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Breeding New - Introduction

• An important part of expanding the Sri Lankan export industry is offering more species to customers • Sri Lanka is well known for production of livebearers but other important commercial species do lack • This presentation presents information on the production of a range of Breeding Special Species new species for Sri Lanka • Some of these species require similar breeding techniques and have been grouped tother under their taxonomic groups

BREEDING NEW SPECIES

Elephantnose Barbs

• Gnathonemus petersii • These fish are from the order ‘’, of which there are over 1400 species. This order also includes the danios and • Normally from wild. Some success in rasboras, which are also popular ornamental fish and have similar breeding but not economical features to barbs. • This group includes species such as Koi , goldfish, Danios and Barbs, with approximately 35 species in the group. • They are regarded generally as voracious egg eaters, so eggs need to be separated from parents as soon as possible after spawning. • Some form of is normally provided for the eggs to BARB / CARP SPECIES BREEDING fall into to protect them from being eaten.

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Induced Breeding of Sahyadria danisonii General Information Classification

Scientific classification Endemic to Kerala, India Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: • A stream dwelling Fish Order: Cypriniformes • Prefers rock pools with overhanging vegetation :

Genus: Sahyadria • Strict herbivore mainly on Filamentous Algae

Species: S. denisonii • A shoaling fish

• IUCN Status – Endangered

• Fragile, with quick negative responses to environmental changes, exhausts rapidly

Observations on Reproductive Biology Important Points Trait Values

Smallest Mature Males (Length) (wt 15 gr) 8.5 – 9.0 cm

Smallest Mature Females (length) ( wt 21 gr) 8.5 – 10 cm • No distinctive Sexual Dimorphism

Absolute fecundity between 7.8 – 10.0 cm length 74 – 284 • Female has a slightly wider body Water Temperature 26 – 28 0C

pH 7.0 - 7.5 • Natural Spawning between November to April

- Dissolved Oxygen (mg L 1) ➢ 5 • Rapidly exhausts Total Alkalinity (mg L-1) 20 – 25

Hardness (mg L-1) 20 – 25 • Yellow, heavily yoked, transparent adhesive eggs

Ovaprim Dose (Single dose for both sexes) 0.4 ml/kg BW • Non guarder lithophile Latency period 10 – 12 hours Before Hydration

Hatching since fertilization 36 hrs

Free swimming and first feeding 4 days

Completing metamorphosis 14 days Fertilized and Hydrated 3.5 cm body length 4 months

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Rainbow and Redtail Inducing Agents Tested and Successful Inducing Agents Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Males Females Class: Actinopterygii Does not react positively to LHRH or SGnRH alone 0 Order: Cypriniformes Inducing Agent Temp C Per Kg of Body Weight Interval Needs a Dopamine Antagonist Family: Cyprinidae Brain Single 1st 2nd H : Epalzeorhynchos CPE 28 0.5 mg 0.5 mg 2.0 mg 6 Species: E. bicolo Dopamine Blocker Dopamine + HCG 10 IU 10 IU 50 IU Kingdom Animalia Phylum: Chordata Reserpine 28 100 mg 100 mg 0 mg 7 Class: Actinopterygii LHRH Pituitary Order: Cypriniformes LHRH A 2 mic gr 2 mic gr 8 mic gr Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Epalzeorhynchos Ovaries Species: E. frenatum Eggs

Tested and Successful Inducing Agents Suggestions

Males Females • We have used Ovaprim as the inducing agent successfully in Tamil Nadu Inducing Agent Temp 0C Per Kg of Body Weight Interval • It is a combination of Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone and Domoperidone Single 1st 2nd H which is a dopamine antagonist CPE + 28 2 mg + 0.5 mg 2.0 mg 6 HCG 10 IU 10 IU 50 IU • The dosage used by us was 0.5ml per Kg of body weight

• 2 Injections in 10%, +90% dose to females within 6 hour interval Reserpine + 30 50 mg 50 mg 0 mg 7 • One time injection at half dose at the time of the resolving injection time to males LHRH A 5 mic gr 2 mic gr 8 mic gr • Both Manual Stripping and Group spawnings were successful

• This system also applies to Algae Eaters and Silver Sharks Special thanks to: Living Gems (Pvt) Ltd Madurai Tamil Nadu, India

