# Bullhead Spawn



## Bullhead Lover

I noticed thursday that one of my bullheads was in a pot i have in my 55. It was strange because they are usually waiting to be feed in the morning but on thursday she would not leave the pot. I read on varous web pages that they make a saucer type of thing in the gravel, and this morning i saw that there were eggs in the pot and the other bullhead was fertilizing them.

Sorry if that story was long but i have a few questions.

How common is it for bullheads to eat their eggs?

Should i remove the parents?

How may tipicly survive to adulthood?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Tanks Specs:

55 gal

80 F - water temp

2 bullheads - the parents

3 mystery snails

Don't know ph or nitrates because my test strips ran out and i havent bothered getting more.

here are pics too.


----------



## TheOldSalt

Hmm.. that's funny. I KNOW I answered this already, so where did my post go?

Anyway, no, it's not common for the parents to eat the eggs, and in fact they make pretty good parents. However, if you want to maximise production & minimize risk, then remove the parents.

The fry are ravenous, and will grow six inches in their first year. The survival rate is high if you take good care of them.


----------



## Guest

Awesome accomplishment, I have never heard of bullheads being spawned in an aquarium!


----------



## Georgia Peach

congrats! 

BTW, what is a bullhead??


----------



## TheOldSalt

It's a big ugly North American Catfish.


----------



## Ownager2004

Ive never caught one over a couple pounds... How big do they get?


----------



## fish_doc

Thats cool and congrats.

Let us know when they start to hatch and their progress as they grow.


----------



## Bullhead Lover

thanks everyone and i will try my best. Hopefully they will hatch and everything goes well. By the way mine are about 9 to 10 inces. Not to big. I just love everthing about these fish and i have had them since they were fry so i have gotten attached to them, even if they are ugly.


----------



## fish_doc

Ugly bottom feeders are the best fish. I have a couple tanks with only bottom feeders in them. - Darn - now you got me thinking on how to spend a couple bucks to fill the rest of the tank.


----------



## Bullhead Lover

finnaly someone who likes ugly bottom dwellers. Im not the only one now.:lol:


----------



## Bullhead Lover

ok the fry hatched on Thurday April 6. There are alot. Just thought i would tell you.

Sorry i cant take a picture because they are hidding in the gravel so ill post one when they are bigger.


----------



## fish_doc

Cool, When they get a bit bigger would you be willing to send one or two my way?


----------



## jwalker

how about a pick of the proud parents? bet they look great


----------



## Bullhead Lover

Sorry i could not reply for a while. I was On Vacation. I Finally got good pics of the fry and the mom.(Had to wake up at 11:30 pm since they are nocturnal, But it's ok) The mom is a great mom too. Hope you like the photos.


----------



## fish_doc

Excellent photos. When you get a chance to watch them must be like watching a moving carpet or grass waving in the wind. The floor is always moving.


----------



## IloveCichlids

Awesome photos!

Hate to be the one who brings this up, but someone will... Do you have plans for a larger tank as a 55 is is already too small for 2 9"-10" bullheads. Ok there it is, it has been said!


----------



## Bullhead Lover

Yeah im thinking of getting a 100 gal, or making a small pond. Still unsure.


----------



## flamingo

omg! I love bullheads! I had one that started to pack on the fat but sadly got some sort of bacterial infection in it's skin, needless to say the skin just turned yellow and peeled off....

During the spring after they spawn I usually go down to the local marsh and catch some little buggers. Prolly one of my favorite fish I catch here and usually always have at least one....never heard of them being bred in an aquarium before though...


----------



## Bullhead Lover

Hey that's pretty wierd about the skin infection. Mine used to be all black but about a year ago most of their skin peeled of and now they are black and white.
It must be common i guess. You can see the color diffrence in the Photos.


----------



## jwalker

great pics bud.


----------



## Guest

wow, that is so friggin awesome!!!!! 
awesome pics too!


----------

