Cave spawner: the female lays eggs on the cave roof, then the male alone guards and fans them until they hatch.
A pair or small group.
A 60 L tank with caves, flowerpots or bamboo tubes.
Warm water and live food.
About 30 eggs per spawning, attached to the cave roof by threads; FishBase gives hatching in about 6 days.
Feed infusoria, then baby brine shrimp.
One breeding tank for the peacock gudgeon, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 22–26 °C · pH 6.5–7.5
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 7.5 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 peacock gudgeon in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 300 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.
Mature males are more colourful, a little larger and develop a forehead (nuchal) hump; females have a yellow belly. In young fish most females have a dark bar along the edge of the anal fin, which most males lack.
Typical for cave spawners
Give one cave per pair or female, plus a varied diet.
Eggs are laid inside the cave and guarded, usually by the male.
Eggs hatch in 3–7 days depending on the species and temperature.
Feed baby brine shrimp and crushed food. Plecos need wood and vegetables.
Fry grow on in their own tank.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Give one cave per pair or female, plus a varied diet.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.