Fish farming in Bangladesh is playing an important role to the total national income of this country. Bangladesh is a south Asian country and there are hardly any areas in the country where river or any other water source is not available. In a word, Bangladesh is surrounded by rivers and various types of water sources like pond, stream, lake etc.
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Are you a fish enthusiast, and you want to breed fish on your own? Then you have come to the right place.
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Here, we will analyze and have a look at some of the best fish species that are best used for breeding in aquariums and we will also take a look at some of the specifics and features about each species and see whether they are appropriate for you or not.
Breeding fish at home is not especially hard, especially if the species is more suited to breeding at home. But for that, you need to know which fish are suitable for breeding and also you need to know some of the specifics of breeding each fish.
For this reason, I will help you with that. It can be a bit overwhelming if you are a beginner; as I said, it is not complicated, but each fish has its own needs that you need to respect.
Some fish are better suited to breeding than others; for example, guppies are one of the best fish to breed at home, while some others are not that much.
What you do with the fish after breeding is up to you; some people use it for their own use, others use them to make a profit. Whatever your reason is, there are some things you need to keep in mind.
Easy to Breed Fish Species
For breeding fish, you will probably need another aquarium and you will also need some tools for that. We will take a look at what exactly you need to breed, how to breed each species and more. Here are the 15 easiest fish to breed in aquariums.
1. Guppy Fish
Guppies are known as great breeders. They will not need too much encouragement from your part, but you might want to limit the breeding process when it comes to guppies and make it in a controlled environment.
For this reason, it is better to provide and buy a breeding aquarium where you will be able to breed guppies. They will breed even without your input at a crazy rate at times; they start breeding when they mature.
You can determine maturity in males and females by looking at their colors – males are much brighter and vivid in color. Another way to determine that is that the males have an anal fin and are also smaller than females.
Sometimes (or most of the time) it will be enough for you to put males and females in the same tank and they will do their job. Males will identify virgin females on their own.
You can use a breeding trap, but it is not recommended, because it can stress the fish. Use a separate tank for breeding and also put some vegetation into it to raise the babies.
2. Endler’s
Endler Guppy
Endler’s livebearers are a special type of guppies – which means that they are great breeders, too. They will breed very easily in the right conditions. For endler’s, too, you might need to get a separate tank for breeding.
It is essential that you put only endler’s guppies into it because they can mix with other types of guppies. They are a relatively rare species, and for this reason, it is better to put the only endler’s in the tank.
It is a good idea to have more females than males in your tank – a good ratio would be 3 females to one male. In this way, the females will not be overly stressed by mating efforts and attention.
When they hatch eggs, it is better to put the babies in a separate tank and raise them there. This way you will prevent cannibalism, which can occur. To raise the fry, you need a separate tank with some vegetation and flake food.
3. Molly Fish
Like guppies and endler’s, the molly fish are livebearers. This means that they will carry the eggs inside their bodies. And like guppies, they are great breeders and doing so will not prove to be a particularly hard job.
When you want to breed mollies, you need to keep in mind that the conditions for breeding should be perfect. Only then will the mollies breed.
Females will choose the largest males, which will put on display for the females.
It takes up to 30-45 days after fertilization for the fry to be released. This is the point where you should step in; you should put the young one in a separate tank, or else they will get eaten.
Although one single female can release to up to 100 babies, it is essential that you put some of them in a separate tank. The fry is easy to care for, all you need to do is to feed them flakes, or even broken flakes to help them grow up.
4. Platy Fish
Platy Fish
The next on the list is the platy fish. These are also known as very prolific breeders. In this respect they are not too different from the guppies and mollies.
They are prepared to breed even without your specific encouragement. They are also livebearers, just like the guppies and mollies.
What you should do is put some males and females together in the same tank and provide perfect conditions for breeding – this means the right water temperature and cleanness should be maintained.
They will start breeding when they are mature – at about the age of 4 months. When mature, female platyfish are larger than the males.
For breeding, make sure to put the fry and grow it in a separate tank. This will prevent the newborn fish from getting eaten.
5. Swordtail Fish
The swordtail fish are very beautiful fish to keep in your tank. They are not demanding and don’t require too much of your time, but they are also very active breeders.
Swordtail fish are livebearers. Just like the previous fish on this list, the swordtail fish will breed actively without any major intervention from the owner.
They are also similar to other fish on this list in a sense that they tend to eat the fry they make, so make sure that you either put the fry in a separate breeding tank and grow them there, or make sure that there is a lot of vegetation in your tank where the fry will be able to hide.
The first action is probably also much more efficient and will allow you to grow much more fish.
6. Least Killifish
Least Killifish
Least killifish are great fish to breed. Also known as Heterandria Formosa, the least killifish will reproduce in the right conditions in the tank.
They start reproducing as they mature, and you will know when the females start to drop eggs that they have reproduced.
In general, the least killifish do not represent a specific threat to the newborn fish, but it might occur.
For this reason, putting them in a separate container might be a better course of action, but the newborn fish are relatively big, so you will not need to worry too much about that.
7. Angelfish
Angelfish are known as one of the most unique, beautiful and graceful fish for freshwater tanks.
They are revered as graceful in the way they swim and behave, and for their stunning appearance that will liven up any aquarium.
So there is plenty of reasons to grow your own angelfish. The thing about breeding them is that it is very easy to do so; you might end up being a breeder without even knowing it!
