When fish spawn depends mainly on the season or months, but the conditions in their habitat also determine whether they spawn at all. Below is an overview of who spawns and when.
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Spawning times as an important detail
In many cases, the reproduction and spawning season goes unnoticed by pond and aquarium owners. There are a few reasons why they should know when spawning is occurring, as action may be required. This can be justified for the following reasons:
- eggs are fished off to prevent reproduction
- Fish eggs and place them in more sheltered containers to protect them from predators
- Fish and separate eggs to better support egg/brood/juvenile development
Sommerlaicher
- Aland (Leuciscus idus): March to May
- Ash (Thymallus thymallus): March to June
- Bachschmerle (Barbatula barbatula): April to May
- Beard (Barbus bearded): Mai bis Juni
- Perch (Percidae): March to May
- Bitterling (Rhodeus bitterus): April twice May
- Blue-banded rasbora (Pseudorasbora parva): April to June
- Bream (Abramis brama): May to July
- Chub (Squalius cephalus): April to June
- Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus): April to June
- Finte (Alosa fallax): June to July
- River lamprey (lampetra fluviatilis): March to May
- Flounder (Platichthys flesus): February to May
- Gable (Carassius gibelio): April to May
- Gudgeon (Gobio gobio): May to June
- White bream (Blicca bjoerkna): May to June
- Pike (Esox lucius): February to May
- Huchen (Hucho hucho): March to April
- Plötze/Rotauge (Rutilus red): April twice May
- Karausche (Carassius carassius): Mai bis Juni
- Carp (Cyprinus carpio): May to July
- Koi carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) : June to August
- Cauliflower (Gymnocephalus cernua): March to May
- Allis shad (Alosa alosa): April to June
- Meerneunauge (Petromyzon marinus): Mai bis Juli
- Moderlieschen (Leucaspius delineatus): April to June
- Nose (Chondrostoma nasus): March to May
- Rapfen (Leuciscus aspius, Syn .: Aspius aspius): April to June
- Rotfeder (Scardinius erythrophthalmus): April bus Juni
- Schleie (Tinca tinca): Mai bis Juli
- Schneider (Alburnoides bipunctatus): May to June
- Smelt (Osmerus eperlanus): March to June
- Sturgeon (Acipenseridae): April to July
- Stromer (Telestes souffia, Syn.: Leuciscus souffia): April to June
- Ukelei (Alburnus alburnus, Syn.: Cyprinus alburnus): April bus Juni
- Catfish (Silurus glanis): May to July
- Zander (Sander lucioperca, Syn .: Stizostedion lucioperca, Lucioperca sander): April to June
Winterlaicher
Those fish whose spawning season begins at the end of the year are referred to as winter spawners. Some only spawn between October and November and others sometimes even from autumn/late autumn into spring. The best known and most common winter spawning fish include:
- Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis): October to March
- Bach trout (Salmo trutta fario): October to January
- Whitefish (Coregonus): November to January
- Salmon (Salmonidae): November to February
- Burbot (Lota lota): November to February
- Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): November to May
- Lake trout (Salmo trutta lacustris): October to December
- Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus): October to January
Typical/classic aquarium fish
For most aquarium fish, the period between spring and well into summer offers optimal conditions for reproduction and spawning. However, this and the spawning times depend primarily on other factors such as water quality, water temperature, availability of plants and soil conditions. If all this is coordinated with the fish, they usually spawn several times during the season. Spawning is even possible in winter if the conditions are different from those in spring/summer.
Some examples:
Goldfische (Carassius auratus)
Prerequisite for spawning:
- pH: between 7.0 and 8.0
- Water hardness: between 12 and 18 °dH
- Ammonium: < 0.1 Milligramm pro Liter
- Nitrite: < 0.1 milligrams per liter
- Nitrate: <25 milligrams per liter
- CO2: < 20 milligrams per liter
- Water temperature in summer: between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius
- Water temperature in winter: 6 and 14 degrees Celsius
Spotted mailed catfish (Corydoras punctatus)
The following will encourage these fish to spawn:
- Lower the water by two to three degrees and raise it back to normal temperature
- Regular water changes
- Use soft water
- Feed plenty
- Optimized Laichtemperatur: 26 bis 27 Grad Celsius
- Spawning time: about four days
Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
What you should know:
- Whelp between 25 and 40 days after fertilization
- Viviparous and non-spawning (no eggs)
- Has between 10 and 20 young, sometimes 100
- Females fertile several times a year
Zebrabärbling (Brachydanio rerio)
- Propagation only possible when water temperature is outside of 25 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius
- Up to 300 eggs per female can be spawned on a weekly basis
