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Breeding / Egg scatterers
Egg scatterers · Very easy

Breeding the orange-fin ricefish

Egg layer: eggs are fertilised in one mass, hang from the female's vent for a while, then are wiped off singly or in small clumps on fine-leaved plants or spawning mops. Adults ignore eggs but eat free-swimming fry.

Full species page

Step by step

Pairing

A group of 6 or more.

Breeding tank

A 20 L planted tank with java moss or spawning mops.

What starts it

Warm water and live food.

Eggs and young

Batches of 10-20 eggs every few days, or daily in good condition; incubation typically 1-3 weeks depending on temperature.

Raising the fry

Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Large tankmates
  • No cover for eggs
  • Cold water
Setup blueprint

Home setup

One breeding tank for the orange-fin ricefish, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.

40 cm long · 20 cm deep25 cm123456
  1. 1
    Breeding tank: 20 L · about 40 × 20 × 25 cm, 20 L from the breeding guide
  2. 2
    Sponge filter and air pump · gentle and safe for eggs and fry
  3. 3
    Heater, 23–27 °C · this species' normal range
  4. 4
    Spawning mop · named in the guide
  5. 5
    Java moss · named in the guide
  6. 6
    Plants for cover · named in the guide

Water: 23–27 °C · pH 6–7.5

A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 3 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 120 cm rack for breeding the orange-fin ricefish in numbers.

12234120 cm rack, 3 shelves
  1. 1
    2 breeding tanks, 20 L each · about 40 × 20 × 25 cm, set up like the home tank
  2. 2
    4 grow-out tanks, 41 L each · about 50 × 25 × 30 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 · 23–27 °C

In total: 6 tanks, about 204 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

Males are much more colourful, slimmer, and have longer dorsal and anal fins. Females also show red-orange fin and body markings, only duller; in males the genital papilla is a short tube, in females it is two-lobed.

Can I breed it in my tank?

  • Use a separate small tank with a sponge filter and spawning mops, so the eggs aren't eaten.
  • Good for a first breeding project.

Day-by-day plan

Typical for egg scatterers

  1. 14 days beforeCondition the parents

    Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.

  2. Day 0Spawning

    Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.

  3. Day 1Eggs hatch

    Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.

  4. Day 4Free swimming, first food

    Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.

  5. Day 8Baby brine shrimp

    Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.

  6. Day 21Crushed flake

    Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.

  7. Day 60Ready to move

    Most small fish reach about 2 cm in 2–3 months and can join the main tank.

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

Simulator: guided

Stage 1 of 7Condition the parents

Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.

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.