Not a mouthbrooder: a biparental free spawner that builds no bubble nest. Eggs float at the surface and both parents guard eggs and fry. Bred regularly in aquaria.
Group of juveniles; pair off.
Planted tank with caves.
Warm water and fresh water changes.
Several thousand floating eggs per spawn (per Seriously Fish).
Infusoria then brine shrimp.
One breeding tank for the rainbow snakehead, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 14–28 °C · pH 6–7.5
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 17 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 rainbow snakehead in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 540 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.
Females grow larger and are deeper-bodied than males, especially when full of eggs.
Typical for open substrate spawners
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
The pair cleans the stone and lays rows of eggs. Both guard them.
Wrigglers hatch in 2–4 days and are moved to pits by the parents.
Feed baby brine shrimp several times a day. Parents often herd the fry.
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.
Grow up a group and let a pair choose each other. Give them a flat stone or broad leaf.
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.