Tetras - I'm trying something new, for me anyway.

[discuspaul]

I've bred several different egg-layers over the years, including a few species of Tetras, but not Neons - yet.
So, I set up a small tank a while back, with 20 young Neons, to fatten them up for hopeful breeding.
Have had them for about 4 or 5 months now, without losing a single one of them, which was somewhat surprising to me. They've been very active & eating like pigs, twice a day at times,, but now they're getting larger, more mature, fatter & sassier, and I'm hoping for the best.
Any tips for me as a first time potential spawner of Neons ?

It's only a 10 gal tank, with a bit of PFS, a piece of driftwood, and some Anubias, but I'm going to get some moss to cover the sand anytime I start to see any mating/pairing up activity.

[rickztahone]

This is very vague in my memory, but I remember a few years back someone telling me that no one breeds Tetras in the US. I scratched my head on that statement but I remember searching for homebred Tetras and didn't get a single hit.

I went no further in to that as I didn't have any interest in breeding them, only raising them. That is around the time that I bought 100 chili rasboras. I hope you are successful! If you are, you should log it

[plecocicho]

Condition them with live food, your water must be very soft and a ph of a 6. They are egg scaterrers so you will need protective mesh.

[Larry Bugg]

Lots of people breed Tetras in the US.

For any fish that scatters their eggs here is a neat trick. Cut a piece of egg crate the footprint of the inside of the tank. The cut some pvc to fit the length and width of the tank. Attach the egg crate to the pvc. Put your java moss on the floor of the tank and then put the pvc/egg crate on top of it. Not the egg laying fish will drop the eggs and they will fall below the egg crate into the moss. The eggs won't get eaten and when hatched the fry have a great place to hide out. Members of our local aquarium club here have great success with this.

[discuspaul]

Sounds good, folks - thanks for your help.
BTW, my tank pH is 6.0 or slightly less.

When I bred some tetras many years ago (and danios & barbs), I used playing marbles as the substrate base in the breeding tanks. Lowered the water level to just a few inches above the bottom of the tank and covered the whole bottom layer of the tank with marbles, which allowed the eggs to drop though them to the glass bottom of the tank. After spawning, the breeders were removed.
But I like your suggestion better, Larry. Thanks.