Pair-bonding open-substrate spawner; both parents guard the young and defend very large territories, and they may spawn year-round.
Buy 6 juveniles, grow them together and let a pair form; the pair will need a large dedicated tank.
500+ L tank with a sand floor, big stones or caves and wood, strong filtration and no small tank-mates.
Large water changes, varied protein foods and a pair that has settled in; they clean a flat rock or cave for spawning.
200-1000 eggs on a stone or cave roof, hatching in 3-4 days.
Parents guard eggs and fry for several weeks. Feed newly hatched brine shrimp, crushed flake and chopped worms; fry grow quickly.
One breeding tank for the zebra tilapia, drawn to scale from the breeding guide.
Water: 23–25 °C · pH 6.5–7 · sand bottom
A plan from the breeding guide and an adult size of 30.8 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 zebra tilapia in numbers.
In total: 3 tanks, about 2,500 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.