The core steps of Siamese fighting fish breeding include the selection of parent fish, environmental preparation, pairing guidance, care during spawning, and management of fry, which require strict control of water quality, observation of behavioral signals, and timely intervention.
Key Points of the Breeding Process
Selection and Preparation of Parent Fish
Select healthy individuals with obvious differences in body size: The male fish should be 1/3 larger than the female fish (the recommended body length is over 7 cm), and the female fish should have a plump abdomen and a protruding genital pore.
Separate and raise them in advance and strengthen their nutrition. Feed them with high-protein feeds such as bloodworms to enhance their physical fitness.
Arrangement of the Breeding Tank
The recommended size of the container is over 30 cm, the water level is 10-15 cm, and the water temperature should be kept constant at 28°C.
Put Terminalia catappa leaves in to adjust the water to a slightly acidic quality (pH 6.5-7.0), and place duckweeds, foam boards, etc. to assist the male fish in building a bubble nest.
There is no need for a filtration device to avoid the water flow from dispersing the fish eggs.
Pairing and Spawning Management
Put the male fish into the tank first to build a nest (which takes 6-12 hours), and then introduce the female fish (observe with a partition board).
Successful pairing is manifested by the female fish actively approaching the bubble nest and the appearance of nuptial stripes. If the female fish keeps hiding, it should be replaced in a timely manner.
After spawning, immediately take out the female fish and leave the male fish to guard the eggs (which will hatch within 48 hours). Clean up the dead eggs in time.
Fry Maintenance
After the fry start to swim horizontally (about 4 days after hatching), take out the male fish and feed them with starter feeds such as super-fine brine shrimp or Paramecium.
Gradually add a sponge filter and control the density. 40 liters of water body is required for every 100 fry.
Keep the water quality stable, avoid temperature differences, and transition to micro-powder feed after 3 weeks.
Key Points of Attention
Handling of Failure Signals: If spawning is not completed within more than 48 hours or intense attacks occur, the parent fish should be isolated immediately.
Water Quality Monitoring: Use a heating rod to keep the temperature constant, regularly detect the pH value, and change the water in a drip-flow manner.
Light Control: Keep the environment dim in the initial stage of breeding, and increase blue light in the later stage to promote pigment precipitation.