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Wrestling Halfbeaks?


Teamsherman

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I recently bought some halfbeaks on impulse as they are such beautiful little fish from Labyrinth Aquarium (can not recommend them there highly enough for service, great pricing and Andrews extensive knowledge) and I'm wondering if anyone here has had success in breeding them in a species specific tank?

I'd love to breed them as I think they would be a great little addition to almost any smaller species community tank. They look great, and with their mouth being at the top of their heads to eat food off the surface is awesome to watch!

I think they would also sell quite well in most LFS' as they are rare to find and very hardy and totally out of the ordinary and well suited to beginner keepers and the smaller tanks.

My little guys absolutely smash the crushed up pellets and are even tame enough that they come and nibble my fingers!

So yeah, I'd love to hear from any other keepers of this highly underrated fish.

Cheers,

Alan.

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They are an attractive fish.

I found this.

Not as easy to breed as many livebearers, although it is certainly possible. The difficulty does not lie with inducing the fish to breed, but that many females give birth to still-born fry. Apparently, this is directly related to the nutrition of the fish (some authors specify a lack of vitamin D as the cause), so ensure you offer them a high-quality diet.

It is best to keep a group of them in a species setup for breeding purposes. Furnish the tank with plenty of surface vegetation, condition the fish well, and mating should not present a problem. Gestation is heavily dependant on temperature, varying between 3-6 weeks. Assuming they are healthy, the fry are best removed, as the adults may predate on them. They are quite easy to feed and raise, accepting both powdered dry foods and brine shrimp nauplii from birth. Brood size is typically between 10-20.

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/dermogenys-pusilla/

Ged

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Thanks mate!

I thought I would have to have a specific tank seeing as the fry are so small and vulnerable.

Looks like I'll be setting up another tank very soon for them as I've now given myself the challenge of breeding them and with my OCD I'm not going to feel satisfied till I've done it!!!

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