And one day there were fry...
Spawning the Chinese Algae-eater
(Gyrinocheilus aymonieri)
By William Berg
of Sweden, for aquaticcommunity.com
Aquarticles
Gyrinocheilus aymonieri
Common name: Chinese algae-eater
Family: Gyrinocheilidae (Algae eaters)
Order: Cypriniformes (carps)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Max size: 30 cm/ 12 inches
Water conditions: pH range: 6.0 - 8.0, temperature 25 - 28°C/ 77-82°F
I would like to say a few words about one of the bigger surprises I've had as an
aquarist. A few years ago I was cleaning out a 50 gallon holding tank in which I kept
fishes that were going to a new aquarium when the new aquarium was ready. I also used it
for keeping fish I didn't know what else to do with. At this time this aquarium was home
to twelve blue discus of about 10 cm, and four albino Chinese algae-eaters that were about
20 cm. The aquarium was overgrown with lots of C. Demersum since it had been
neglected a little during the previous months. Now the time had come to clean this
aquarium and try to weed out the jungle that had formed. To my big surprise I found a
small (1.5 - 2cm) Chinese algae-eater fry. After looking around a little more I found a
total of seven fry. I stopped the cleaning and left the aquarium as it was, since the
water quality was good and I didn't want to change too much. I didn't see any reason to
move the fry since they seemed big enough to be safe from the discus which I was moving to
a 120 gallon Amazon tank in a few days anyway.
The fry survived and grew relatively fast on a diet of what they could find in the
well-planted aquarium, and boiled lettuce. But I never got the parents to spawn again, and
the fry themselves never spawned either. However I would like to say a few words
about how the Chinese algae-eaters had been kept before the spawning, and which waters
they spawned in, to see if I can help anyone else have success where I failed - to breed
Chinese algae-eaters and figure out what triggers them to breed.
When I found the fry their parents had been in the holding tank for about 2-3 months.
Before that I had kept them in a 50 gallon tank which was heavily circulated and contained
very few plants. Temperature was 25°C/ 77°F. They were kept with clown loaches and
various barbs. I've been wondering if the fact that they were kept in a heavily circulated
aquarium and then moved to an aquarium with close to no circulation and warmer water
(28°C/ 82°F) may have simulated a natural change in conditions that precedes spawning.
The breeding tank was as I said before, heavily planted, and had little or no
circulation at all, due to the vegetation. The water was old and clean. Dh about 4. I
can't say the exact water conditions as I don't know exactly when the spawning took place.
However the water conditions had been relatively stable and it is reasonably safe to
assume that the stated water conditions are correct.
The Chinese algae-eaters had been fed a varied diet which consisted mainly of boiled
lettuce and broccoli, Hikari sinking algae wafers, and shrimps. They also ate the
leftovers from the food I gave the barbs and loaches, which consisted mainly of different
frozen foods.
Sexing the fishes I assume is simple. I believe it's done in the same way as Corydoras
catfishes. Some fish have much broader bodies and I assume them to be females; males
are more slender especially if well fed.
Getting the fish into spawning condition seems to be quite simple if they are fed a
good diet. However the problem seems to be triggering them to spawn. As I said, I never
got them to spawn again. Maybe you will have better luck!
|