How do tiger barbs breed?

Tiger barbs are loved by fish enthusiasts for their bright colors and lively nature. If we can breed them in groups, the ornamental effect will be excellent. Many people like to breed this kind of ornamental fish , so how do we breed tiger barbs? Let’s take a look below.

1. How to breed tiger barbs?

1. Prepare the environment, adjust the water temperature to 27 degrees, neutral water quality (PH=about 7), and choose an environment with aquatic plants so that they can lay eggs and attach.

2. Tiger barbs can be bred when they are six months old. Because tiger barbs have the habit of swallowing eggs, you need to prepare a breeding tank first. The water in the breeding tank should be the old water from previous fish farming. After that, the male and female fish should be taken out.

3. First put the female fish into the breeding tank to familiarize herself with the environment for about 1-2 days, then put in the male fish. Here is a trick to stimulate estrus in tiger barbs: change half of the water. If conditions permit, use distilled water. If it is not convenient, use tap water that has been left standing for 3 days (the reason for leaving it standing for 3 days is to eliminate the chlorine in the tap water).

4. If you see a male fish chasing a female fish fiercely and spinning rapidly in the water, they are having sex. Pay close attention and remember to take them away in time after they are done to avoid them eating their eggs. They lay about 300-400 eggs at a time.

5. The fish eggs will hatch after 36 hours. The newly hatched fish hardly move and just stay there without eating. Don't worry about this. After another 36 hours, they will be able to swim and find food by themselves. It is best to use hatched brine shrimp, as this has the highest survival rate. If not, using powdered feed will not be so effective. After a week, the survivors will be much bigger and can eat feed.

6. Finally, special attention should be paid, because the number of tiger barbs reproducing is still relatively large. If the density is too high, remember to add oxygen. Tiger barbs, like goldfish, are high oxygen-consuming fish. If the oxygen supply is insufficient, they may die collectively at night.

2. Common diseases and treatments of tiger barbs

1. White spot disease

Symptoms: In addition to the small white spots on the fish's body, in the early stages of the disease, the fish will rub against things to scratch, so if you see tiger barbs being active and rubbing against water plants or stones , you should pay attention;

Cause: White spot disease is caused by the external parasite Ichthyophthirius punctatus. Ichthyophthirius punctatus bites the fish from time to time, causing white spot disease. Why is it parasitized? It is because of the large temperature difference or the fluctuation of water quality. It usually happens more when the seasons change. However, the weakness of the Ichthyophthirius is that it is afraid of high temperature.

Treatment: The preferred order is ①③②, and medication should be avoided as much as possible.

① Raise the water temperature to 29 degrees, add appropriate amount of coarse salt (the concentration of salt water we drink) for a salt bath;

②Add medicine for treating white spots, and pay attention to controlling the dosage and medication time;

③ Take a high-concentration salt bath (taste it with your mouth, it’s saltier than cooking salt, but not as pungent as sea water), soak for about 10 minutes.

2. Saprolegniasis

Symptoms: The fungus attaches to the fish's fins and looks like moldy cotton wool, usually more common on the dorsal and caudal fins;

Cause: Since it is a fungus, the only time they can take advantage of it is when the fish is weak, such as when the water quality fluctuates too much, or when they are injured in a fight, or when the temperature is too low and they get frostbite, or when the water quality deteriorates, etc.

Treatment: Salt baths are not very effective against fungi, but if the disease is discovered in the early stages, salt baths can still be effective. After all, this method is gentle and safe. If it reaches the later stages, increase the water temperature to 29 degrees, add potassium permanganate (diluted with water to make it red) and bathe for 30 minutes, 1-2 times a day, and the disease will heal.

3. Hypoxia (strictly speaking, it is not a disease, but it requires special attention)

Symptoms: Tiger barbs collectively float on the water surface and feel uncomfortable once they swim down;

Reason: lack of oxygen in the water. Tiger barbs are high oxygen consuming fish. They float because the surface of the water is closest to the air and contains more oxygen. However, it cannot meet the oxygen demand of tiger barbs. If the floating head is not taken seriously on the same day, they will die that night because the oxygen content is lower at night.

Treatment: Discover the fish’s condition in time and immediately put in an oxygen pump to supply oxygen to the water. This is the most direct way, and then the stocking density needs to be reduced.

Except for hypoxia, the other two diseases are caused by poor water quality or excessive fluctuations in water quality. Therefore, controlling water quality is the key to keeping fish healthy. Maintaining a stable feeding frequency and water change frequency is the key.

That’s it