Rosy Tetra Breeding Guide
How to breed Hyphessobrycon rosaceus: soft acidic spawning water, a dim mesh-bottom tank, egg-scattering, 24-36 hour hatch and infusoria-fed fry.
Overview
Hyphessobrycon rosaceus is an egg-scattering characin that breeds in soft, acidic, dimly lit water. It shows no parental care, so the spawning setup is designed to protect the eggs from the adults. It can be bred in pairs or in groups.
Sexing
Mature males have extended dorsal and anal fins and are larger, slimmer and a little more colourful than females. Conditioned females are rounder when full of eggs.
Conditioning
Condition the sexes separately in different tanks on plenty of small live foods before attempting to spawn them.
Breeding Setup
- Small spawning tank around 18 x 10 x 10 inches (45 x 25 x 25 cm)
- Very dim lighting
- Fine-leaved plants or spawning mops, or a mesh base that lets eggs fall through out of reach of the adults
- Temperature 80-84°F (27-29°C)
- pH 5.5-6.5, hardness 1-5 dGH; filtering through peat and using RO water is recommended
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
For pair spawning, transfer the fattest female and best-coloured male in the evening; they usually spawn the following morning. Alternatively, spawn a group of about half a dozen of each sex. Eggs are scattered and fall amongst the plants or through the mesh.
Egg & Fry Care
Remove the adults as soon as eggs are noticed, because they will eat them. The eggs and fry are light-sensitive in the early stages and should be kept in darkness if possible. Eggs hatch in 24-36 hours and the fry become free-swimming 3-4 days later. Start the fry on infusoria-type food, moving on to microworm or brine shrimp nauplii as they grow.
Common Challenges
The main challenges are achieving the soft, acidic water this species needs to fertilise eggs successfully, and shielding the light-sensitive eggs and fry from bright light during their first days.