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
