Can I/Should I add my baby cichlids?

[mariah]

I have two baby cichlids that are two and a half months today. I do not plan on adding them anytime soon! I just want to know when they get big enough, if they ever do, can I add them into my 55 gallon tank? I have not had any problems with aggression or anything for at least 3 months. I have had my tank for about 5 months I would say? the first 2 months were horrible, lots of fish died. I currently have 5 yellow labs, 5 cobalt zebras, 2 OB zebras, and a strawberry peacock. all of them range from 2 inches to about 2 1/2 maybe 3 inches. The one baby is just over half an inch and the other one is under half an inch. the little guy wont grow!! Now do I wait for the smallest one to be a good size before I put both the babies into the 55, or do I put the big guy in when he is big and leave the other baby in the tank tell he is big enough? From how they are growing I believe its a female and male, just based on the size difference. ITS CRAZY! They are both in a 10 gallon tank also. I don't have a bigger one for them any suggestions?? thank you all!!

 

[CichlidLady0312]

Ive added juveniles w adults and they were fine as long as theres hiding spots I dont see a problem w it,

 

[Wy Renegade]

So the general rule of thumb with cichlids is that if it will fit in their mouth, they will eat it. I would err on the side of caution. The biggest one is probably fine to add, provided as was stated, it can find hiding places. the other I would wait till it was bigger. Of course, the more fish you add at one time, the more the aggression will be spread out. So if you only add one new fish, he is likely to get picked on by everyone, so you are likely to lose it. If you add multiples, they get a little bit from everyone, but its spread out, and so usually no one suffers too much. It also depends on what you are adding. Are the babies the same as what you have, or are they a different species? If you are introducing a new species, then you are more likely to have aggression.

Then you also have to consider inbreeding. Do you want babies mating with their parents? because that is most likely what will happen, if the fry survive.

You also have to consider not only type, numbers, and species, but gender. How many of your yellow labs are male? If you introduce the fry and one or both are male, how is that going to effect the balance and harmony within your tank? Most likely you would start seeing more aggression again as the dominant male picks on the subdominant males.

Sorry if that seems like a complicated answer to what you thought was a simple question, but unfortunately with cichlids there are very seldom simple answers.

 

[mariah]

So the general rule of thumb with cichlids is that if it will fit in their mouth, they will eat it. I would err on the side of caution. The biggest one is probably fine to add, provided as was stated, it can find hiding places. the other I would wait till it was bigger. Of course, the more fish you add at one time, the more the aggression will be spread out. So if you only add one new fish, he is likely to get picked on by everyone, so you are likely to lose it. If you add multiples, they get a little bit from everyone, but its spread out, and so usually no one suffers too much. It also depends on what you are adding. Are the babies the same as what you have, or are they a different species? If you are introducing a new species, then you are more likely to have aggression.

Then you also have to consider inbreeding. Do you want babies mating with their parents? because that is most likely what will happen, if the fry survive.

You also have to consider not only type, numbers, and species, but gender. How many of your yellow labs are male? If you introduce the fry and one or both are male, how is that going to effect the balance and harmony within your tank? Most likely you would start seeing more aggression again as the dominant male picks on the subdominant males.

Sorry if that seems like a complicated answer to what you thought was a simple question, but unfortunately with cichlids there are very seldom simple answers.

Thank you! your answer does help me out. I do not want my fish to die! I forgot to say that the two babies are form my cichlids that I currently have. I actually believe that all the cichlids are males but one electric yellow lab is a female. I only know she is a female since she had babies. the main bully that keeps everyone in line in the tank is the biggest OB and the biggest Cobalt. next in line would be the 3 dominant male yellow labs. I removed a VERY mean male yellow lab a few weeks after I set my tank up. The smallest cobalt might be a female I am not sure, she hides quite a bit because she is the smallest.

 

[Wy Renegade]

Wow - tough tank! You can determe the gender of your adult Africans by using a method called venting. There are some threads about venting on the forum, if you are unfamilar with it. The issue I see with your current stocking, is that lone yellow lab female. Every time she is ready to reproduce, she is going to get hammered by all the other males in the tank. Since Mbuna cross breed, it won't just be the four male yellow labs, but also the males of the other species as well. Additionally, all your male yellow labs are constantly going to be battling for supremecy amongst themselves.

Not to tell you what to do, but if I were you, I would either remove the lone female and not introduce the babies, or I would rehome all my males except one of each type and then I would add 3 to 4 females for each of those males. If I went that route, I would also reduce down to only a few species.

The simple fact is, that even though you may not be seeing as much aggression as you saw originally, you are going to continue to see aggression and you are going to continue to lose fish. Most likely the first to go will be that small cobalt and the female yellow lab.

 

[mariah]

Wow - tough tank! You can determe the gender of your adult Africans by using a method called venting. There are some threads about venting on the forum, if you are unfamilar with it. The issue I see with your current stocking, is that lone yellow lab female. Every time she is ready to reproduce, she is going to get hammered by all the other males in the tank. Since Mbuna cross breed, it won't just be the four male yellow labs, but also the males of the other species as well. Additionally, all your male yellow labs are constantly going to be battling for supremecy amongst themselves.

Not to tell you what to do, but if I were you, I would either remove the lone female and not introduce the babies, or I would rehome all my males except one of each type and then I would add 3 to 4 females for each of those males. If I went that route, I would also reduce down to only a few species.

The simple fact is, that even though you may not be seeing as much aggression as you saw originally, you are going to continue to see aggression and you are going to continue to lose fish. Most likely the first to go will be that small cobalt and the female yellow lab.

I havnt removed the female yet... but i do plan on doing it. I don't think i will put the babies in there either. I love fish and i don't want to see them die because where i put them knowing they didn't have a good chance. Would.. me putting the female lab into a 29 gallon and the two babies in there when they are big enough work?

 

[AtoZ Cichlids]

They shpuld be okay... Given there are hide outs available... If you do add them, add them when you feed your fish, while the fish are feeding drop them in a corner of the tank and turn the lights of while your fish are still busy eating. If your fish are agressive eaters they should pay no attention to the new fish but make sure they are still eating and not roaming the tank. That just how I add smaller fish to my tank. I hope this works for you! But remember, They will be the "new guys in the tank"

 

[mariah]

They shpuld be okay... Given there are hide outs available... If you do add them, add them when you feed your fish, while the fish are feeding drop them in a corner of the tank and turn the lights of while your fish are still busy eating. If your fish are agressive eaters they should pay no attention to the new fish but make sure they are still eating and not roaming the tank. That just how I add smaller fish to my tank. I hope this works for you! But remember, They will be the "new guys in the tank"

The babies are my babies though haha! Also i would have to put them in in a few months and they are only in a 10g right now. Also one at a time because there is a very small one (half the size of the other baby) would 3 electric yellows(the two babies and the only female in my 55) be okay in a 29gallon? Maybe after that ill sell the big female and put the babies in the 55 once they are full grown.