Breeding Cichlids
- Thread starter Loukas42
- Start date
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Loukas42 said:
Oh ok that's a good thing to start out to bred. Convicts are pretty easy but are territorial they are kinda like Honduras red points but a little more expensive. They need around 30G. Mouth-Brooders have been easy for me lately but I let a few batches die :/
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
There are a number of easier Cichlids to breed. Convicts are a good beginner fish as well as Jewels, firemouths, Jack Dempsays and Texas Cichlids. There are also some African Cichlids that are pretty easy to breed as well. Each of these however, require a different sized tank.
If you are only going to use a 10 gal tank, stick with the Jewels or Convicts for now. If you know you are getting a pair, just the 2 fish should be put into the tank. If you want them to naturally pair off, you should put about 6 -8 smaller fish in a 30 gal tank with plenty of hiding areas and flat pieces of rock available for them to use as a spawning site. Once you see a pair cleaning and protecting a site, move them into the 10 gal. with the rock and they should breed once they settle down.
If you are looking to breed a number of varieties of fish, feel free to PM me with any questions. I started out breeding cichlids over 40 years ago and bred them commercially as well as for fun. I should be able to help you
Good luck
HUKIT
Aquarium Advice Addict
I think before you start looking for fish you should have a plan on what your going to do with all the fry, convicts and jewels are common for a reason. Most LFS's will not accept fish like this and I couldn't give convicts away. Maybe check with your local clubs and stores to see if there is something they might be interested in, otherwise your breeding project will stall before it ever gets started.
I'm currently breeding Sajica, attempting Festae(these guys are insane), Honduran Red Points, and Cutteri from this side of the pond and German Reds, Ngara Flametails, and other Malawi peacocks all sell very well at our swaps, Craigslist, and LFS's.
Have a good gameplan to start with and you'll have much better success, and maybe even make a few bucks.
I'm currently breeding Sajica, attempting Festae(these guys are insane), Honduran Red Points, and Cutteri from this side of the pond and German Reds, Ngara Flametails, and other Malawi peacocks all sell very well at our swaps, Craigslist, and LFS's.
Have a good gameplan to start with and you'll have much better success, and maybe even make a few bucks.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
With all due respect...
You make a good point about having somewhere to go with all the fry however, you need to have fry first to sell and that was the point of my selections. Learning to raise fry is not as simple as it sounds. If Loukas42 does nothing other than successfully pair, spawn and raise a batch of fish from egg to adult, the learning experiences will be invaluable and can be carried on to other more difficult varieties. The fish I selected to start with are an "easier" way to learn. Notice I didn't suggest easy breeders like Oscars as their demands for space and care would not fit a beginner breeder (At 1 point, I was breeding 13 pairs of oscars) or any of the other larger Cichlids for the same reason. Yes, Convicts and Jewels are common but you'll notice that most stores carry them as well as the wholesalers. So there is a market for them albeit not a money making market. But that aspect should come after the learning.
For me, Angelfish would be an easy starter fish for breeding and the most lucrative Cichlid to breed for money but the OP wanted other cichlids besides Angels. (I personnaly made a nice living from breeding Angels. At one point, I was raising 10,000 baby Angels per month. )
So, while it is good to have a game plan, you need the experiences to make the game plan work. I can't tell you how many times people would come into the Pet Stores I was working in telling me they were going to have fish for me to buy yet never managed to raise any to sell. They would return embarrassed or defeated from the failures. I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a certified Ichthyologist and learned how to breed numurous varieties of fish before becomming a commercial fish breeder. My first attempts didn't always go smoothly but they eventually did from the experiences. From what I read, this poster needs some experiences in order to make the plan. Maybe I read it wrong? Either way, you need to learn before you can earn
So while I see your point, I'm just offering my advice, from my own experiences, for those who want to take it
You make a good point about having somewhere to go with all the fry however, you need to have fry first to sell and that was the point of my selections. Learning to raise fry is not as simple as it sounds. If Loukas42 does nothing other than successfully pair, spawn and raise a batch of fish from egg to adult, the learning experiences will be invaluable and can be carried on to other more difficult varieties. The fish I selected to start with are an "easier" way to learn. Notice I didn't suggest easy breeders like Oscars as their demands for space and care would not fit a beginner breeder (At 1 point, I was breeding 13 pairs of oscars) or any of the other larger Cichlids for the same reason. Yes, Convicts and Jewels are common but you'll notice that most stores carry them as well as the wholesalers. So there is a market for them albeit not a money making market. But that aspect should come after the learning.
For me, Angelfish would be an easy starter fish for breeding and the most lucrative Cichlid to breed for money but the OP wanted other cichlids besides Angels. (I personnaly made a nice living from breeding Angels. At one point, I was raising 10,000 baby Angels per month. )
So, while it is good to have a game plan, you need the experiences to make the game plan work. I can't tell you how many times people would come into the Pet Stores I was working in telling me they were going to have fish for me to buy yet never managed to raise any to sell. They would return embarrassed or defeated from the failures. I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by a certified Ichthyologist and learned how to breed numurous varieties of fish before becomming a commercial fish breeder. My first attempts didn't always go smoothly but they eventually did from the experiences. From what I read, this poster needs some experiences in order to make the plan. Maybe I read it wrong?
Either way, you need to learn before you can earn So while I see your point, I'm just offering my advice, from my own experiences, for those who want to take it
Yes I don't have any experience in breeding and raising fry. So any advice will help. Any bodies point of view is welcome and I will take all into consideration.
What would a good setup be for breeding and easing fry.
And again thanks everybody and keep it coming.
What would a good setup be for breeding and easing fry.
And again thanks everybody and keep it coming.
Loukas42 said:
A 10G would be a good start for a fry tank you need everything but gravel some people use it in their fry tanks or sand. You can feed your fry a lot of different things like crushed flakes, microorganism, or brine shrimp.
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