A step-by-step guide on egglaying cichlids

[Mystix212]

This a simple process on how many cichlids go about during thier breeding time and what happens.

Before and during the brooding of the egg process, many fish will flare at you and even attack other fish and hands. Yes cichlids bite the hand that feeds them.

This is a shot of some convict eggs 14 hours after they have been laid. You should notice that they are a light beige colour.

After roughly 3 days from when the eggs have been laid, you will notice a darkening of the eggs aswell as little black dots. These are the eyes.

Newly hatched fry are barely 1/16th of an inch long. This is a convict that hatched only 8 hours before these shots were taken which still has a large yolk sac attached.

After a a couple of months, you wind up with small replicas of the parents.

Hope this gives an insight to first time cichlid breeders or even people wanting to refresh thier memory!

 

[Liam]

and you called this a report, how long did it take you to make? haahha good work.

 

[aeri]

do pairs breed if there are other fish in the tank?

 

[bigspizz]

Good work mystix! Way to contribute to the community in a positive way ....good on you

 

[bigspizz]

do pairs breed if there are other fish in the tank?

Depends on the pair, tank mates, tank size, etc....but some yes......

 

[HerCrenVie]

do pairs breed if there are other fish in the tank?

With my Herichthys carpinte pair, I realised that putting fish in with them actually made them spawn. I once added two random cichlids into the tank with the pair and they promptly brutalised the two new fish and spawned within several hours of the introduction of the new fish. They showed no signs of spawning prior to the introduction.

 

[E-Nyce]

How long does it take once the eggs are laid, to when they hatch?

 

[Mystix212]

These convicts are in with angels, clown loaches, tetras, small sharks, a plec, livebearers and even 6 small cons from one of thier spawns that I havent been able to get rid of. There are so many dithers that the convicts just spawn as readily as possible without much hassle.

E-Nyce, it takes 3 days before the eggs are laid to when they hatch. This is an average. Mine have always taken a little shorter then 3 days to hatch.