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Arowana Silver Arowana Golden Arowana

are freshwater bony • bicirrhosum • Formosus fish of the family Osteoglossidae, • Mature in about 2 years, also known as bonytongues mouth brooding by male for • These are much less • specialized surface feeders n about 4-5 weeks, each brood productive then Silver • Also known as ‘Dragon Fish’ about 120 to 200 fry, Arowana as they only fewer • Highly prized, particularly in • all year round but eggs per spawn – around Chinese culture more frequent during raining average brood is about • Red and Gold varieites most season. Can spawn in earth 60pcs. All the rest is the same highly prized pond or cement pond with as silver Arowana earth bottom. 30ft x 60ft may • Quite specific climatic conditions put 20 female and 10 male. • Mature in 2.5 to 3 years. needed – restricted production Mass spawning. (Indonesia, Malaysia) – some reports of India and also Sri Lanka • Requires large amount of land • Not breed in tanks

Breeding Arowana Broodstock Holding Egg / Fry Collection

• To increase hatch rate and survival • The breeding and farming of • Spawn all year round but more frequent during raining season. fo fry it is preferable to harvest eggs Silver and Gold Arowana are and fry and incubate artificially very similar • Can spawn in earth pond or cement pond with earth bottom. • Males ‘holding’ are recognized by: • by a distended • The following slides are • Typical pond may stock 20 female relevant to both species and 10 male. Mass spawning. • swimming behaviour • Males ‘holding’ eggs/fry are • Reduced feed carefully crowded using seine nets • Brood pouch under lower jaw • The pH of water in the rearing and caught to collect eggs tank should be maintained (where eggs are) between 6.8 - 7.5 and 27 - • This is done very slowly and with • Need to handle fish carefully during 29°C great care so as not to stress the process fish • lower jaw of the fish is pulled • Arowana can accidentally • Typical breeding pond is 30 by backward slowly and the body is swallows some of the young when shaken slightly to release the half 60 feet with water depth was stressed maintained at about 0.5 - 0.75 developed larvae from the male’s meters. mouth

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Incubating Eggs and Fry Nursery Culture

• Generally kept in glass aquaria • The yoke sac should be fully absorbed in around 60 days. • enhance the colour and promote the formation of chromatophores • When fry start to swim we suggest to illuminate with horizontally they are ready for artificial lighting at least 10 -12 first live food hours a day • partial water change of about • Bloodworms, small fish fry 30% of total tank volume every 2- (baby ) can be used 3 days to maintain water quality • Feed generously with quality Arowana Johor • Use high quality Arowana diet feed and live feeds (fish, shrimp etc) Baru • After 6 -7 months of free- swimming the fry measure about 20 -25cm in length and are suitable for market

Arowana Johor Arowana Johor Arowana Johor Baru Baru Baru

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Polypterus / White Polypterus / Bichir White

• Polypterus senegalus • Males and females can be readily • While breeding in is easily distinguished reported very little commercial • Males have a wide, muscular/fat anal production fin and sometimes a pointed tailfin tip. • Information here is based on breeding by hobbyists • Females have a smaller, thinner anal • Pairs kept minimum 4 foot, fin and sometimes a rounded tailfin preferably 6ft tip. Females tend grow faster, get • Shallow as they take air from he larger and thicker-bodied than males. Arowana Johor surface – no more than 18inch • Females mature at around 5-6 years, deep water whereas males can be mature at 12 Baru • Temp 25 to 28 months • Soft to slightly hard, neutral pH • Young females can still carry undeveloped eggs, but successful • Nocturnal species so avoid bright breeding will be difficult until 5-6 lighting of tanks and sunlight

Polypterus / Bichir White Polypterus / Bichir White Ocellate river stingray

• Males will approach the female • The eggs hatch in 3-4 days, with • Potamotrygon motoro and shake their heads, twitch their the fry becoming free swimming tails and follow the female until she around 3 days later. • Originates from Sth America and accepts. Once she has, they will • Fry are ready to feed when they inhabits a variety of biotopes find a hiding spot and later she will swim-up, First foods should • Generally shallow, slow moving release her eggs for the male to be brineshrimp rivers with sandy / muddy catch in his anal fin. He will then • The fry are not particularly mobile, bottoms fertilize the eggs in his cupped anal so care should be exercised to fin and scatter them. ensure they are well fed. • Can grow up to 90cm across the body, captive species generally • Juveniles will take a high protein • It is thought one of the breeding diet but also benefit form live and only grow to 60cm triggers for P. senegalus frozen foods • Most farms originally large senegalusis a grassy substrate, so the eggs can be scattered outdoor tanks, nowadays more inside the grass without risk of specialised indoor breeding being eaten.

