Bubble-nester: the male builds a foam nest at the surface and the female lays her eggs in it. The male guards the nest alone; the female can be removed after spawning.
Rarely bred in home tanks; large farms use hormone-induced spawning.
A large tank with caves, soft flow and stable parameters.
Seasonal water changes; commercial breeders use hormones.
Eggs are laid in the floating bubble nest (not on the substrate or in caves) and hatch in about 48 hours.
Fry take infusoria then brine shrimp nauplii; they grow quickly if fed well.
One breeding tank for the hoplo catfish, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 20–28 °C · pH 6–8 · soft water
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 15.5 cm. Tank shape is a standard 2 : 1 : 1.2 box, at least 6 adult lengths long. Check each step in the guide above.
A 120 cm rack for breeding the hoplo catfish in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 685 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.
Males have a thicker first pectoral-fin ray (spine) that turns orange-yellow, especially when breeding; females are rounder.
Typical for bubble-nest builders
Feed well, then let the female see the male through glass before putting them together.
The male wraps the female and places eggs in the nest. Remove the female after spawning.
Eggs hatch in 24–48 hours. The male catches falling fry and returns them to the nest.
Remove the male. Feed infusoria and keep the air above the water warm and humid.
Move on to baby brine shrimp and microworms. Change small amounts of water daily.
Males start fighting at about 8 weeks and need their own jars.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Feed well, then let the female see the male through glass before putting them together.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.