How the method works

Fish that place eggs on open rock, leaves, wood, glass or cleared substrate and often guard the clutch.

Practical breeding setup

Provide a flat or vertical spawning surface, visual barriers and enough territory for a pair. Watch compatibility rather than assuming any male and female will form a stable pair.

Egg and fry management

Parents may guard eggs and wrigglers, but community-tank losses can still be high. Fry need appropriately sized food once free swimming.

Main failure point

Pair aggression, inexperienced parents, egg predation and disturbance are common. Parental care varies between individuals.

Fish in this category

The database currently contains 15 commonly kept fish assigned to this main method. Some fish also show secondary behaviours, and individual parental care can vary.

African butterfly cichlidAnomalochromis thomasi7–9 cmOpen entry →Blue acaraAndinoacara pulcher15–20 cmOpen entry →Bolivian ramMikrogeophagus altispinosus7–9 cmOpen entry →DiscusSymphysodon spp.15–20 cmOpen entry →Electric blue acaraAndinoacara pulcher (domestic colour form)12–15 cmOpen entry →Firemouth cichlidThorichthys meeki12–15 cmOpen entry →Freshwater angelfishPterophyllum scalareBody 10–15 cm; much taller with finsOpen entry →German blue ramMikrogeophagus ramirezi5–7 cmOpen entry →Jack Dempsey cichlidRocio octofasciata20–25 cmOpen entry →Jewel cichlidHemichromis spp.10–15 cmOpen entry →Keyhole cichlidCleithracara maronii10–12 cmOpen entry →OscarAstronotus ocellatus30–35 cmOpen entry →Rainbow cichlidHerotilapia multispinosa10–13 cmOpen entry →Severum cichlidHeros efasciatus18–25 cmOpen entry →Twig catfishFarlowella vittata15–18 cmOpen entry →

Originality and limits

This guide explains the shared breeding pattern in original AquaNexus wording. It is not a substitute for the individual species entry, because temperature, social structure, egg size and parental behaviour differ.