Breeding Buttikoferi Tropical Fish : A big aquarium of at least 60-70 gallons is needed to maintain a couple of Buttikoferi Tropical fish. These types of tropical fish should be kept in a special aquarium. That is, never try keeping them with other tropical fish, if you do not want bloodshed in the fish tank.

Most Buttikoferi should be given food of both protein and vegetarian flakes. You can also give them live and stored brine shrimp along with pellet peas.

Both sexes are very aggressive towards other residents of the aquarium especially during the mating season. To lessen the stress on the female Buttikoferi, it is advised to get at least 4 females for each male.

Buttikoferis are mouth brooders. That is, the female will hold the eggs in her mouth for a time, about several weeks, based on the temperature of the water, and then would release the fries into the fish tank. During this brooding period, the female will normally refuse to eat.

To nourish the Buttikoferi fry, feed them with hatched brine shrimp and finely chopped flakes. Change the aquarium water constantly to increase the well-beings of the fry.

Unless you have a large aquarium, you can only keep a handful number of fry to mature. The fry can be developed in less tolerable situations as they mature, and the aggression among the fry will cause great reduction in the number of the fish by the time the fry have reached at least six months old.

Another variety, related to the Buttikoferi is the Venustus; It has remarkable patterns on the body, similar to giraffe spots, which make them prominent and attractive. However, this colouring can change as they grow older for breeding.

They can expand up to 10 inches, so you need to have quite a large aquarium. Although this variety will not normally spawn aggression with most tropical fish, they can be aggressive with their own specie.

When they are first added to the aquarium, mature Venustus can be very protective of their “territory,” chasing other residents, so you should provide enough pebble and hidden spaces. This specie is very intelligent and they often will come upfront of the fish tank as if they are very sociable beings.

The Venustus is very sensitive to extreme levels of nitrates in the water, so even though they are easily maintained it is essential to regulate the water intensity at least to medium ph. Maintain the water’s pH level to neutral or slightly alkaline, a substrate of aragonite components can help to maintain the water in this level.

If you would like to breed Buttikoferi and Venustus, it is very easy.

The males will normally fertilize the eggs when the female has accumulated them in her mouth opening. Prior to this mating, the female spawns non-fertilized eggs, normally on an even surface that she carefully maintains previously.

Basically, a male around 7-8 inches is already sexually capable. Females are mouth brooders and they will carry their eggs in the mouth for a few weeks, before they can release the fry.

You can give the newly hatched fry with brine shrimp or finely grounded food flakes.

The Venustus and the Buttikoferi requires high-protein diet that you can satisfy through brine shrimps, worms, small fish, as well as processed flakes and pellets containing meat particles.
 

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