribb** · 05-22-2009, 12:40 AM

Here's a better photo of one of my supposed females. Thanks for the insight.

With all the egg laying and eating going on in my tank i shouldnt have to feed my fish lol.

Thanks again for the info. I will post more pics when the fish let me take em.

**redrum69** · 05-09-2011, 07:14 PM

hey what do you feed the fry and for how long before you start feeding bbs.i have some yellow rainbows that lay everymorning as well but the survival rate for the fry is very poor.i am sure it is the feeding as my water is always clean and i do have a sponge filter in there as soon as they free swim.