Hey everyone, as some people have noticed peacock bass have flooded the market. i thought it was about time i gave out a write up on how i successfully bred my peacock bass.
(i do not have my pair anymore, i sold them to be bred by someone else with this write up, sadly they have been split and sold off. (Sorry Jules))
since they have flooded the market they are going quite cheap, 7-9 cm at around 30 dollars ea, DO NOT pay over this price, even i think 30 might be a bit high since they are flooded, just shop around as there a few breeders out there, pm me and i can send you in the right direction.
ok here it is, i will add the pics on the bottom of the write up
ABSOLUTE MOST IMPORTING THING - Water must be immaculate just before bass have spawned!!! this is what tells you if you have lots of fry or no Fry!! when it looks like there getting close I usually do 50 precent water changes every day so I know once they spawn everything is Perfect. reason for this is because when they spawn the eggs become mouldy etc which fowls the water up and you cant do a water change until there free swimmers. (if the nitrates are bad, you can try doing a few drip water changes but be careful. )
1. 3 days for eggs to become wrigglers (eggs will start to look mouldy/fungus like on 3rd day, THIS IS NORMAL, leave them be)
2. Wrigglers turn into free swimmers in 3 days
3. As soon as all wrigglers turn into swimmers, get a fry tank (small, pref 2ft) fill half way with tank water than syphon babies straight into fry tank. DO NOT start daily water changes till the next day.
4. once fry are in the fry tank you can start feeding a few hours after. (freshly Hatched Brine Shrimp) Over feeding is a must!! they will eat each other if there hungry. at this stage 50 precent water changes can start on the next day daily.
5. feed them as often as you can, I have left it to 4 hour period without too much of a loss. just keen in mind the more you feed them the higher survival rate you will get. when im home I fed them on a 2 hour basis. than at night just once when go to bed than once n the morning. (don't go getting up early hours of the night lol)
6. feed Hatched baby brine shrimp for 10 days
7. on the 11th day start feeding frozen baby brine shrimp (I used hikari, I brought it from Pet magic, 7.50 a packet when buy bulk)
8. once the parents are starting to show signs of spawning again I put the fry bass into a grow out tank, 3-4-6ft doesn't matter, they will be able to find the food themselves now. at this stage depending on the size of the tank you go you can cut back on water changes. (if you want to grow them quick continue the daily water changes as it removes the hormones that the fish produce that slows down growth rate)
Feeding chart
1. first 10 days Freshly Hatched Baby Brine Shrimp
2. 11th day onwards Frozen baby brine shrimp
3. don't need to but at 1.5cm I started doing processed cod fillet and beef heart, taking it in turns with bbs. you can feed them just on frozen bbs up to 4.5cm if you like.
4. at 4.5cm start introducing blood worms, only small quantities, at first they wont take it
5. keep them on frozen bbs and Blood worms, by 5cm they will be on 100 precent blood worm diet only.
My pair that i sold that were split (oddly i believe the male was sold and has been passed around a little)
mum with babies
prepairing for a spawn
vids of babies being fed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuHsZNcQ5WY
i will try find my other pictures of the babies when they were at 3cm to 5cm. will post them soon
Edited by MattyB, 14 February 2016 - 04:00 PM.