Penguin Tetra Breeding Guide

How to breed Thayeria boehlkei: sexing, conditioning, a dim warmed spawning tank, and rearing the semi-adhesive eggs that hatch in 12-24 hours.

Overview

Thayeria boehlkei is a characid from the Amazon basin and the Approuague and Maroni rivers of tropical South America, recognised by its oblique swimming posture. It is an egg scatterer that gives no parental care, and a large female can produce a substantial brood.

Sexing

Adult females are more rounded in the belly and a little less intensely coloured than males.

Conditioning

Condition the breeders with plenty of small live foods before attempting to spawn them.

Breeding Setup

Use a separate, very dimly lit tank around 18 x 10 x 10 inches with acidic to neutral water; peat filtration is optional. Provide fine-leaved plants such as java moss or spawning mops, or a mesh base through which eggs can fall, plus a gently bubbling air-powered sponge filter. Raising the temperature several degrees above the conditioning tank helps induce spawning.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The species can be spawned as a group of about six males and six females, or as a single pair using the fattest female and best-coloured male. Transfer them in the evening and they should spawn the following morning. A single female may produce as many as 3000 eggs, although around 1000 is more usual. The eggs are semi-adhesive.

Egg & Fry Care

The adults will eat the eggs given the chance and should be removed once spawning is detected. Eggs hatch in 12-24 hours and the fry become free-swimming 3-4 days later. Keep the tank in darkness if possible during the early stages. Offer infusoria-type food first, followed by microworm or brine shrimp nauplii.