large cichlid breeding

[animalzrok2]

i know for some cichlids produce TONS of eggs. my question is what do you do once you have to many. id like to breed my texas, but I'm worried id run out of room for the fry.

 

[animalzrok2]

or like oscars, i know they have a lot of eggs too

 

[smileyface9]

Maybe see if your local pet store will buy them from you once the fish are large enough?

 

[animalzrok2]

as bad as it might sound, once i start to have to many fry can i leave the batches in with the parents and let a few survive but not to many?

 

[smileyface9]

It could be good cause then you'll have the stronger ones survive and then fish food for your fish. Others might think it's cruel, but it's appart of nature in the wild. Just make sure you have plenty of hiding spots like maybe potted aquarium grass or decorations where your baby fish can get into, but ur adult fish can't. That way it's not completely cruel. Or you could let them get a little bigger first then let them out and see who survives?

 

[toddnbecka]

Keep something (usually in a different tank) that will eat extra fry, or else keep it in the breeding tank and use a divider or move some fry to another tank for growout.
I have a Carapo knife fish in a 40 breeder with one pair of cutteri, and 6 P typus catfish in a 90 with 2 other pairs. Between the 3 pairs they regularly produce hundreds of fry, only a handful of those have managed to grow out in those tanks.
A couple dozen cichlids shouldn't be too difficult to rehome when they get big enough, but nobody wants or needs 50 (or more) IME.