I am thinking about breeding them

Have read some webpages on them but would like to hear from other people how they breed them and so on.

They will breed if they feel like it but if they don't feel like it - then tough cheese :lol:

I had mine 3 years with nothing, then suddenly they bred prolifically for a year or 2 then stopped again. 5 years later, fry have started appearing again :roll: . Nothing had changed in the tank or with the maintenance in that time.

I have no idea where mine lay their eggs as I have never seen them. The only way I know they have been up to something is when I suddenly notice fry zipping all over the place! Others have found they prefer tight spots under, or in, logs or rocks or similar hiding places.

They don't seem to care how many of each sex you have, as long as you have at least one of each to start with

Dad looks after the eggs and fry but they are pretty much on their own once they have absorbed the egg sac. They have large orange eggs and the fry are a good size when hatched. Fry wil happily suck on algae and wafers alongside the parents and other bottom feeders.

They will breed if they feel like it but if they don't feel like it - then tough cheese :lol:

I had mine 3 years with nothing, then suddenly they bred prolifically for a year or 2 then stopped again. 5 years later, fry have started appearing again :roll: . Nothing had changed in the tank or with the maintenance in that time.

I have no idea where mine lay their eggs as I have never seen them. The only way I know they have been up to something is when I suddenly notice fry zipping all over the place! Others have found they prefer tight spots under, or in, logs or rocks or similar hiding places.

They don't seem to care how many of each sex you have, as long as you have at least one of each to start with

Dad looks after the eggs and fry but they are pretty much on their own once they have absorbed the egg sac. They have large orange eggs and the fry are a good size when hatched. Fry wil happily suck on algae and wafers alongside the parents and other bottom feeders.

At what age do they start?

My male & female are about 10cm approx.

But as Caryl said they will breed when they want to breed .. lol .. just make sure you have plently of caves, hidey holes and wood with deep cervices and if the male happens to like a certain "spot" then you'll be away laughing

My male & female are about 10cm approx.

But as Caryl said they will breed when they want to breed .. lol .. just make sure you have plently of caves, hidey holes and wood with deep cervices and if the male happens to like a certain "spot" then you'll be away laughing

Where do you get the pots from.?

Or the wood for that matter.?

We got some wood from wetpets but it cost 7.50 for a small log.

Also one more thing is there anybody in palmy that sell the golden BN.?

You might want to have a chat with Rox. She might have some little ones for sale soon.

Check this out: http://1a.co.nz/aquarium/?p=669

Take a drive to the beach or river and gather driftwood - sometimes you can find some really nice pieces. Just give them a hose down and pop it in your tank.

I like to boil my wood to help get rid of the tannins

I also find the BN's like having terricotta pots in the tank they seem to love cleaning them, must get a nice build up of slime :-?

I get my hubby to cut a small hole in them and turn them upside down

Warehouse and plant places will give you broken pots for free

Mine would have been at least 3yrs before they started breeding but I do not know if this is so with others. As I have no idea which of mine are the parents now I still have no idea what age they need to be :roll:

My driftwood all came from the beach at Hokitika.

If you want gold BNs, don't keep them with the browns or they will interbreed and you will probably lose the gold colouration.

You might want to have a chat with Rox. She might have some little ones for sale soon.

Check this out: http://1a.co.nz/aquarium/?p=669

Is she in palmerston north.?

Been looking at the site and it say's she has same in for sale 8)

I soooo want two pairs

She is in Wanganui but comes over for the central fishkeepers meetings. You could PM her and ask when she coming over next

She is in Wanganui but comes over for the central fishkeepers meetings. You could PM her and ask when she coming over next

Cheers for that

I have sent her a message now I have just have to wait

I have 2-3 breeding pairs/trios and some bred at 7cm and some much later.

I found a stand of bamboo and used old dead pieces about 5cm internal diameter.and 15cm long using the natural segment ends as back wall.

My males love it as a cave and something to munch