L144 Breeding Log

Doodles

Retired Staff
Apr 8, 2009
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I didn't actually intend to start breeding my L144 but it happened anyway lol. This is the log of what was involved.


The Tank

Rio 180 litres community tank


Equipment

Internal juwel filter
fluval 205 external filter
Eheim aquaball
200 watt heater
1 airstone


Other Inhabitants

1 L200
1 LDA25
2 calico bn
12 Rummynose tetra
1 SAE
4 tril corydoras
4 Amano shrimp
A ton of MTS


Temp

26c/78.8f


Parameters

PH 7.6
GH hard
KH high
TDS over 200
Nitrates around 20


Trigger

I can't say that the info included here actually triggered them to breed, they may of just been ready but these were the events prior to the first spawn. Due to circumstances I was unable to perform a water change for around 10 days, following this I did two 25% water changes within 4 days which lowered the temp by around 1c. It wasn't that long after that I noticed that the male had disappeared. I could see him under the internal juwel filter but wasn't sure what he was doing lol. It soon became clear when I spotted a tiny baby L144 on the glass:clap::clap:
I had fed both mum and dad a normal weekly diet of veggies and algae wafers.

Other Info

After initial spawn they bred regularly every few weeks, in all 6 times until I split them up to give both a rest. All fry looked the same as mum and dad, however one of the fry had a black spot in its tail, which I have kept, I will add a photo to the log.


Feeding the fry

Once the fry started emerging from under the filter, they spent a couple of days grazing the glass and wood etc in the tank due to plenty of algae. I fed them courgette, capsicum pepper, mushroom, spinach leaves, broken wafers, jbl novo pleco, and Sera spirulina food tabs.

Photos


The Tank



Mum



Dad



The fry




L144 juvies


Just to add
A community tank isn't the best place for breeding imo. All intakes to filters have to be covered to prevent fry disappearing in them. I initially used a leg from a pair of tights but found it got clogged and slowed the in take down too much, so I wrapped a filter sponge round the intake pipe where the water enters and secured it with an elastic band, this worked much more efficiently.



 

Doodles

Retired Staff
Apr 8, 2009
8,786
2
36
Thanks:D

The plants are real. Java fern, moss, the hardy types that don't require much maintenance.