Trying My Hand At A Single Species Breeding Tank

[dogofwar]

A couple of thoughts:

1) Start with quality stock, whatever you keep. Dave's Rare Fish (www.davesfish.com) is a great supporter of the Capital Cichlid Association (www.capitalcichlids.org) and is my go to for Rift Lake Fish. Or if I get fish from club members, I prefer to get fish that have come from Dave or another trusted source.

2) I'd go with one species / variant of peacock or similar. Choose something that you like and want to work with. Breeding mouthbrooders is nearly always easier and better with a large harem. Depending on the species, 12-25 fish will fit nicely in a 55g that gets regular water changes. A couple of males and a bunch of females is what you want.

3) Be prepared to raise the fry: You'll need grow out tanks and tanks for holding (and recovering) females. No one wants stunted, poorly raised fry and most people will want "the largest, most colored-up male" that you can sell them.

Another direction which could work (although a 75g would be better) would be Tropheus. You need a big group.

 

[DJRansome]

With the mixed gender haps and peacocks, there would be 3 colorful fish.

I you want more color than that, go mbuna.

 

[duanes]

Wanting color, and wanting to breed Africans is often an oppositional situation.
With most Africans, males are colorful (as with Peacocks) and females are basically grey/brown, and the best method in successfully breeding them, is to get lots of females, and very few males.
I also find a 55 gal very a small space to be successful, unless you are very experienced.
Might I suggest Pseudotropheus de masoni as another choice.
I have had a successful breeding colony in a 55, probably because they stay small. Both males and females are colorful (bright blue with black bands).
I was able to keep multiple generations in the same tank, they were constantly breeding (although not too many fry) with lots of holey rock and African fern for the juvies to hide in.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

My thoughts about the color were not that it needs to be exploding with it but it would be nice to have more than one colorful fish.

The tank is part way through cycling and I am seeding it with media from another tank so it should be looking good shortly.

I do like the Pseudotropheus demasoni suggestion and am looking into it further.

I am confused though about some suggestions being to put a couple dozen peacocks in the tank and others suggesting a 55 gallon isn't big enough...am I missing something in terms of how many fish you have to have to achieve breeding?

 

[markstrimaran]

My psudotropheus Elongatus. Male and female, have reproduced 5 times in the last year. He chases but does not bite. When she is holding she has plenty of hiding spots. I have one to one ratio.
My two peacock females, we're pretty roughed up, find niped, and very stressed out. From one Ob peacock male. I ended up pulling him out. I got rid of him, as he would even try to attack, me, the cat, and anything else thru the glass.
My female peacocks are all separated due to behavior problems. They hate each other

 

[DJRansome]

Species vary. Peaceful mouth brooders are good with 1m:4f. Demasoni tend to kill each other unless you fill the tank with them...I would never keep them in a group smaller than 12 and that is after removing extra males. I like 12 in a 55G...15 in a 75G and 20 in a 125G.

I would shoot for 15 fish that mature <= 6" in a 55G mixed gender tank. Unless you are stocking difficult fish like demasoni.

I can't think of a reason to stock 24 peacocks in a 55G.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

How about 3m9-12f Protomelas Taeniolatus (Red Empress)?

In all likelihood I will actually just buy unsexed fry and then work toward that proportion.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

I am actually now considering Ruby Green or Xmas Fulu cichlids from lake victoria after reading a suggestion by DJRansome in another thread. They seem interesting and more peaceful. Thoughts?

 

[DJRansome]

More peaceful than peacocks? Avoid jacobfreibergi and hybrids in a 55G but otherwise...

I'd say about the same regarding peacefulness but no additional color. 3m:9f either way...females are silver or brown.

I found peacocks easier to keep and their reproductive life seems longer. Just an impression.

 

[duanes]

There are many differing opinions about take size, and how many, or the size of fish that can fit within.
I use the 10 gallons per inch of adult fish rule (this does not mean how many)
It is, if a cichlid reaches 5" as an adult, I believe it needs at least 50 gals.
If it reaches 8"/80gallons etc etc. And I feel I am conservative.
I had a spawning pair of Fossorochromis rostratus that used all of a 150 gallon tank, killing all others except the pair as prep for spawning, and the male needing to be removed soon after she started to carry.
I also recently attended a lecture by a breeder of some of the larger species, like Petrochromis, he had filmed and studied them in nature, and suggested a spawning area of around 250 gallons per pair.
So opinions abound.
I do like your idea of using Vics in a smallish tank, very realistic.