Help with pairing up my Nicaraguan cichlids.

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Black Tuna

Black Tuna

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2014
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Looking for tips on getting my Nicaraguan cichlids to pair up. They're both about 4.5 inches, female is a little bulkier. When first put together they locked lips for an hour, both had swollen lips. They are at separate ends of a 60 gallon tank with some dithers, a tiny convict and small salvini. These fish avoid the nics. Any tips would be much appreciated. Thanks

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Rescape your tank, eliminate any existing territories. Ad a flat rock or clay dish for them to clean, they're eggs don't stick so this has worked well. Do a substantial water change filling back up with cooler water and allowing the heater to bring the temp back up slowly, this simulates rainy season which puts them into breeding mode. Feed bloodworms a few times a week seems to also get them in the mood. Maybe remove the other cichlids, my male Nic needs to be dominant to breed and right now my male con is wearing the crown so there is lots of courting but no babies


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fishfanatic46 said:
Rescape your tank, eliminate any existing territories. Ad a flat rock or clay dish for them to clean, they're eggs don't stick so this has worked well. Do a substantial water change filling back up with cooler water and allowing the heater to bring the temp back up slowly, this simulates rainy season which puts them into breeding mode. Feed bloodworms a few times a week seems to also get them in the mood. Maybe remove the other cichlids, my male Nic needs to be dominant to breed and right now my male con is wearing the crown so there is lots of courting but no babies


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Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Got the clay dish, completely rescaped a few days ago when I introduced the male, feed blood worms every other day. Never tried the water trick as mine has been stable at about 80.5, but I'll give that a try. The 1 inch convict and 2.5 inch salvini get chased away easily by the male. I'd figure this would support his dominant position rather than hurt it, no?

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Consider creating an environment where your Nics can excavate a pit within a cave or behind a rock or some other protected area. As mentioned earlier, their eggs do not adhere to surfaces. Instead, they are loosely placed in the pit and guarded. Fine sand is better than course sand or gravel (in course substrates the eggs can fall between the cracks and become lost).

My pair (seen here with fry) laid their eggs behind the rock on the right after they dug a deep pit between the rock and the glass.
2012 03_04 copy.JPG

2012 03_04 copy.JPG
 
fug202 said:
Consider creating an environment where your Nics can excavate a pit within a cave or behind a rock or some other protected area. As mentioned earlier, their eggs do not adhere to surfaces. Instead, they are loosely placed in the pit and guarded. Fine sand is better than course sand or gravel (in course substrates the eggs can fall between the cracks and become lost).

My pair (seen here with fry) laid their eggs behind the rock on the right after they dug a deep pit between the rock and the glass.
View attachment 1010100
Click to expand...

Beautiful fish. I do have large gravel but she laid in a rock cave 4 times with my convict. May move them to my sand bottom tank once they pair up, actually if they do.

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