What Cichlids Have You Bred?

[Melody]

It is breeding that keeps me interested in fish, but the closest I've come to breeding a Cichlid is having a female hold eggs after every water change (which scared me to death the first time as I thought she was ill). I just don't have room to breed these beautiful, fascinating, intelligent creatures. That doesn't keep me from being intrigued by their methods and how they raise their young though, so I'll live vicariously through you.

What Cichlids have you bred? You might as well tell me all about the experience or I'll nail you with a hundred questions anyway ;) .

[Charles]

Frontosa : includes Burundi, Mpimbwe (tanz. type), and now Kitumba (Zaire Type).
Enatiopus Melanogenys - Sand dwellers
Cyathopharnyx Furcifer (Sibwesa) Featherfin
Paracyprichromis Nigripinnis (Neon Blue)
Brevis (Mlotto Zebra) - Shellies

Malawi - German red, and yellow labs.

[BC_Kron]

The first cichlid I bred was the xystichromis phytophagus. I swear, all I did was add water, and BOOM. Babies everywhere.

This created an itch not easily scratched.

I've had moderate success with africans, (immediate mouthbrooders) such as Red Auloncara, Electric Blue Haps, and Lithobates, but wanted to try something more challenging.

I've grown quite fond, (allright, quite mental) about Geophagus.
I'm presently breeding;

Satanaperca Leucosticta;
Satanaperca Juripari;
Geophagus Steindachneri;


and I am aspiring to breed;

Geophagus Surinemensis
Satanaperca Daemon;
Retroculus Xinguensis;

[Melody]

Very impressive! Do you strip eggs & all that? I don't think I'd be able to.

How long can you keep fry together before they get too aggressive with each other to house in the same tank? Or does that happen at all before they grow out of the tank in question? How big of a tank does it take to raise them (species-specific I'm sure - approximately then)? How long do they take to grow out? What do you feed the fry? Why is the screen of death blue? Just making sure you're still reading:laugh: .

I am NOT considering it so stop smiling at me indulgently. :Frog:

[BC_Kron]

disclaimer **** I am by no means an expert. proceed with caution ****


Wow. You were not kidding when you said you would ask a lot of questions.


I prefer to strip the fry from the mothers. The fry eat newly hatched brine shrimp right away, and quickly take to finely crushed flake foods. I get them eating frozen bloodworms within a few weeks. As far as grow out tanks, the fry start off in a 5 gallon tank,(easy for fry to find food) filled with water from the mothers tank. After a week or two, they get split between tens then into whatever available space I have. Currently I have Redhump juvies co-habitating a 72 with glass cats, and some small angels. The geophagus fry grow quickly if treated well. At about 1 month old they can reach 3/4 to 1 inch in size. The Juripari, however, grow slowly....... real slowly. I have some in a 10g that are almost 4 weeks old, and look as though they were just stripped. Aggression isn't really a problem,(although I did find out, 4 day old xystichromis, will and do eat 2 day old free swimming angel fry) untill they get older. As long as tankmates are roughly same size they are fine. Species tanks work best, but we do what we can, with our modest accomadations.


hope this gives you a bit more insight.
If not, well, I love talking shop, ask away.


cheers;
Bill

[CACAdmin]

Aggression isn't really a problem,(although I did find out, 4 day old xystichromis, will and do eat 2 day old free swimming angel fry) untill they get older. As long as tankmates are roughly same size they are fine.

Who would have thought to worry about that when they were only 4 days old:wideeyed: . Tough way to learn about what obviously comes naturally to them... hope you didn't lose to many angel fry.

[Melody]

Very good answers, thank you. Once they're grown out, then what? I assume stores would be happy to take them but they generally don't pay much. Will we be seeing these amazing fishies in the Classifieds? Will someone block me from them so I don't get any damnfool notions in my head? lol

I've always wanted to try some Apistos - does that count?

[madattiver]

I have spawned both Labidochromis sp. "mbumba" and convicts.. but I see that I may have some Metriaclima estherae holding right now..

I am just hoping that my Lamprologus ocellatus 'gold' and Lamprologus melagris spawn soon.. they are getting close

[AquaScaper]

I've spawned Dempsey's, Angelfish when I was a kid and apparently as of 2 days ago Hybrid Convicts thanks to the 3 supposed to be females I got from Mr.Plazma a couple of months ago:wideeyed:.

I'm leaving the eggs be and will let nature take its course on that one lol.

:err:

[Melody]

If anyone notices that Google is slow today, its because I'm taking all of its resources to Google all of these fish names ;) . Seems we have some very accomplished Cichlid breeders here. I'll know who to ask when the time comes, not that I'm considering it, because I'm not. :Think:

[BC_Kron]

If anyone notices that Google is slow today, its because I'm taking all of its resources to Google all of these fish names ;) . Seems we have some very accomplished Cichlid breeders here. I'll know who to ask when the time comes, not that I'm considering it, because I'm not. :Think:



pssssssst.:secret: I know somebody, with a load of fry. Just the thing for the person who is NOT considering cichlids!;)

[Melody]

<CLAPS hands over eyes> LALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA NOT READING!!!!

That reply loses something in the cyber translation :laugh: .

[Chahala]

I have a Yellow African Cichlid mother that had over 50 babies. They are in a section of my 55 gallon. I did strip her cause I didn't want her to eat them. She was great, took a bit. We are watching them grow and some seem like they will have nice colour. If I can figure out how to post pictures, I will.

If anyone is interested in these little beauties, let me know as I have no clue what I will do with them all. I wish I had a house to have a 200 gallon. One day.:yes:

[BC_Kron]

Congrats on the fry. I was a little awkward the first couple times I stripped fry, but eventually I got it. Hope to see pics of the fry soon.

[nathan u]

convict cichlids-- those aren't even worth the effort.
jewel cichlids.
and now as of this evening:D
redtop cobalt zebras(metriclima mbenji) unfornately only 3 fry survived the parents:mad:.
but its a start.
and my bolivian rams are showing signs of possible pairing so hopefully I can add them soon