Breeding Sawbwa resplendens

Sawbwa resplendens remains to be one of the absolute prettiest fish for me. I kept and bred them some years back and recently I found them in one of my favourite fish-shops, Unimati in Randers, Denmark. Both sexes were well represented, so 3 pairs were taken home (along with several other interesting species, but more on that later!).

Coming from Lake Inle in Myanmar, this species likes "cooler" water around 18-20C. and a pH in the higher end (pH 7-8) and quite hard water.

Sawbwa resplendens males are stunning!

Conditioned with live food like newly hatched Artemia, fresh caught Daphnia and Cyclops along with various dry foods the females were bulging after a few days. All 3 pairs were placed in a 16 litre tank with water straight from the tap; pH around 7,5 and 400-450 ms/cm. Temperature around 20C.

A small sponge filter and a good amount of mops were added. I previously used floating Anubias for spawning medium, but wanted to thy mops instead to see if egg-eating could be minimized.

After a couple of days the mops remained empty. Perhaps sunken mops were not a good idea, even if they were piled up to almost reach the surface? A handfull of Anubias were added and within an hour, action began!

Pictures from the spawning tank.

Eggs on the underside of an Anubias-leaf.

The Anubias with eggs were incubated in a plastic container with water from the tank. No anti-fungal remedies or anything else. After a few days fry appeared:

The fry are tiny and need very small food-items. I use JBL NobilFluid and dried egg-yolk.
After some time, babanaworms and Artemia nauplii is introduced. The growth of Sawbwa fry is so slow you almost don't believe it, but seeing a swarm of youngsters makes it worthwhile!

I also too a few pictures in my photo-tank:

Pair; female above, male below.

Colours!

Female.