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Tanks and Water Quality Breeding Stingray How to Pair Stingrays

• Males have distinctive • Tanks need to be large with • The young fish (often ‘claspers’ can be seen from 240cm x 90cm x 75cm or larger referred to as “pups”) develop above, but younger males commonly used by breeders inside the mother and are may need to be seen from • Need good water quality and born live and fully-formed. below to be sure. filtration is necessary to remove • Claspers are located on the wastes from water • Litter size usually varies underside of the ray, below • Rays eat a lot of meaty foods and between 1-8 the tail. There are two of make a mess of water quality them, and they are the males • Large water changes • The ideal way to obtain genitals • Lots of aeration to ensure good a pair is to buy a group of • Male is reproductively mature oxygen levels juveniles, housing them in a once claspers ‘role’ • Water quality large tank and allowing them • Females 2.5 yrs plus • 24-26OC to select their own partners. • Try to ensure females are • pH 6.0 – 7.5 larger than the males – this will help with aggression • Hardness: 1 – 12dH

Breeding Motoro Rays Breeding Motoro Rays Breeding Motoro Rays

• spawn in cement or glass tank, 1 • The pups start to feed 1-3 days male to 3 male for breeding, size • You should closely monitor after birth at least 240cm x 90cm x 75cm breeding tanks, When you see • Feed quality live or frozen food • Male elasmobranchs bite and grip mating activity, record the date • Bloodworms, and other frozen the body of their female mates • Some breeders prefer to food ok. Mixing live and frozen during courtship and copulation. immediately separate females food is good • Mating can be very aggressive – from male. – or if females are • Feed at least 3 times per day males can potentially damage being harassed separate them • Pup tanks should have a layer of females • Gestation is normally 4 months sand in the bottom • Pairs or small groups of sexually • 1st brood only 2-3 fry, maximum • Most time of the day they are mature fish into large tank about 15 fry, spawn all year round, buried in the sand, at night they • Feed generously on foods about 4 time a year, once mating are more active. • Fish, shrimp/seafood, Worms • When pups are born, separate • Growth is rapid, can grow to (bloodworms, earthworms etc) from female – generally floating market size of 5” disc size in 4 to basket in tanks 6 weeks

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Breeding Motoro Rays

• The patterning of Motoro Rays is highly variable.

• Some of these variants have been given their own P numbers (listed above), whilst others are sold under trade names such as Motoro Rays “blue”, “orange”, “black” or “marbled” Malaysia Ray Farm Malaysia Ray Farm

Catfish

order has over 15 families and over 1000 species. • These fish live at the bottom of tanks generally and are great scavengers. • Every tank should have them to eat algae and keep tanks clean. • They come in a wide variety, and some of the rare, wild-caught USA based Ray varieties can fetch high prices. • Life span can reach up to 3 years farms for smaller forms and over 10 years CATFISH for the larger forms, with sexual maturity also occurring much later.

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Life History Bumblebee Catfish Glass Catfish • Microglanis iheringi • bicirrhis

• Breeding of many species is difficult, not yet achieved • Commercial breeding does not occur • There have been isolated reports of fish spawning in aquariums • A change of water, drop in • Reports of breeding in aquariums and on temperature or the presence of a some farms but production not • So far no success in breeding commercial low pressure system can stimulate economical breeding spawning's of pairs or groups. • Production methods unknown • Soft acid water best for most • Supply is still from wild collection • In the wild, Catfish spawns during the rainy species • From Sth America, prefer soft acidic season. • Eggs may be laid on a surface or waters • It is suggested that a combination of induced in clumps – species defendant • It is difficult to determine the sex of these spawning using hormones such as Ovaprim • Mostly no parental care is given fish and simulating a rainy season could be used and the fry hatch after 4 days.

