[Cyprinodontiformes] Participação no fórum GWG - Characodon lateralis em gaiolas maternidade

[www.viviparos.com]

Hello again,

Yes, the breeding cages are tolerable in a very few situations, as you pointed out.
Anyway, for larger species that will not work.
With Goodeid species from running waters ( lotic environments ) either.
For those who have enough space try something like the small tank solution pointes by
Nicolás and Michael.
My experience with Goodeids is rather modest. I have kept so far only 5 species.
Except for Xenotoca eiseni, none of the other species shown any signs of
cannibalistic behaviour under the conditions I have kept the fish.
Even on X. eiseini the week instinct of pursuing new born ( and only during the first
48 hours or so ), simply vanish out after a few litters. From the second generation
on, it was absent ( both indoors and outdoors groups ).
It seams that we can work a little bit in order to eradicate such tendency in some
species.
On the other hand it might happen that with other Goodeids cannibalism behaviour
might never disappear, has it is a natural instinct.
For those species in particular, our ambition of conservation might not be compatible
with soft newborn safeguarding methods that result in only a very small number of
survivals.
In any situation, if you do have enough room, please think about a 30 litres tank (
or other container ) with physical barriers ( railing, grating or network of bars )
and dense vegetation, as pointed at my website at
http://www.viviparos.com/Aquariofilia/repaqua.htm.
If you can't get as large as 30 litres... start with 10 litres, but for larger
species like Goodea please make use of at least 50 litres for this propose.
In any circumstance, if you place the breeding tank side by side with the larger one,
where the rest of the group is living, the segregated pregnant females tend to be
less stressed.
When the lights are off or when only the main tank is illuminated, the pregnant
females can see clearly what is going on inside the larger aquarium. 
My strategy it was placing two smaller tanks, side by side with the larger one. This
means that if the larger one it was 50 cm wide, the smaller ones should be 50 cm
length, in order to fit perfectly at the edges.
Once I have also tried the same system but using a battery of smaller tanks, side by
side, at the back and sides of the larger one.
For a main tank with 1 metre length, I have placed 4 tanks with 25 cm wide, side by
side in contact with the back glass of the major, plus two more at each side of the
main aquarium but on the tops of the battery as well. Such small tanks were pregnant
females could give birth had 50 cm length, by 30 cm height, by 25 cm wide. This means
that the support base had 1,60 m long by 1,10 m wide, allowing this way a larger 1 m
by 50 cm larger tank and 8 smaller 50 cm by 25 cm breeding tanks surrounding it.
Besides a more intimate contact between the females in gestation with the rest of the
group, daily maintenance, water temperature and filtration it was easier like this.  
I hope this explanation it was clear enough. Anyway, please be my guest to further
elucidative details and even a scheme of it.
 

Kindest regards


Miguel Andrade