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Breeding / Open substrate spawners
Open substrate spawners · Moderate

Breeding the gangetic leaffish

Egg-layer that attaches eggs to plants.

Full species page

Step by step

Pairing

A pair in a large planted tank.

Breeding tank

200 L planted tank with floating plants and cave.

What starts it

Warm water and live food.

Eggs and young

Up to about 300 eggs.

Raising the fry

Baby brine shrimp then small live fish.

Common mistakes
  • Housing with small fish
Setup blueprint

Home setup

One breeding tank for the gangetic leaffish, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.

120 cm long · 35 cm deep45 cm123546
  1. 1
    Breeding tank: 200 L · about 120 × 35 × 45 cm, 200 L from the breeding guide
  2. 2
    Sponge filter and air pump · gentle and safe for eggs and fry
  3. 3
    Heater, 22–26 °C · this species' normal range
  4. 4
    Cave · named in the guide
  5. 5
    Floating plants · named in the guide
  6. 6
    Plants for cover · named in the guide

Water: 22–26 °C · pH 6.5–7.5

A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 20 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.

Setup blueprint

Business setup

A 130 cm rack for breeding the gangetic leaffish in numbers.

12234130 cm rack, 3 shelves
  1. 1
    1 breeding tank, 200 L · about 120 × 35 × 45 cm, set up like the home tank
  2. 2
    2 grow-out tanks, 400 L each · about 120 × 55 × 65 cm; twice the breeding tank, never smaller than this species' smallest tank
  3. 3
    Shared air pump and air line · one line along each shelf feeds a sponge filter in every tank
  4. 4
    Heat the room or each tank · 22–26 °C

In total: 3 tanks, about 1,000 L of water. A litre of water weighs about 1 kg, so check that the floor and rack can take the weight.

Sizes are worked out from the breeding tank in the guide. Tanks fit a standard 120 cm rack when they can; bigger tanks go on their own stands.

Male or female

  • Male: Males are slimmer with brighter body colour
  • Female: Plumper
  • Hard to tell; females fill with eggs

Can I breed it in my tank?

  • Takes some experience.

Day-by-day plan

Typical for open substrate spawners

  1. 21 days beforeLet a pair form

    Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.

  2. Day 0Spawning

    The pair cleans the stone and lays rows of eggs. Both guard them.

  3. Day 3Eggs hatch

    Wrigglers hatch in 2–4 days and are moved to pits by the parents.

  4. Day 7Free swimming

    Feed baby brine shrimp several times a day. Parents often herd the fry.

  5. Day 42Grow-out

    Move fry to a grow-out tank before the parents spawn again.

A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.

Simulator: guided

Stage 1 of 5Let a pair form

Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.

Simulator: try it yourself

Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.

No spawning
  • Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.

An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.