FEATHERFIN: HEMIGRAMMUS UNILINEATUS
Color: Like above Pristella Riddlei but has a black and white line down the anal fin.
Breeding Habits and Temperament: like Pristella.
JEWEL FISH: HEMICHROMIS BIMACULATUS
(Africa)
average size
Color: Body bright scarlet blending to rich olive on back. Emerald dots (jewels) in irregular lines cover body and vertical fins. Frequently difficult to obtain mated pair.
Breeding Habits: Egg layers—eggs are deposited on smooth stone or flower pot, to which they adhere. During incubation (about 30 hours) one parent stands guard, constantly fanning to circulate water over eggs. Fry are unable to swim first three days so parents make hollow in sand where fry are placed and guarded. After fry can swim, they form school with parents in center. Remove parents when fry are about one-fourth grown or sooner. Parents must not be excited or they will eat spawn or fry.
Temperature: 70° to 90° F. Fry above 75° F. Breed best at 80° F.
Maturity: 10 to 14 months.
Temperament: Very savage—male frequently attacks carefully mated female.
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To spawn Cichlids (Jewel, Angel, Orange Chromide, Blue Acara and Mouthbreeder) purchase several young fish—bring them to maturity together. When ready for breeding a mated pair will be found associating together and separated from the others.
Avoid disturbing Cichlids, any disturbance or noise may cause them to devour their eggs or young.
ANGEL FISH: PTEROPHYLLUM SCALARE
(Amazon River, S. A.)
Reduced
Color: Bright silver, black bars, body very thin. Black bars disappear when disturbed or frightened. Difficult to distinguish sex.
Breeding Habits: Egg layers—very difficult to breed. Prefer sides of aquarium or Sagittaria Gigantea for depositing eggs. Eggs are fanned constantly by parents. Fry appear in about 8 days; guarded, and transferred from one plant to another or depression in sand, by parents. Fry swim in about a week and resemble thread like worms. Remove parents when fry begin to swim. Feed infusoria. Fry take shape of scalare in 3 to 5 weeks.
Temperature: 70° to 90° F. 85° for spawning.
Maturity: One to one and a half years. Growth depends upon quality and quantity of food and size of tank. Angel fish should have as much live food as possible, largest tank available.
Temperament: Peaceful. Easily frightened. Keep in large well planted aquarium otherwise they may dart against sides and kill themselves. Should be fed live food frequently. Large specimens are not recommended for community tank.
BLUE ACARA: AEQUIDENS LATIFRONS
(Central America)
one half size
Color: Yellowish brown with several dark vertical bands. One of these bands widens in center of the body into a spot. Lines of shining blue dots cover the entire body. Dorsal, anal and caudal are wine red with rows of blue and blue-green spots. Both sexes similar, female slightly subdued in color.
Breeding Habits: Egg layers—Mate fish of approximately the same size. Provide a clean flower pot for the fish to deposit their spawn. The adhesive eggs are placed on the inside of the flower pot and are then fertilized by the male. Eggs are fanned by the parents and fry appear in 3 or 4 days. Parents prepare a depression in the sand and taking the newly hatched fry in their mouths deposit them into these holes where they are carefully guarded by the parents. Young live in a swarm in this “nest” for several days. Then they swim freely and must be fed infusoria. Parents may be removed soon after fry swim freely. The Blue Acara is hardy, prolific, easily spawned, and the fry are hardy and develop rapidly.
Temperature: 70° to 85° F.
Maturity: Breed in about 8 months.
Temperament: Not peaceful—except with very large fish.
MOUTH BREEDER: HAPLOCHROMIS STRIGIGENA
(Egypt)
one half size
Color: Body light blue gray—fins yellowish—head very massive.
Breeding Habits: Egg layers—deposit spawn in depression in sand. After spawning is completed female picks up eggs and carries them in her mouth. Water is circulated over eggs by a chewing movement. Female refuses food during period she carries eggs. Male should be removed as soon as female picks up eggs as he may bother her. Fry appear in about two weeks, but at the slightest sign of danger rush back into the mother’s mouth. This continues until fry are too large for the maternal jaw. Female should be removed when fry are about 5 weeks old. Because of “fast” while carrying eggs, should be bred but 2 or 3 times a year.
Temperature: 70° to 85° F.
Maturity: 12 to 14 months.
Temperament: Rather vicious.
ORANGE CHROMIDE: (below) ETROPLUS MACULATUS
(India)
Color: Golden orange, 3 blue-black dots on sides crossed by rows of small reddish dots. Dorsal brown, anal and pectorals dark. Sex difficult to distinguish.
Breeding Habits: Egg layers—Spawn on flower pot or stones placed in the aquarium. Fry hatch in about 4 days and are moved into pits in sand. Fry swim freely in about 6 days. Remove parents in about two weeks.
Temperature: 70° to 80° F.
Maturity: about 6 to 8 months.
Temperament: Usually peaceful in large well planted tank.
THREE-SPOT GOURAMI: TRICHOGASTER TRICHOPTERUS
(India)
average size
Color: Silvery olive with black spot in center of body, another at caudal base—the eye making the third spot.
Breeding Habits: Same as Dwarf Gourami.
Temperature: 70° to 85° F.
Maturity: 10 months.
Temperament: Not recommended for community tank.