Breeding the altifrons eartheater
Substrate-spawning, biparental mouthbrooder: eggs are laid on a flat rock or wood, then usually picked up by the female while the male guards the territory; parents may share or swap the brood later. Sexual maturity takes at least a year.
Step by step
Keep a group of 6 and let a pair form, or one male with several females.
A 300 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand to sift, a few rocks and open swimming space.
Clean warm water, big regular water changes and varied protein foods.
Up to about 200 eggs; at 25-28 °C the fry become free-swimming at 8-11 days.
The brooding parent holds eggs and fry, releasing them at about 1 cm; feed newly hatched brine shrimp.
- Coarse or sharp substrate
- Stressing the brooding fish
- Infrequent water changes
Male or female
Practically impossible to sex: no external differences have been seen except the female's breeding tube (ovipositor) during spawning. Start with a group and let pairs form.
Can I breed it in my tank?
- Takes some experience.
Day-by-day plan
Typical for mouthbrooders
- 21 days beforeGroup and condition
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
- Day 0Spawning
The female takes the eggs into her mouth and stops eating.
- Day 21Release
After about 3 weeks the female releases fully formed fry. Many breeders move her to a quiet tank first.
- Day 21First food
Fry eat crushed flake and baby brine shrimp straight away.
- Day 90Grow-out
Fry are a few centimetres long after about 3 months.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Simulator: guided
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
Simulator: try it yourself
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
- Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.