Posted by @Chris_Lewis · 1h ago
Egg-scattering fish like many tetras do not guard eggs — they scatter them and then happily eat them. Breeding them is mostly about conditioning the adults and protecting the eggs.
1. Condition the breeders. Separate a few well-fed males and females for a week or two and feed richly — live or frozen foods like baby brine and daphnia bring them into spawning condition. Females plump up with eggs.
2. Set up a small spawning tank. Bare-bottom with something the eggs can fall into and through, out of the parents' reach: a mesh/grate, marbles, or fine-leaved plants like java moss. Many tetras prefer soft, slightly acidic water and dim light to trigger spawning.
3. Spawn and remove the adults. Add the conditioned pair(s) in the evening; spawning often happens at first light. As soon as eggs are scattered, remove the adults or they will eat the lot.
4. Eggs to fry. Many tetra eggs are light-sensitive — keep the tank shaded. They hatch in a day or two; the fry are tiny and need infusoria or liquid fry food before they can take baby brine shrimp.
Check the species database for the water and temperature your species likes — requirements vary a lot between tetras.
Your turn: which species are you trying, and what is your conditioning routine? If a spawn failed, tell us the setup and we will help find the missing trigger.