Spawns in pits dug in shallow water; the male guards the nest even after the eggs hatch. Rarely if ever bred in aquaria.
Raise a group together and let a pair form; bonded pairs spawn in a big tank.
Very large tank (600 L+) with a sand or gravel nest area, plants and wood, warm soft water.
Stable warm water, rainy-season style water changes and heavy feeding.
The female lays about 2,500-3,000 eggs (about 2 mm across) in a shallow pit; they hatch in about 4 days and the yolk sac is used up about 10 days later.
Fry are guarded by the male; feed newly hatched brine shrimp then chopped shrimp and fish; separate by size to prevent cannibalism.
One breeding tank for the tiger trahira, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 20–26 °C · pH 6–8 · soft water · sand bottom
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 65 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 tiger trahira in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 3,000 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.
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.