Having problems with my new breeding project.

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Magnus_Bane

Magnus_Bane

Potamotrygon
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Jan 26, 2020
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So as the title says, I am currently encountering an issue with my new project I started. I currently have only the 1 Madagascar Rainbow to work with ATM but the problem is is that anytime introduce females into the tank her just harasses them to death. So far he has killed 5 females just by trying to spawn with em. If anyone has some ideas of how to curb this issue the advice would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone has had experience in breeding this specie I would love so tips and tricks, I know they atleast need bushy floating plants or a breeding mop but that's about as far as my knowledge goes on this specie. Btw this here is the male in question, I mainly got him for having the long-fin mutation. Also idk if it's worth mentioning be he seems to have developed a specific attraction towards my female Daisy's Blue Rice fish, seems to flirt with her the most atleast.

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The only thing I can think of is to introduce 2-3 females at the same time. I have had male boesemanni rainbows that after having been alone for a while, he will be rough and elicit death of any single female added for breeding.
I have never had Madagascars. Beautiful fish you have there!
 
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FJB said:
The only thing I can think of is to introduce 2-3 females at the same time. I have had male boesemanni rainbows that after having been alone for a while, he will be rough and elicit death of any single female added for breeding.
I have never had Madagascars. Beautiful fish you have there!
Click to expand...
Lol yeah only problem with that is I've tried that twice so far. The first time was with 2 females and the second was a trio of females, both times he would harass em to death in the matter of days. Yeah normally they aren't so colored up but I added a couple of plants in the tank today and it seems to have flipped his trigger lol.
 
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What size tank, are you using?
I know most aquarium literature accepts a fairly small tank, but...
the reality is, males are normally very hard on females in a small space, where they can be cornered..
A large footprint tank (they don't need to be deep, so I''d use a half full 300 gal Rubbermaid, or a kiddy pool) with tons of vegetation like water hyacinth or water lettuce with heavy roots for the eggs to be spread in, and as many females to distract and spread out aggression as possible.
I'd go with 4 to 8 females, and the one male.
a 400 gal Intex kiddy pool above, a 300 gal Rubbermaid stock tank full of Hyacinth below
 
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duanes said:
What size tank, are you using?
I know most aquarium literature accepts a fairly small tank, but...
the reality is, males are normally very hard on females in a small space, where they can be cornered..
A large footprint tank (they don't need to be deep, so I''d use a half full 300 gal Rubbermaid, or a kiddy pool) with tons of vegetation like water hyacinth or water lettuce with heavy roots for the eggs to be spread in, and as many females to distract and spread out aggression as possible.
I'd go with 4 to 8 females, and the one male.
a 400 gal Intex kiddy pool above, a 300 gal Rubbermaid stock tank full of Hyacinth below
Click to expand...
Yeah I have mine currently in the 55g planted community tank. I have plans on eventually moving him into a different 55g with my breeding pair of acaras. Other then that the largest tank I have available ATM is a unheated 80g pond tank.
 
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I believe in a tank that small (55gals) the females must be fully gravid and ready to pop before a male is introduced, otherwise he will aggressively court them to death (as you've already experienced).
So putting the male in another tank, until the females are prepped and obviously ready (with live or very nutritious food) would be my tactic.
 
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duanes said:
I believe in a tank that small (55gals) the females must be fully gravid and ready to pop before a male is introduced, otherwise he will aggressively court them to death (as you've already experienced).
So putting the male in another tank, until the females are prepped and obviously ready (with live or very nutritious food) would be my tactic.
Click to expand...
Yeah that what I was starting think would be the only option. Granted it wouldn't be so bad having to just move him between tanks when I want to breed em.

Yeah he has been so aggressively flirting with the rice fish, since yesterday, that he shredded his own fins.
 
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