Redtail Catfish Redtail Catfish Redtail Catfish

• The number of eggs produced per one parent can reach 300,000 eggs with an • Phractocephalus hemioliopterus • Broodstock are kept in large average hatchability of 80%. concrete ponds 2.5 mx 2.0 • Successfully spawned in Thailand, • The eggs will hatch all within 15 19 hours later in Malaysia and Indonesia. By mx 0.8 m concrete pool with a at temperatures ranging from 26oC- hormone injection water depth between 50-60 30oC. • Water conditions: cm equipped with a • Hatching larvae remain left in the • Temperature 21-26OC circulation system. • pH 6.0-7.5 until the egg yolks that stick to • Hardness 2-12dH • The ratio between male and the body are consumed. • Predatory so readily takes fish, female is 1: 2. etc • The success of the hatchery begins with • Needs high protein pellet for fast • The average weight of the proper parent management to mature the growth. ready-breeding parent is gonads, so the egg quality is good and • Grows large – suggest caution with this species as it is highly invasive about 2.5 kg and is at least will produce quality seeds. • Limited market - not recommended to two years old. do this species

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Breeding Synodontid Catfish Upside-down catfish Featherfin catfish

batensoda • Synodontis eupterus • Also produced in Indonesia by • Synodontis catfish are regularly • Farmed in Indonesia using hormone hormone injection, again very produced in Indonesia injection but little information on the actual little information is available on • Not easily spawned under process is available farming this species natural conditions in aquaria, • So called ‘upside-down’ as it naturally • In nature, S. eupterus breeds in although captive breeding has swims on its back and feeds on under areas of seasonal flooding that occurred on commercial fish surface of vegetation are rich in micro-organisms. farms via the use of hormone • They are egg scatterers and injections. • They are omnivorous and feed on many things – livefeeds like bloodworm and exhibit no parental care • Ovaprim is generally used at the are useful for conditioning • Grows up to 30cm, individuals normal dose rate • Water quality parameters generally mature at 12 to 18 • Success can be improved by a months and greater than 12cm – 24 to 27OC cold water change in conjunction • Water quality with hormone injection to – pH 6.5 – 7.5 simulate rain storms – Hardness 6dh – 22 to 27OC – pH 6 – 7.5 – Hardness 8-20dH

Breeding Synodontis catfish Breeding Synodontis catfish Tiger Shovelnose Catfish • Synodintis catfish can be distinguished by the experienced eye • Condition broodstock using quality livefeeds when they reach adulthood the male is usually more slender, while like bloodworm, , mosquito larvae, the female is much more bulky. Daphnia • Venting is the best way to sex them • Depending on size and species they can produce between 100 and 1,000 eggs per • tigrinum spawn • Native to Sth America and the • Eggs are scattered and hatch after 7 days at O • Broad range of habitats from fresh to 24 C brackish water • Fry are ready for swim-up after another 5 • Large and predatory species grows to over days 100cm • Fry should be fed Artemia • Feed on fish, crustaceans etc – require high • Weaning onto to quality high protein dry feeds protein pellet can start around 2 weeks after swim-up • As it grows so big it is not recommended as a production species here due to low • Juveniles are quote hardy and grow quickly marketability • Can reach market size of 4cm in around 12 weeks

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Tiger Shovelnose Catfish Tiger Shovelnose Catfish

• Size at maturity is 40cm plus • Sperm and ova are obtained by • Fish are kept in large tanks / gentle stripping of male and female concrete ponds and fed a range of brooders. livefeeds and quality artificial diet • Fertilized eggs were incubated in 60 L containers with moderate • Ripe fish are checked for aeration maturation and injected with Ovaprim • Hatching rate of over 70% occurs after after 24 h at 26.5 °C. • Males are generally more slender • At swim up feed Artemia nauplii in • Females generally have a larger, total darkness. more rounded stomach • Cannibalism is a problems, a high • Ovulation occurs quickly within 15 level of aggressiveness between hrs and fish are then hand stripped larvae and precocious appearance of to collect eggs and semen jumpers was observed, – FLOWERHORN AND RED • these need to be controlled with frequent size grading PARROT

Cichlids Flowerhorn Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids • Cichlids belong to the Family • The original hybridisation was done ‘Cichlidae’, of which there are several in Malaysia in early 1990’s hundred species suitable for • Brightly coloured and large head collection for the ornamental trade. known as a nuchal hump which is • Large aquariums are best 40 to 50 gallon most prominent in males • Most are aggressive especially when tanks generally used for breeding breeding, and show a high degree of • Fish are selectively bred to produce • No strong filtration, many breeders just parental care and aggressive brighter colours and larger nuchal use basic sponge filter or behaviour. humps • Low lighting (do not turn off all lights) • There are many different varieties • Water quality typical for cichlids • Recently 2 hybrid ‘species’ have based on colour • Medium hard water 100 to 200ppm been developed with high • Temperature ideally 29 -30 degrees marketability:\ • pH 7.0 – 7.5 – Flowerhorn • Avoid strong filtration, many breeders use daily water changes to manage water – Red Parrot quality

