Planning a breeding setup

[Jackos80]

Well I'm moving soon and sold my last breeding setup.

Planning a new one with bigger tanks and less numbers.

Basically I am getting some pallet racks from a mate that are three levels are 8 foot long and 2 foot wide. What I am looking at is having two levels and one 6foot tank divided into three 2 foots. This I will use to breed bristle nose catfish the normal commons, albinos and peppermints. The top tank I haven't decided what to breed in there probably cichlids.

What I want to do is look at breeding some L numbers as well. More of raise the excitement and actually get me working. My last bristlenose breeders all I had to do was suck out the pooh once a week. And then every 6 weeks suck out the fry and put them in my grow out tanks. So was thinking that they will need more tender care than the bristle noses. So thinking I might get some 2 foot tanks. These I will place at the end of the six foots black out the side that sits on the other tank.

These will hold the L numbers. Thinking something a bit more cheaper than any L046s as my experience with plecos isn't that high. Like the look of L397 and L333s. I have been checking prices of trios and colonies of these and they are in my price range. My budget is pretty good as I have put most of my money away from my breeding setup and stock. Need some experts opinions here thinking of starting with a trio of each. In there own tanks and just a hang on filter, some logs and slate caves so they can have there choice.

So questions I am asking are
1. What substrate
2. Will 2 foots be enough for trios
3. Large hang on filters be good enough

 

[littlebristlenose]

The above will be fine in 2ft standard trio breeding colony's.
Your choice a barebottom some people thinks best for sand others pebbles!
( just keep clean if barebottom place dark plastic or type to block out others )

If you houseing fish by division just make sure you have ph and other water paratmeters the same, diet same as fish next to each other or you maybe have problems.

I would get a backup to just one filter off any kind. ( and extra powerhead for each breeder just needed for short time for above for some up to 3 powerheads )

 

[Jackos80]

Okay so looking now. I run the 6 foots fine with plumbing to a sump tank which will also have fry grow outs.

The 2 foots will be 18 inch wide tanks so they can have the logs and driftwood in them. I think canister filters will be the way as I have a 1000litre spare so pickup one more for the other tank.

Any other breeders out there have any information or suggestions.

 

[RobHarrison]

What capacity is the 6ft going to be? I have a 6x2x2 and 3 big plecos and lots of wood and with almost 6000lph filtering i still have lots of poop and sawdust in the tank, you may need to beef up the filtering by a lot! if your using a sump why not use pond pumps

 

[Jackos80]

The 6 foots will be 6x2x2 on top and 6x2x20 don't need a 2 foot high tank for bristlenose. Yeah I know there will be heaps of poop and sawdust I don't mind sucking it out every weekly water change.

The pump will need to be a decent size to get two 6 foots turning enough water.

 

[Irene0100]

i agree 2ft x 18 in is just fine for a typical trio.
if you want to try breeding a larger fish such as phantoms then bigger will be needed.

 

[pacificdune]

Perhaps L134 or L260? Good looking, small, not as expensive as zebra.

For your questions:

1) Sand or bare bottom... I use sand because I think it looks better.
2) Depends on which pleco... L134 / hypancistrus no problem.
3) Should be OK. I would put an additional internal style filter to add more current and act as backup.

Cheers!

PD