Has been bred in aquaria but details are scarce. An egg scatterer that breeds in the rainy season: the male cups his anal fin to receive the eggs, fertilises them and scatters them among plants. Water changes in temperature and chemistry, soft slightly acidic water and dense planting are suggested.
Keep a group and condition them well.
A large tank or pond with plants and soft light.
Seasonal change or hormone injections at farms.
Probably a few hundred eggs per spawning (FishBase fecundity input 200-300), scattered among plants; eggs hatch in 3-4 days and fry swim freely about 3 days later.
Larvae have external gills and need tiny live food.
One breeding tank for the ornate bichir, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 25–28 °C · pH 6–8 · soft water
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 60 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 row of tanks on their own stands for breeding the ornate bichir in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 3,240 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 anal fin than females.
Typical for egg scatterers
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.
Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.
Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.
Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.
Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.
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.
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.