Breeding cichlids

[crackatinny]

Now I have had success with convicts, I want to take the next step with something simple.

I am fairly sold on Kribs, do you guys reckon that is a good choice? and what combination eg. 1 of each sex or more females?

And thinking toward Tbar cichlids as another setup.

Any other ideas, I want something reasonably colourfull, and pretty easy breeding.

Tanks will be 15G.

[Dave66]

If the tank's well planted with soft, slightly acid water and at least 20 gallons, kribs spawn readily, and the parents are usually excellant parents. They need soft, warm water to breed - pH 6.8, gH about 4, 80 degrees. Do yourself a favor and buy six kribs and let them pair up naturally. They do better in small groups anyway.
More challenging would be the one of the little Aequidens - curviceps, dorsigerus, portelagrensis. The Nannacara clan is another to try.

Dave

[Spyder]

One pair of Kribs in a 15 - 20g would work out well. A group of Kribs would be a disaster unless you have a 55g or larger. I had a pair of Kribs spawn for 4 1/2 years. Gave me hundreds of fry that I was able to sell at auctions and to LFS's. I never did anything special for them either. All they need is a cave. I had them in a 75g with dithers. If you bought a group to allow them to pair off I would sell back the extras once you had a pair. I bought one male & one female and it took a year for them to start spawning, buying a group would speed up this process.

A Note on spawning Kribs, and this is debatable but I have found it to be true. Kribs should be in nuteral water, pH 7.0. If you have them spawn in higher pH you will get mostly males, if they spawn in acitic water you will get mostly females...or is it the other way around. If they spawn in nuteral water the will get a 50/50 sex. I spawned mine in 7.0 and always got a 50/50 mix.

Another easy spawn that's wonderful would be Bolivian Rams or if you want to go African, any Neolamprologus.

[nanaglen2001]

T-bars ar pretty easy to keep, and gettingt them to breed.

They get along with every water, as long its clean. Normal tropical fish temperature, not like Discus which like it warm. Absolutely ok for T-bars is something between 23 and 25 Degrees C. Even if its a bit colder lets say 20 Degrees for a short time of course, they dont make a fuss.

What they need as decoration are hiding places in form of roots, it would be great for them if they are laid out to form some kind of caves. Nearby some rounded flat stones (from creeks or so) would be appreciated by them too (they love such cosy spots as their breeding places). Sand as substrate perfect, cause T-bars dig before spawning. Those root should also serve as optical territory borders.

If you can lay your hands on some hardy Cryptocorynes, take them. Then I would put floating plants into the tank, it gives the fish cover from above, the tank is a bit dark then, and the T-bars will show off more color. Especially those awesome blue eyes.

Great dither fish are Mollies and/or swordtails and cory cats.

Best would be to get a school of juvenile T-bars, so they can find their personal partner. Tank should be at least 240 to 300 litres. If decorated like above mentioned, you can keep 2 pairs in it.

Food everything, including some spirulina stuff. Life food and defty water changes are always good to speed up the breeding. I noticed that combination works great with my T-bars :D

[sergo]

i was surprised that my mbunas bread one week after converting from a 55gal community to a 55gal mbuna tank. i had 4 of them in a 10gal and put them into the 55 and added a couple more of them, one week later one of my females started acting a little weird and while i was cooking dinner they spawned. i came back into the room to see her holding eggs. i was dumbfounded. they did their little mating dance a couple of times in front of me and then they were done.
i do agree with the above about the kribs too; get a few and let them pair off then get rid of the others as they will get harassed unless you have a fairly large tank and then you may end up with another pair. you'll know when they pair of too, it's that obvious. good luck

[nanaglen2001]

Ah...Colorful and easy to breed....Thorichthys meeki aka Firemouth Cichlid.

To keep and b reed them, just look at my first answer in your thread, its more or less the same, but Meekis dont like green food, they love insects.

[crackatinny]

I now have some more options, a local bloke is getting the following in a few weeks

Egg layers -
Neolamprologus leleupi
Neolamprologus brichardi “Kiku”
Julidochromis regani "Mboko"
Neolamprologus Caudopunctatus
Julidochromis transcriptus "dickfeldi"

Mouth-brooders
Pseudotropheus saulosi
Pseudotropheus polit
Pseudotropheus kingsizei

What are your opinions of breeding ease from this list? 15G tank

[crackatinny]

I particularly like the Pseudotropheus saulosi, but usure if the tank is large enough at 15G, if not, how would they go with peacocks in a 30G long?

[sergo]

haps?
if so i've heard that's not a good thing.

[troy]

You could do a dwarf cichlid How about a golden dwarf cichlid
Here is some links.
http://fish.mongabay.com/species/Nannacara_anomala.html
http://www.aquariumsite.com/fish/golden_dwarf_cichlid.php

[nanaglen2001]

A really nice Westafrican Cichlid, which also fits into a 15 gal. tank is the Pelvicachromis taeniatus.

Very colorful, nice social behavior, likes a planted tank, but needs softer water.

[crackatinny]

They are a very nice fish Andrea, I will have to take a look around here, that is the main problem here, availability.

[nanaglen2001]

Thats really a problem with the taeniatus, but on the other hand, if you get a harmonizing couple, you can sell the fry:ezpi_wink1: for a decent price:ezpi_wink1: