Breeding / Egg scatterers

Egg scatterers · Hard

Breeding the saddled bichir

Has been bred in aquaria but details are scarce. Breeds in the rainy season; an egg scatterer whose male collects the eggs in his cupped anal and caudal fins, fertilises them and scatters them among plants. Needs a very large tank.

Full species page

Step by step

Pairing

Keep a group and condition them well.

Breeding tank

A large tank or pond with plants and soft light.

What starts it

Seasonal change or hormone injections at farms.

Eggs and young

Eggs are scattered among plants and hatch in 3-4 days; fry swim freely about 3 days later. No egg count found.

Raising the fry

Larvae have external gills and need tiny live food.

Common mistakes

Not enough space
Keeping with fish that fit in the mouth

Setup blueprint

Home setup

One breeding tank for the saddled bichir, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.

Breeding tank: 2,268 L · about 450 × 65 × 80 cm, the guide gives no size, so this is the smallest tank for this species
Sponge filter and air pump · gentle and safe for eggs and fry
Heater, 22–27 °C · this species' normal range
Plants for cover · named in the guide

Water: 22–27 °C · pH 6–8 · soft water

A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 75 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 row of tanks on their own stands for breeding the saddled bichir in numbers.

1 breeding tank, 2,268 L · about 450 × 65 × 80 cm, set up like the home tank
2 grow-out tanks, 4,536 L each · about 450 × 90 × 110 cm; twice the breeding tank, never smaller than this species' smallest tank
Shared air pump and air line · one line along each shelf feeds a sponge filter in every tank
Heat the room or each tank · 22–27 °C

In total: 3 tanks, about 11,340 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 have a thicker anal fin than females.

Can I breed it in my tank?

Your tank (litres of water)

Use a separate small tank with a sponge filter and spawning mops, so the eggs aren't eaten.
Hard: for experienced breeders.

Day-by-day plan

Typical for egg scatterers

Spawning date

14 days beforeCondition the parents
Feed live or frozen food twice a day. Keep males and females apart if you can.
Day 0Spawning
Eggs are scattered over mops or fine plants, often at first light. Remove the parents straight after.
Day 1Eggs hatch
Most eggs hatch in 1–2 days. Keep the tank dim and remove white (fungused) eggs.
Day 4Free swimming, first food
Fry use up the yolk and start swimming. Feed infusoria or liquid fry food several times a day.
Day 8Baby brine shrimp
Switch to newly hatched brine shrimp or microworms. Start small, daily water changes.
Day 21Crushed flake
Add finely crushed flake. Sort fry by size so the big ones don't eat the small ones.
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.

Temperature: 25 °C

Condition with live or frozen foodBig, cool water changePlants, mops or a breeding boxRemove the parents after spawning

No spawning

Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.

An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.