breeding of gastromyzon, summary of an article, 2nd part
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:16 am
In 2001 Philipp Dickmann published two articles in „Aquarium-Magazin“ about the breeding of gastromyzon punctulatus and monticola. Pictures sometimes are helpful for identification somestimes they are not. Punctulatus seems to be scitulus (as ctenocephalus is named in the article as a different species, that woul be logical; on the other hand he gives a size of 8 cm for ctenocephalus!). Monticola we first identified as auronigrus, but having received the whole article, H.H.Tan sees it as a variation of monticola! The author would therefore be right!
The author descibes the habitat of gastromyzon monticola he found 1992: steep monutain river with boulders and gravel coarser than 10 mm; water less than 3 dGh; „cool water“. No specimen smaller than 20 mm were found.
Within 3 years all specimen exept two died.
A problem was the sexing. Drawings show the important differences. The male of that remaining couple reached 8 cm!
As the breeding of gastromyzon in an sterile tank – as seen before - was a failure, this species was kept in a 160 l-tank. Water of 10-12 dGh, 24°. No filtering-system, strong diffusor, coarse gravel of 5-20 mm, a lot af melaniodes tuberculata. Vertical slates a the rear glass. A bundle of cryptocoryne sp, a root. Yasuhitokia sidthimunki, pangio kuhlii.
After good feeding the author noticed a youngsters of 13 mm with stripe-pattern and red borders of the tail fin; slim 10 mm fry followed, with dark dorsal couloring. Body form and patterns developped from cylindric to flat/transparent to stripes and red colour in the tail fin. Spots on head and fins followed with 20 mm.
The spawning went on regularly for a year.
Remarks: the water was much harder than in the origin river; melanoides tuberculata didn’t touch the eggs. The fact of the „right“ substrate – pebble gravel – is underlined.
Pictures and exelllent drawings of the fry give a good impression of the development.
The author remarks finally that the breeding should work for all species, but gives a warning about the different temperature range of specimen living in mountain rivers.
Conclusions: I think P. Dickmann to be a pioneer: collecting gastromyzon 1992 in the wild, transporting them and searching for the basic datas, mesuring, sexing the specimen and finally breeding them. What is puzzling: there was no echo at all! Even not in germany. May be it was just the wrong time. but never mind: thanks a lot!
What does the articles give as basic conclusions on breeding gastromyzon? All we need to know!
1. gastromyzon are free spawners, spawning is possible for a long time
2. abundant feeding is essential, not just once a day. It is important to build up the physical strength of the adults and to trigger the spawning as to ensure supplies for the fry
3. elevated temperature about 24° is sufficient
4. temperature differences are helpful but not a condition
5. the size of the tank is not important for the spawning, may be for the fry to survive
6. even in a mixed tank there will always be some youngsters to survive
7. for good results it needs hiding and feeding places for the fry in the first days: coarse gravel
I hope the informations leed to a big succes in breeding gastromyzon regularly. it's high time.
thanks for all mails I received!
and for the future discussion of the issue
cheers charles
The author descibes the habitat of gastromyzon monticola he found 1992: steep monutain river with boulders and gravel coarser than 10 mm; water less than 3 dGh; „cool water“. No specimen smaller than 20 mm were found.
Within 3 years all specimen exept two died.
A problem was the sexing. Drawings show the important differences. The male of that remaining couple reached 8 cm!
As the breeding of gastromyzon in an sterile tank – as seen before - was a failure, this species was kept in a 160 l-tank. Water of 10-12 dGh, 24°. No filtering-system, strong diffusor, coarse gravel of 5-20 mm, a lot af melaniodes tuberculata. Vertical slates a the rear glass. A bundle of cryptocoryne sp, a root. Yasuhitokia sidthimunki, pangio kuhlii.
After good feeding the author noticed a youngsters of 13 mm with stripe-pattern and red borders of the tail fin; slim 10 mm fry followed, with dark dorsal couloring. Body form and patterns developped from cylindric to flat/transparent to stripes and red colour in the tail fin. Spots on head and fins followed with 20 mm.
The spawning went on regularly for a year.
Remarks: the water was much harder than in the origin river; melanoides tuberculata didn’t touch the eggs. The fact of the „right“ substrate – pebble gravel – is underlined.
Pictures and exelllent drawings of the fry give a good impression of the development.
The author remarks finally that the breeding should work for all species, but gives a warning about the different temperature range of specimen living in mountain rivers.
Conclusions: I think P. Dickmann to be a pioneer: collecting gastromyzon 1992 in the wild, transporting them and searching for the basic datas, mesuring, sexing the specimen and finally breeding them. What is puzzling: there was no echo at all! Even not in germany. May be it was just the wrong time. but never mind: thanks a lot!
What does the articles give as basic conclusions on breeding gastromyzon? All we need to know!
1. gastromyzon are free spawners, spawning is possible for a long time
2. abundant feeding is essential, not just once a day. It is important to build up the physical strength of the adults and to trigger the spawning as to ensure supplies for the fry
3. elevated temperature about 24° is sufficient
4. temperature differences are helpful but not a condition
5. the size of the tank is not important for the spawning, may be for the fry to survive
6. even in a mixed tank there will always be some youngsters to survive
7. for good results it needs hiding and feeding places for the fry in the first days: coarse gravel
I hope the informations leed to a big succes in breeding gastromyzon regularly. it's high time.
thanks for all mails I received!
and for the future discussion of the issuecheers charles
