Breeding Blue Panchax (Aplocheilus Panchax) In The Aquarium

Blue Panchax, Spotted Panchax, Green Panchax, Blackline Panchax, Golden Panchax, Aquarium Panchax, Blue-Brown Paradise Fish, White-Tailed Blue Panchax, Panchax Palembang, Java Panchax, Indian Killifish, Striped Panchax, Killifish, Square-Spot Panchax.

Occurrence

A species of brackish water that in natural conditions inhabits wetlands, floodplains, swamp areas, peat bogs, canals, ditches, ponds, river and stream estuaries in mangrove forest areas along the southern coast of Asia, from Pakistan to Vietnam, including Sri Lanka and the Malay Archipelago. These are transparent, shaded, slow-moving waters, rich in vegetation, often salty.

Physical Appearance

The Indian Glassy fish is characterized by its elongated, torpedo-shaped body. Its dorsal fin is located almost at the rounded tail fin. The body color is olive-beige-gray with a lighter belly and a bluish sheen. Sometimes small red dots on the body can be observed. A distinctive feature of this species is a small, white spot on the top of the head. The dorsal fin has a dark stripe at the base, the other fins usually have a yellowish-orange or blue border. The body color can vary due to the variety of habitats the fish lives in and selective breeding. Sexual dimorphism between male and female is practically non-existent. Only during spawning, the male may be more brightly colored, and the female rounder in the belly area.

Disposition

This is a calm, pretty flexible and resistant species. We can easily keep it in a community aquarium with corydoras, barbs, mollies, green corydoras, peaceful dwarf cichlids, plecos. In a group of their own species, females should be in the majority (males are sometimes aggressive towards each other). The fish feeds on the surface and has quite small mouths.

Aquarium

The aquarium should be fairly densely planted, but free swimming spaces are also necessary. The fish prefer to swim in the upper layers of water. A dark substrate will highlight the incredible colors of the Indian Glassy fish. Effective filtration is required, systematic water changes, a small water flow, strong but scattered lighting, and a tight cover (these fish like to jump). The addition of salt to water should depend on the origin of the fish.

Reproduction

An oviparous species. In nature, fish reproduce during the monsoon season. There are several methods of breeding these fish - equally effective. In a large enough, well-maintained aquarium with the right water parameters and heavily planted, the fish breed on their own, without any human intervention. However, if we want to achieve better results, it is best to breed them in a separate tank with weak lighting and some spawning medium: floating plants with small leaves, floating plants with hanging roots, or mops. Before spawning, we feed the fish abundantly with live food. In the evening, we transfer a male and two females to the breeding aquarium. Spawning will take place every day (about 100-200 eggs are laid per day) for the next two, three weeks. The eggs are sticky and automatically attach to the applied egg carrier. Now we have a choice, whether to catch eggs every day and transfer them to a separate aquarium with water of the same parameters, or to feed the parents normally for the whole period of spawning and catch them after finished work, and leave the eggs for hatching. Eggs are susceptible to spoiling (they become moldy), therefore they need to be checked and moldy, clotted grains removed every day. Hatching takes place after 10-15 days (depending on the water temperature) and we feed the fry immediately.