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Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids Breeding Flowerhorn Breeding Flowerhorn Cichlids

• Pair with the same variety – avoid • A female Flowerhorn is able to • Aggression can be big mixing variety/strains as this will produce approximately 500-2000 problem – can severely eggs at a time reduce the quality of the fish damage and/or kill each other • Spawn like other • Hatching and rearing of eggs is same • Try vitamin B – add to diet as for most cichlids • Many males are infertile at or the water • Eggs hatch 2 to 3 days, with Fry free • Need to be at least 8months • only pair when female swimming within 4 days old – preferably 12 months looks like she will spawn (egg tube is extended then • Live brine for first 2 to 3 weeks then • Trial by breeding pair with on to dry food / moina female and test results – if add male spawns are infertile swap with • After spawning take male • Grow to around 3inches at 3 months new male away asap (within 1 to 2 • Use quality high protein foods with • Therefore need plenty of new hours) colouring agents (astathanxthin) to broodstock coming on • Provide hiding place for maximise the colour • Most females are fertile female to get away from • Select for colour and shape (hump) male

Growing Flowerhorn Red Parrot Hybrid Cichlid Breeding Red Parrot Cichlids

• This fish is from the hybrid of • Males are usually infertile. Can be • To get the best quality fish, Cichlasoma citrinellum x C. bred with Midas, Severum and males need to be grown synspilum Convict Cichlids. individually • Very popular in Asia and Middle • Minimum 42 gallons, additional 10 • When the fry about 4cm, select east markets but not as valuable gallons for each thereafter. those with small hump on the as Flowerhorns • Many breeders remove the teeth of head and keep in individual • Successful spawning has resulted both parents fish, if not they will fight tank. (normally you get 20-50%) when the females have cross to death bred with non hybrid fish such as • Also try adding vitamin B to the • The young fish should not see the convicts and other cichlids water each other all the time. They such as the Severums and Midas. • If the pair don't produce high see each other 3-4 time a day to create the Jelly Bean and percentage of ghost body or short, and about -10min each time. Bubblegum Parrot. These are than must change partner and • Can also use mirror for this usually dyed Red, Green, Blue, observe again until the pair give Purple or Pink. purpose good result and keep the pair • These coloured varieties are not together foe ever • Keep them in slightly harder popular in western markets water • Successful breeding needs a lot of fish being grown up to select new broodstock

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Breeding Red Parrot Cichlids Breeding Red Parrot Cichlids Israeli style farming of Guppies

• Eggs take about 2-3 days to • The fry need to feed a lot and • Israelis farms generally built inside green-house hatch with higher protein feed, so the body can be more round – Protects from extreme temperature • Can leave with parents or – Fish-houses are heated with heat incubate artificially as for • Feed the fry with high quality exchangers, keeping water other cichlids feed with asthaxantine to temperature at 24-27 C • If the eggs don't hatch after 5 gain red color – many • Cement floors and good drainage. No days start again and after a specialty feeds on market outside open ponds are used. couple failed attempts don't • Select the fry with ghost body • Most of the culture tanks are made of take it as defeat switch the color for on growing and plastic materials. pair and try again. inject with color a few days • Smooth plastic tanks are very easy to • Fry are ready to feed when before selling clean and disinfect between culture they swim-up after 2 to 3 days periods. • Feed with 3 • Tank size and configuration, is adapted to age and size of the guppy. times daily Generally small tanks are used for breeding stock and fry, and bigger tanks for outgrown fish.

Israeli Guppy Tank Design Breeding Water Quality

• Each tank is isolated from the others. • The water in Israel is alkaline and Water is recirculated through a hard, with pH 7.5-8.5, hardness 15-30 • Breeding stock: 250 Females biological filter located inside each dH, conductivity: 1,000-3,000 µS/cm. + 50 Males in cage in 500 litre tank (10% of tank volume), with 5- • Before entering the fish tanks, water tank 10% daily new water change. passes through active-carbon filters. • Generally have broodstock in • Water recirculation is done by using Water is aerated before use to avoid a floating cage an airlift for each filter. The biofilter gas problems (especially gas-bubble medium is made of different plastic diseases). materials. • Shadecloth over the greenhouses • Collect fry 2 to 3 times daily • The filter is cleaned periodically. In reduces algae development. and remove from tanks every farm there are a bank of active • Using these methods together with a biological filters, these filters are biofilter in each tank makes the • Breeding stock are also fed used to replace filters after culture water crystal clear. sterilization.. with frozen food like blood- • Cultivating fish in this type of water worm and vitamins-rich meat • water level is important. For guppy also makes them adaptable to culture it is better to have less then aquarium water in the customer place. (beef-heart). 100 cm. For fry 60-80 cm high is In crystal clean water the farmer can used. better monitor the condition of the fish.

