Breeding cichlids for a beginner help

[davidjp]

Hello I want to get into breeding cichlids. I really think it's interesting and ready to put time into it. I just don't know what fish to breed. I want a fish that is a good one to breed for a beginner, I don't want one that is already overcrowding a fish store( a fish no one wants to buy). Thank you

 

[jetajockey]

To really get a good idea you just need to do your homework. You need to see what's popular on forums and different groups. Also see what's available in your immediate area. Try talking to locally owned fish store owners to see if they'd potentially buy any fish from you, and what kind they'd be interested in.

 

[davidjp]

Thanks man. Can you recommend me to a fish? Maybe not cichlid. I just don't want to breed mollies and stuff like that

 

[Andy Sager]

To really get a good idea you just need to do your homework. You need to see what's popular on forums and different groups. Also see what's available in your immediate area. Try talking to locally owned fish store owners to see if they'd potentially buy any fish from you, and what kind they'd be interested in.

+1. Depending on the type, many Cichlids will have more babies than you can sell to the general public so breeding what the shops want will help you move more fish faster.

 

[davidjp]

Yes thank you . Could you recommend a fish for me? So I can do some research on it?

 

[Andy Sager]

Yes thank you . Could you recommend a fish for me? So I can do some research on it?

The best research you can do is make a phone call or visit your local fish store. If they aren't willing to buy fish from you, what do you intend to do with whatever you decide to breed? If they are, they will tell you what they want to buy and then you can do the research for that particular fish. I could give you names of hundreds of fish but if the store doesn't want them, why spend the time researching them all?

 

[jetajockey]

The other thing to consider is how much room you have. Breeding can take several tanks, or just one tank, depending on how you set it up and what you choose to keep. Generally speaking, common livebearer fish breed like rabbits and don't require more than a tank or two, but they also don't tend to fetch that much money or interest either outside of the niche market for rare strains. And if you go with some sort of cichlid, you'll need several tanks just for one or two breeding pairs, as you'll need to grow the successive spawns out and size them accordingly as the disparity grows.

 

[Anthonysafricans]

Very well said jeta...Also you have to figure out what kind of cichlids you want to breed.

 

[keegster803]

I would recommend neolamprologus multifastius as they are smaller cichlids and they breed like like rabbits.


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[QuakingAspen]

I don't know what tank you have but if you are looking for a good breeder(which of course, all cichlids are) that is small. For me small cichlids will always be easier. I would look into multi shelldweller cichlids but also agree that you should find out what you LFS carries so that we can look at your choices and recommend our favorites. Good Luck.

 

[Anthonysafricans]

Also see if there is a local club.....I sell mine at auctions from local clubs and on here

 

[Brookster123]

Anything but convicts haha.. seriously though.. jetajockey and Andy would have hit the proverbial nail on the head.. I've had luck with dwarfs like apistos.. great retail and demand there..

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[Anthonysafricans]

If it helps you I can send you pix of my fishroom to show you how I breed my African cichlids

 

[davidjp]

Yes please I would be very thankful

 

[davidjp]

This weekend I will go into one of my lfs and see what cichlids they have. Thank you very much guys. At the moment I have a 30 gallon tank I think I'm going to use.

 

[Anthonysafricans]

Well that would be way to small for the fish I keep....I'm gonna have to say your gonna have to look into dwarf cichlids or shell dwellers

 

[ChaosTropicals]

Hello I want to get into breeding cichlids. I really think it's interesting and ready to put time into it. I just don't know what fish to breed. I want a fish that is a good one to breed for a beginner, I don't want one that is already overcrowding a fish store( a fish no one wants to buy). Thank you

Go down to your local petstore buy about 6-8 black convicts buy a bunch of things they can hide in and let them go. They are like the guppies of cichlids if the water levels are right and taken care of they will breed. Once you can master this you can move into more advanced species before spending good money on a harder specie and ending up with a dead fish. I know people are gonna yell at me but thats what i did and i sold the fry to my local non bigbox petstore and i learned alot and had a great time.

 

[ChaosTropicals]

And i noticed you said you have a 30 gallon tank, you are gonna wanna get another tank to put the fry into because they will become an awesome snack for your other fish. Lol Good luck!

 

[davidjp]

Yes I'm thinking of doing apistos. I have a seperate 10 gallon long I can use for fry.