bs6749
Aquarium Advice Addict
Hi. After not having fish for a couple of years, I think I am ready to get another aquarium back up and running. I would like to have a breeding pair of GBR's, which I would like to make the "centerpiece" of the aquarium, but first I need some help in deciding a few things.
1. What size tank would be ideal for housing the pair and any fry that may survive? I was thinking about getting a 55gal tank but I am not sure that I have enough room? Would a ~40gal work or possibly even a 29 if it had just the rams and maybe a pleco?
2. Should I stay away from a pleco? I have heard that they may try to eat the fry but I need expert advice here.
3. Should I remove the babies from the tank or possibly just take out the male and/or female so that they are not eaten, if so when? I heard from an owner at a LFS that the male may try to eat the little guys around 3 weeks after the spawn because he may feel threatened. Anyone have this experience? I thought cichlids in general were very good parents.
4. How often do they spawn? The same owner at the LFS told me about 3 weeks apart. Is this true? It seems kind of fast if you ask me but I am NO fish expert, that is why I am asking you guys.
The reason that I am wanting to know all of this is because I would like to be able to breed GBR's and sell them to the LFS because they will give me ~$2.25/ea. after 4-5 months once they mature. Doing so would help me to keep the aquarium up and running to its optimal condition.
Also, if I were able to breed GBR's or any fish for that matter, is it bad for "brother and sister" fish to become a mating pair. It doesn't seem right to me that it would be "okay" but I guess even in the wild this occurs once in a while. Maybe it is not as big of a deal as I thought it is, especially if there is not much genetic diversity within the species to begin with, but I would like to know for sure from an expert. Please feel free to give me any suggestions/helps/tips/or advice that you may feel I should know. Thanks in advance for any help that you guys are able to give. : )
1. What size tank would be ideal for housing the pair and any fry that may survive? I was thinking about getting a 55gal tank but I am not sure that I have enough room? Would a ~40gal work or possibly even a 29 if it had just the rams and maybe a pleco?
2. Should I stay away from a pleco? I have heard that they may try to eat the fry but I need expert advice here.
3. Should I remove the babies from the tank or possibly just take out the male and/or female so that they are not eaten, if so when? I heard from an owner at a LFS that the male may try to eat the little guys around 3 weeks after the spawn because he may feel threatened. Anyone have this experience? I thought cichlids in general were very good parents.
4. How often do they spawn? The same owner at the LFS told me about 3 weeks apart. Is this true? It seems kind of fast if you ask me but I am NO fish expert, that is why I am asking you guys.
The reason that I am wanting to know all of this is because I would like to be able to breed GBR's and sell them to the LFS because they will give me ~$2.25/ea. after 4-5 months once they mature. Doing so would help me to keep the aquarium up and running to its optimal condition.
Also, if I were able to breed GBR's or any fish for that matter, is it bad for "brother and sister" fish to become a mating pair. It doesn't seem right to me that it would be "okay" but I guess even in the wild this occurs once in a while. Maybe it is not as big of a deal as I thought it is, especially if there is not much genetic diversity within the species to begin with, but I would like to know for sure from an expert. Please feel free to give me any suggestions/helps/tips/or advice that you may feel I should know. Thanks in advance for any help that you guys are able to give. : )