Pregnant Neon Tetra (?)

superficies

I have a few neon tetras in my acquarium and have noticed recently that two of them have what can only be described as extended bellies - it's not that they've gotten fat so to speak but it's like their belly has come down and looks, to all the world, as if the pair of them are pregnant. Anyone have any experience with tetras getting preggers or any advice?

jameshayes

Does she swim around with her mouth open?

If she is pregnant, she will lay the eggs in the tank and they will be fertialised by the male - if you have a male!

Then the parents along with the other fish will eat the eggs unless you separate them in the tank, you can do this by putting a glass partition in the tank. Pretty soon you have pup's! Oh, I mean what are baby fish called again!?!

superficies

Yup they swim around with the mouths open, which is also weird for them as they don't normally. These two are also eating way more than they used to. I have 3 males and 2 females so hopefully there will be fertilisation and baby fishies (don't know what they're called either!!). OK so I have to watch out for the eggs and the fertilisation and then separate them so that the EVIL big fish don't eat their own babies....poor babies. Oh, I'm all excited now - I hope they ARE pregnant and not just, well, fat. !

jameshayes

I've only seen fish have babies once, the mother carried them around in her mouth, but there was a loud bang in the house and she got scared and ate them. poor fisheses!

jameshayes

And stop being an irresponsible owner and get them neutered!?!! Lol!

jameshayes

Just thinking now, I think you can buy a guppy breeding tank, where the female lays her eggs and they fall into a smaller tank where they cannot be eaten, it just floats in your regular tank, I'll have a quick look on the net, although it may be too big for neons..

Bainne2

Don't know anything about fish but can we see photos when they are born?;)

superficies

Yup - there will be photos! Am now totally paranoid and going down to check they're still preggers every hour!
That is, if we manage to get any babies at all. It seems that once they lay their eggs and the male fertilises them it's practically impossible to stop them eating the eggs before they spawn. Will do my best but am now not feelin hugely optimistic!!

Killme00

Breeding
The male is slender, and the blue line is straighter. The female is rounder, producing a bent blue line. Some say that the females look plumper when viewed from above but this is disputed. However, the 'straightness' of the line and the plumpness of the female might occasionally be due to the eggs she is carrying. To breed Neon Tetras, place a pair of the species in a breeding tank without any light, and gradually increase the lighting until spawning occurs. Other inducers include mosquito larvae and a hardness of less than 4 degrees. Some also recommend letting the level of nitrates rise, then do at least 50% water change to simulate the fresh rain the tetras get in their natural habitat, the Amazon. It is recommended that everything you place in the aquarium be sterilized, as well as the aquarium top. Because the adults will often eat newly-hatched fry, it is best to remove them as soon as the eggs have been laid. The eggs are especially sensitive to light. Eggs will hatch within 24 hours of the laying. Fry can be fed rotifers, especially infusoria and egg yolk for 1 to 4 weeks, followed by nauplii of brine shrimp, shaved cattle liver, and formulated diets. Fry will achieve their adult coloration at approximately one month of age. Adults can spawn every two weeks!!!

Found this on wiki, interesting

jameshayes

Fry!!! Thats what the puppyfish are called!! Well done!

I was reading on the net and it was talking about allowing your fish to lay her eggs onto a wire netting that she will not fit through but will allow the eggs + daddys man juice to fall through.. You'll still need to get the parents out of that section of the tank for when they hatch though..