I think my cichlids bred.

lunker65

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 17, 2013
683
6
18
Virginia
So I think my cichlids have bred. Two of them are not eating and the skin in the bottom of there mouth is distended like they are mouth brooding. My question is what is the next step. This whole thing is kinda unexpected ( as most pregnancys are lol), and need some help on what to do next. The other thing is I have no idea who these two bred with. There are all kinds of chiclids in there one of which is the one of that type in there. And she's one of the prego ones. So there is deffinately some hybreds in there now.

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pigoo

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 25, 2013
322
0
16
United States
Breeding chiclids (although fun and surprising) really isn't that special or rare. The first thing you have to ask yourself is...what are you going to do with all the fry once they get larger? Many chiclid varieties are not necessarily rare...so selling them isn't always a solution. Keeping all the fry till adulthood can be expensive (feeding special food)...and of course you're going to need a lot of extra tanks to keep them.

What I'm trying to say is...if you do have young fish...it's good to have a plan now on what you are going to do with them. In many cases...the little ones become feeder fish...or you simply give them away for free.

As far as right now...you can do two things:

1. Do nothing.
2. Separate the parents & fry from the rest of the fish (new tank setup). Of course this new tank may not be cycled.

If you don't separate them...it's going to be very difficult to feed the young fry.

Good Luck:)
 

ziggy2

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 6, 2007
1,618
1
38
IL
If it's the first spawn, I wouldn't do anything. Let nature take it's course. Especially if they are going to be hybrids. You may be able to tell which fish have paired up later. If it a group you would like to keep, then strip the next spawn, if not, again let nature take it's course.
 
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