Males have whats called breeding tuburcules on their gill plates and front fins.(tiny white spots- like acne) I used to always look for the gill plates but have noticed more and more the line of spots on the front fins show first. They will also be sleeker looking and females plumper.
Look for the child-bearing hips
I have found this works.
1) Keep male and females seperated, feed up on live foods until the female looks like shes gonna burst
2) place either live plants, spawning mops, plastic (soft) plants, spawning mats into a bare bottomed tank.
3) introduce the fish, 2 males to 1 female, do a cold water change - couple deg lower than the tank water
4) generally when the water starts to warm, the males will chase the female and start bumping into her belly.
5) when the female pauses amongst the plants and the males quickly follow.... thats usually when she has scattered the eggs.
6) remove parents before they turn and eat the eggs. Place an airstone in the tank and wait 4-10days.
7) Add medication for fungus - as you will always have unfertilised eggs that turn white and go fuzzy. They will fungus the good eggs too.
8) remove the bad eggs. (if possible)
9)once the fry hatch and have been free-swimming for 3 days (used their yolk sac) feed insofuria (crushed lettuce with boiled water tipped over and matured 3-4-5 days 1st)
10) introduce boiled egg yolk, crushed up or a liquid fry food after about a week. Then normal crushed flake after about 4 weeks.
I Have aquired shubunkins that have been crossed with fantails. The person that bred them wanted to cross black moores with shubunkins,,, to get calico moores. Interesting looking fish.
Good luck with your breeding venture.
Look for the child-bearing hips
I have found this works.
1) Keep male and females seperated, feed up on live foods until the female looks like shes gonna burst
2) place either live plants, spawning mops, plastic (soft) plants, spawning mats into a bare bottomed tank.
3) introduce the fish, 2 males to 1 female, do a cold water change - couple deg lower than the tank water
4) generally when the water starts to warm, the males will chase the female and start bumping into her belly.
5) when the female pauses amongst the plants and the males quickly follow.... thats usually when she has scattered the eggs.
6) remove parents before they turn and eat the eggs. Place an airstone in the tank and wait 4-10days.
7) Add medication for fungus - as you will always have unfertilised eggs that turn white and go fuzzy. They will fungus the good eggs too.
8) remove the bad eggs. (if possible)
9)once the fry hatch and have been free-swimming for 3 days (used their yolk sac) feed insofuria (crushed lettuce with boiled water tipped over and matured 3-4-5 days 1st)
10) introduce boiled egg yolk, crushed up or a liquid fry food after about a week. Then normal crushed flake after about 4 weeks.
I Have aquired shubunkins that have been crossed with fantails. The person that bred them wanted to cross black moores with shubunkins,,, to get calico moores. Interesting looking fish.
Good luck with your breeding venture.
