# Breeding Pristella Tetras



## slonghi (Jun 28, 2013)

Anyone have any luck breeding Pristella Tetra? Any advice?


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

I think you're asking about x-ray fish? If so, I've raised them and many other tetras. In my experience, mating is more likely when their surroundings mimic their natural setting. I found this to be true with many species of fish. Think biotope. For x-rays specifically, Google "swamp tank". 

Regarding the Conditioning tanks as well as the Breeding tank…

Like most of the fish I'm familiar with, x-rays like their water soft and acidic- 6ish. They can live in harder conditions, but they prefer soft. Use RO water and throw a little aquarium-safe peat moss in your HOB filter and/or upon your sponge filter. You may have to buffer the water further…test it. Keep the current coming from your filter return just shy of medium in the conditioning tanks. Use only a filter sponge in the breeding tank. Something will have to live in the breeding tank when it’s not in use, to keep it cycled. Preferably something hardy and easy to catch. Do not store your sponge in the conditioning/ community tank with a plan to place it in the breeding tank when needed. That may or may not work…so don’t, no matter what others tell you. Beyond soft and acidic water, they like to swim amongst wood and vegetation. They like a sandy substrate with soft flat pebbles on top. Use mostly river rock in your conditioning tank with a marble scattered here and there, and use just a few river rocks in the breeding tank in combination with many marbles. I’ll explain the marbles later. Do not use grey or silver sand in either tank- it glistens and messes with their eyes...this goes for all fish in all circumstances IMO. A dark substrate is best. Btw, the acid in peat moss will darken the color of the water too, which is good…they like dark water. They like dark everything. Depending on the needs of your plants, mix or layer the sandy substrate accordingly. New driftwood contains natural acid that will darken water and lower pH too, but don't rely on that as a long term buffer. Test your water parameters regularly. As driftwood ages, the acid is depleted and it has less of an effect on the water. I personally don't like the effect new driftwood (store bought) has on tank water...it screams instability. If you buy new, I suggest boiling it. X-ray fish like shade...but mostly dim light with a few brighter open areas to swim in and out of is ideal. 

For breeding purposes, some will condition a few males separate from a few females and when they notice a female heavy with eggs, they’ll select the most colorful male and pair them alone in the breeding tank during the afternoon. If they’re going to mate, it will often happened by the following morning. If it doesn’t happen within a few days, they start over. I’ve found this works…however, I also had success simply allowing a small group of x-rays to school in a peaceful community swamp tank. When I saw a female with eggs, I’d pull her and a potential mate and place them in the breeding tank. I found that the female was more likely to accept a male she was familiar with. Others will argue that, but that’s what I found. Either way, the parameters in the breeder tank should match the other tank with the exception of temp. IMO, the breeder tank should be a couple degrees warmer…82-84 degrees. Getting x-rays to breed is relatively doable once the environment's in place. Raising the fry? Not so easily doable. Mom and Dad plan to eat the eggs shortly after Mom lays them. They have no parental instinct whatsoever. Crazy right? I don't get that. So watch her. When she’s done scattering the eggs and he’s done his thing get them both out of there. This is where the marbles come in…at least a few of the eggs will roll under the marbles where Mom and Dad can’t get to them. Once that's done, the worst is over. Darken the tank as light may cause the eggs to become infected and rot. The eggs will hatch in a day or two. For food, offer the newborn fry the live organisms in green water...like rotifers etc. Google "feeding fry green water". Continue to keep the lights off for the newborns…I can’t remember how long it was before I gave them dim lighting. At least a few days. At least not before they were out swimming about. Light = fungus. They won’t swim the first 2-3 days, they’ll mostly just stick wherever they hatched. After a few days, offer the fry baby brine and green water.

I’m sure I forgot stuff. Do you plan to breed x-rays or are you currently doing so?


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## slonghi (Jun 28, 2013)

I am debating which fish I am going to try breeding. I have been breeding Neolamprologus brichardi for about 5 years with great success so I just wanted to try something else. Thanks for the help


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## JJBTEXAS (Jul 1, 2013)

off subject but I used to breed brichardi, i still miss them they were lovley fish.


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