Breeding Widow Tetra's

A Simple Approach to Breeding Tetras

The family Characidae (known as Characins), which includes the Tetra, is made up of about 1,500 species located mostly in South America and Africa. These fish are some of the most popular choices for someone setting up a community aquarium. They come in many different colors, they are usually very peaceful, and many species are suitable for smaller aquariums. Although most of these fish in the wild come from water systems that are very soft and with a low PH, most species can adapt to the hard and alkaline conditions that many of us have coming out of our taps.

One of my favorite things about this hobby has been breeding different species of fish. Tetras are my favorite fish to breed. One reason that I like breeding tetras, is because very few people choose this fish to breed. Many people specialize in catfish, African cichlids, killies and livebearers. I only know of a small group of people that are serious about breeding tetras.

In this article, I want to offer a simple approach to breeding this great little fish. I won’t get into the technical side of water chemistry. Many tetras can be kept and bred in local water conditions. My local water is hard (GH= 8dH/143ppm) and alkaline (pH 8.0) and I have successfully bred the following species without modifying my hardness and pH levels.



Serpae Tetra


Hyphessobrycon serpae
Flame Tetra

Hyphessobrycon flammeus

Red Eye Tetra


Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae

Buenos Aires Tetra


Hemigrammus caudovittatus
Glowlight Tetra

Hemigrammus erythrozonus

King Tetra (Blue Emperor)


Inpaichthys kerri

Black Phantom Tetra


Megalamphodus megalopterus

Head and Tail Light Tetra


Hemigrammus ocellifer

Lemon Tetra


Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
Black Neon Tetra

Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Black Skirt Tetra

Gymnocorymbus ternetzi
Blind Cave Fish Astyanax fasciatus mexicanus



SELECT A SPECIES: If you are new to breeding fish, you will want to start with one of the easier and more prolific species. I have found that Red Eye Tetras, Black Skirt Tetras, Flame Tetras, and Head ’n’ Tail Light Tetras are good choices. Many other species, such as Serpaes, Black Phantoms and Blue Emperors can be bred once you have gained some experience. Some Tetras, such as Neon and Cardinal Tetras require much more experience and attention to water chemistry, so are not recommended for inexperienced breeder.





CONDITION THE FISH FOR BREEDING: If you have the tank space available, separate the males and the females for a week or two before the planned spawning. This will ensure that the fish do not prematurely spawn, before you are ready. An added benefit is that the fish will have a greater interest in each other after being separated for a while.

During this period of time, feed the fish very well with a variety dry, frozen, and if possible (though not absolutely necessary), live foods. Use such frozen foods as brine shrimp, bloodworms and beefheart and live foods, such as baby brine shrimp, white worms and daphnia.

Keep the water quality pristine with frequent water changes!



SETTING UP THE BREEDING TANK: The breeding tank requirements are simple!

* A clean aquarium with the sides and back covered with black plastic, to shield out excess light. A 5-gallon tank will be suitable for most tetras.

* No gravel.

* A mature air driven sponge filter; preferably the style that sticks to the back of the tank with suction cups. Fry will tend to get trapped under filters that sit on the tank bottom.

* Java moss or artificial spawning mop on the tank’s bottom.

* A spawning mop or bushy plant that goes from the water’s surface to the bottom of the tank (optional but recommended).

* A tank heater set to a temperature in the high 70’s; preferably as warm or a few degrees warmer than the parent’s tank.

* A thermometer to monitor the water’s temperature.

* Tank cover (lid).

* Direct lighting is not recommended.





MOVE THE PARENTS INTO THE BREEDING TANK: Most (but not necessarily all) tetras spawn in the morning, often at or shortly after first light. The evening before the planned spawning, introduce a healthy looking pair of fish to the breeding tank. Select a female that is plump. Select a male that is colorful and active. To reduce the likelihood of fungus and bacteria attacking the fertilized eggs, the water must be kept as sterile as possible, therefore, do not feed the parents in the breeding tank.



THE SPAWNING: The spawning typically lasts for an hour or two and goes something like this… The male’s coloring becomes very intense. He uses this intense beauty to show off to the female. He shimmers and shakes and almost seems to dance around her. He then tries to lead or drive her to his selected spawning site in the plants or spawning mops. If everything goes well, he will eventually entice her into following him there. At this point, the pair take a side-by-side stance, almost seeming to be pushing against each other. With a shimmer and shake, the female releases a few eggs, the male releases some milt and then they separate. With some species, after the separation, the pair seem to be stunned in a state of ecstasy, falling slowly towards the bottom for a few seconds before reviving. These actions are repeated over and over until the spawning is completed.

If you planned the spawning so that you will be home all morning, spend some time observing the action. It is worth seeing! If all goes well, spawning should be complete by mid morning.

Tetras typically love to eat their own eggs. If it is your desire to raise as many fry as possible, remove the parents from the breeding tank as soon as possible after they are finished spawning. If a large quantity of fry is not desired, leave the parents in the tank for a while to decrease the number of eggs present. Once the parents have been removed, remove the artificial spawning mops from the tank. Shake them into the water to free any eggs that may be caught in them.

Tetra eggs are sensitive to light, so darken the tank. Cover the top of the tank with cardboard or black plastic. If the tank is in a very bright room or receives sunlight through its front pane, also cover the front of the tank. Leave the tank in darkness for about 5 days.

THE HATCHING: The very tiny clear eggs will hatch in approximately 24 hours. At this point, they will look like little tiny eggs with a tail. After another day or two, they will resemble tiny slivers of glass and may attach themselves to the side of the tank or to the sponge filter. On day 5 or day 6, the fry should become free swimming. Do not try to feed the fry before they are free swimming. At this point, you can begin to let some light into the tank, but stay away from bright lighting for another few days.

RAISING THE FRY: Your fry will need to be fed as soon as they have absorbed their yolk sacs and begin to free swim. For the first few days, they will require a source of very tiny food. The recommended way to provide this is to add a ball of Java Moss to the tank. The Java Moss will carry a colony of microscopic life that the fry will pick at. An alternate approach is to prepare a culture of infusoria (microscopic organisms) for feeding your new fry. After a day or 2, the fry may be able to handle vinegar eels. At this point, you should also try feeding some newly hatched Baby Brine Shrimp. As soon as the fry are eating BBS, evident from their orange colored bellies, they should be fed enough to keep their bellies plump with BBS at all times. This will mean feeding them several times throughout the day. After a few weeks, you may introduce a good quality powdered flake food into their diet, but BBS should still be their staple diet for their first month of life.





TIMELINE OF A TYPICAL SPAWNING:

Day 1 Tetras spawn.
Day 2 Eggs hatch.
Day 6 Fry become free swimming. Feed microscopic life (infusoria).
Day 8

Try feeding vinegar eels if available and if the fry are able to handle them, but continue infusoria for the smaller fry.
Day 9 Try feeding baby brine shrimp if the fry are able to handle them, but continue with vinegar eels and infusoria for the smaller fry.
Day 12

All fry should be able to eat newly hatched brine shrimp at this point. Discontinue infusoria. Continue to supplement their diet with other live foods, such as vinegar eels or microworms as this is beneficial to the growth and health of the fry.
Day 20

Supplement their diet with good quality powdered flake food.




For maximum growth potential and to prevent stunting of the fish, water quality must be kept pristine throughout their first few months of life. Due to heavy and frequent feedings, the water quality can deteriorate very quickly. Daily 10 to 25% water changes are recommended for the first few months. With good water quality and good feeding, the fry should be a saleable size in 2 or 3 months.