One difficulty, however, is determining which angelfish are male and which are female. In general, the males tend to have a hump on their noses, but they also tend to be more territorial.
You may want to put the eggs in a separate aquarium for breeding. They may get eaten by their parents. It is also important to feed the angelfish babies properly to let them grow – baby brine shrimp or some fry food will do best.
8. Ram Cichlids
Ram Cichlids
Ram cichlids are stunning fish that often catch the eye of the spectators with their shining colors. The conditions for breeding should be absolutely right in order to enable breeding. The best breed in soft, acidic water with the right temperatures.
For breeding, you can use a separate tank and put females and males into it. In this way, you should allow the right conditions in the tank and also plenty of vegetation.
You might want to be careful about the fish eating the fry; for this reason, you can put the fry into a separate tank. You will have yourself some beautiful, young ram cichlids on your own in a matter of weeks.
9. Kribensis Cichlids
Kribensis cichlids, or the P. pulcher are very good breeders. The breeding process is very simple; firstly, you need to make sure that you have males and females in the same tank – it is better if they are young and strong.
For breeding, it is better to give the breeding couple their own tank, which will allow them space and also allow the fry to grow.
Set up a 10-gallon tank for breeding with plenty of vegetation and also enough room to allow the fry to grow.
The water should be soft and should be kept at ideal water temperature. You might want to put the fry into a separate tank, as is the case with other breeding species.
10. Convict Cichlids
Convict Cichlid
Convict cichlids are beautiful little fish that make great breeders.
The reason for this is that you do not need a separate container to breed them, and you will also breed them very easily, as they are very avid breeders on their own.
They mature at about 7 months, and that is when you can expect to see some eggs on rocks in your tank (you want to have them in your tank). These eggs will develop and fry will come out; the females will guard the eggs, and will not eat them – which is the case with plenty of other fish. It might take up to a week for the fry to develop.
11. Zebra Danios
Zebra danios are considered as a great breeding species for beginners. In the wild, these fish will breed on their own. All you need to do is provide a breeding tank of about 10 gallons and with temperatures of about 71 degrees Fahrenheit in order to let the fish grow.
You should keep the fish (male and females) together in a separate tank with the right conditions. You should feed them high-quality foods and in a matter of two weeks, you will see females getting rounder, which means they have eggs inside them.
After the eggs are spawned, you should put the parents away to prevent them from feeding on the eggs and fry.
12. Gourami Fish
Gourami Fish
Gouramis are stunning fish to look at but also great fish to keep in your tank. The breeding process with gouramis is quite different from other fish.
After breeding and courting to the females, the males will build a nest in the water. Once the eggs are laid, the males will take the eggs into their nest and protect them from other fish and females until they are hatched.
This may make them aggressive, which is why you should put the females into a separate tank.
13. Betta Fish
You can see why people want to breed the betta fish on their own.
They truly are stunning specimens and are also very unique.
For this to happen, you need to have the right conditions in your tank, but also you need to make sure that there is only one male in the tank, with a female or two.
Breeding betta fish can be quite challenging, but when you do so, it is much more rewarding. The better conditions there are, the more chance you have for breeding. You need to introduce the female to the male slowly. You can do this by putting the female into a small container.
Once you get them together, mating will begin. Once the eggs are laid, it will be the male that will care for the eggs. This is when you should remove the female from the tank. For the fry to develop, make sure that you provide the right conditions.
14. Killifish
Killifish
Breeding killifish is relatively easy, as they are known as great breeders. One thing you need to know about killifish is that there are two types of killifish: annual killifish and non-annual killifish.
The annual ones grow up quickly and only live to up to 2 years. Eggs will be laid quickly and will develop in about 3 months. The whole process is very quick.
Feed And Grow Fish List Animal Crossing
The non-annual killifish are different; they have a longer lifespan, and they need a much barer tank. You want to remove the parents from the tank quickly after the eggs are spawned.
15. Bristlenose Pleco
The Bristlenose plecos are pretty easy to breed. There are, however, some things you need to know before you start breeding.
You will need a specific, separate breeding tank, as it is very unlikely that the eggs or the fry will survive in a community tank.
Another important consideration is that the fish strive for breeding in winter in their natural habitat, which means that you should provide cooler conditions for breeding.
Also, make sure you provide enough caves and hiding spots for breeding.
You obviously need to put males and females together. It is better to have just one male as they might fight over females.
You can have small bristlenose plecos in a matter of weeks. They take up to 6 months to grow.
Tips for Breeding Fish for Profit
Breed fish that are in high demand
To make the most out of your breeding, you need to breed fish that are highly demanded in order to make profit. Breed fish that are sought after in fish keeping world and sell them.
Breed expensive and rare fish
This one is quite obvious – try to breed the fish that are rare and expensive to make more profit. These might be a little bit harder to breed, but the rewards will be higher.
Breed live fish food
Feed Fish And Grow Game
Another good tip for making a profit with breeding fish is to breed live fish food on your own in order to minimize the costs and maximize the potential. If you breed food on your own, you will not need to buy food and potentially save a lot of money.
Conclusion
If you want to breed fish on your own, then consider these species on this list. These are some of the best breeders that will breed on their own and you will not need a lot to do so.
You will also be able to make some profit while doing this, and it does not take a lot of your time to do so. If you want to have fish at home and develop them on your own, then breeding is certainly a good way to do it.