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Feeding Production Cycle Harvest

• Fish are fed on high quality dry • At the end of every stage fish are • Guppies reach market size at feed, consisting of 30-40% protein graded with special graders to 2.5-3 month age (3.5-4 cm and incorporated with vitamin uniform size and re-stocked to new total length) Male and female premix, and carotenoids. tanks in density according to their are grown together. • Size of the food pellets is graded size and age. according to the fish size. • The stocking density varies with • Before marketing females are • Fish are fed at least two types of the age and size of the guppy, as separated from males with dry food from different sources. shown below: the help of special graders for • The fry are also fed with Artemia guppies. nauplii. • - Fry: (1 day-30 days): 2,000- • Final separation for size and 4,000/500 litre. • Dry food is given at about 5% of quality is done manually. the total biomes daily. This amount • - Fish (31-90 days): 10,000- is divided to 3-5 times a day. 30,000/ 20 m3

Israelis Style Guppy farm - India Israeli Guppy Farm Israel Guppy Farm

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Intensive Production of Neon Water Quality Requirements

• Water quality: • Neon tetras are one of the most – 22 – 26°C (72 – 79OF) popular species in the aquarium – pH: 6.0 – 7.0 trade – GH: 10 – 100 ppm • Water hardness is not an important factor in keeping and growing these fish although any • They are produced in large sudden, significant changes will bring about a numbers in Hong Kong/Shenzen, stress response. Malaysia and Indonesia • However for spawning should target 10 to 20ppm, pH 6.0 – 6.4 (some breeders target as • As they are a small fish the low as 5.5) number of eggs per spawn is low – maybe 20 to 40, so mass • Breeding may be induced by raising the Israel Guppy Farm production means mass spawning temperature by 2 – 3OC (4 – 7OF) and by using soft water, ideally below 20 ppm. • Water quality is critical – must • Addition of humic acid (use Indian Almond have soft acidic water for Leaves) can help with spawning and providing successful breeding and hatching correct water quality… should lightly colour water

Broodstock conditioning Breeding Breeding

• These fish are egg scatterers, and will • Small spawning tanks used – 2 to 5 • Tetras are generally considered spawn in groups or pairs, usually at litres easy to breed, however, dusk or dawn. • Sexes should be conditioned for – Can be glass or plastic tanks spawning separately, and • They will also eat their own eggs if spawned as pairs. given the chance and show no – Substrate to prevent eggs being • Need to be fed lots of livefeed – parental care for the eggs or fry. eaten bloodworms preferred by most breeders, can also use tubifex • Water chemistry plays a major role in • Pairs added to spawning tank late afternoon worms, Daphnia, Mosquito larvae fertility and hatch rate of eggs – taker • Supplement with 1 or 2 feeds per care in preparing • Covered to keep dark day of quality fish feed • Water free from bacteria and fungus is • Parents should be removed soon • Females can condition for essential to successful breeding as spawning within 2 to 3 weeks after spawning, normally by the eggs are very sensitive to lunchtime. infection. • Typically set up to spawn 100’s of pairs at a time • Farm in Malaysia does 1,000 pairs every second day

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Sexing Neon Tetra Tetras Tetras

• The eggs hatch within 3 days, • Sexually mature males and and will feed off an egg sac until • Fry must be fully weaned females are fairly easy to they are free swimming 2 days before being stocked into ponds distinguish later. or grow-out tanks (ie. three to • Fry are small and ideally need four weeks old). to be fed on , • Males are slightly more paramecium, rotifers • Typical stocking into 8m by 3m coloured and have a more • Some breeders start feeding on concrete would be 16,000 slender body Artemia from day 1 • Feed on a quality diet, protein • Weaning onto powdered dry of about 40-42% • Females have a deeper more food after 1 to three weeks. rounded body shape • After then move to ponds • Fish generally reach market size after 2 to 3 months at 2 to 3 cm in length.

Shenzen Tetra Malaysian Tetra Malaysian Tetra Farm Farm Farm

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Malaysia Tetra Malaysian Tetra Farm Farm Indonesia Tetra Farm

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