If you keep males and females together, you’ll eventually face the fry question: let nature decide, or try to save more babies? Two common approaches are breeding boxes and plant cover. Both can work, but they have different trade-offs — especially for the female.
Breeding boxes: the pros and cons
- Pros: can protect newborn fry from immediate predation; easy to net fry out after birth.
- Cons: limited space and flow can stress females; waste can build up quickly; some females panic and injure fins.
A breeding box is most useful when you have a specific drop you want to raise and you can monitor closely. The mistake is leaving a female confined for too long “just in case”.
Plant cover: the calmer option
Dense plants (or spawning mops) create a natural fry maze. This reduces stress for the female because she can give birth in the main tank and recover without confinement. Fry survival won’t be 100%, but tanks stay calmer and more stable.
A balanced approach that works for most keepers
- Provide heavy cover in one section of the tank (plants/mop).
- Observe the female rather than guessing dates.
- After the drop, move fry (not the female) to a grow-out tank if you want higher survival.
Signs a female is too stressed in a box
- constant frantic swimming and rubbing
- refusing food for more than a day
- clamped fins or heavy breathing
If you see these, release her back to the main tank and focus on plant cover or a separate maternity tank.
For line breeding, the most reliable method is a dedicated small maternity tank with gentle filtration. For casual fry survival, dense plant cover is often kinder, simpler, and more stable.
