Advice Needed - Flowerhorns are breeding

[echobunny2]

Hi all,
New to the forums, I've lurked a long time but this is my first time posting.
Wanted to ask some advice from those of you who've kept Flowerhorns for some time.
This is my first time keeping Flowerhorns, I was given 6 one inch Flowerhorns when I bought some other fish from a LFS, he had a ton of fry from a breeding pair he had.
I lost 2 to my juvenile Odoe Pike, so I moved the other four into a grow out tank that I use for my aquaponics Blue Nile tilapia. They've been in there for some months and the FH have grown to about a little under 5 inches.
A couple of days ago I noticed two had kind of paired off and were defending one of the flat rocks I have in there as furniture.
Today I noticed that the rock had eggs on them. A few here and there had turned white, so not sure how many will even be viable since this is their first try ever. I'll be surprised if any survive anyhow as there are the two other FH, about 15 tilapia fingerlings and 2 rubbernose plecos.

My questions are:
1. Is it detrimental to their health/growth to let them breed at this age/size. And if so should they be seperated to allow them to grow?
2. Since they were from the same fry batch originally, should these two not be allowed to breed in the first place?
3. I've had convicts and jaguar cichlids breed for me before, if in the future I try to breed them (with fish from different parents/gene pool) are breeding setups for FH pretty much the same as convicts and jaguars (small cave/flat rocks).

Thanks all, appreciate the advice and experience of the board members.

 

[fisheatfish]

1. I've bred some as little as 3 inches...no harm in it. No need to separate them if they get along.
2. Some may be all against this inbreeding practice but people do it all the time to bring out certain traits (color/pearls/kok)...brother with sister...daughter with father...son with mother...and so on.
3. You've bred cichlids before and flowerhorns fall in the same category so breeding is very similar. However, FHs require very little in terms of setup...flat rock or clay plate, filter & heater and of course the tank...lol. With this simple setup, you can breed flowerhorns. Letting the pair have the tank to themselves also helps.

 

[CrazyCichlids]

1. I've bred some as little as 3 inches...no harm in it. No need to separate them if they get along.
2. Some may be all against this inbreeding practice but people do it all the time to bring out certain traits (color/pearls/kok)...brother with sister...daughter with father...son with mother...and so on.
3. You've bred cichlids before and flowerhorns fall in the same category so breeding is very similar. However, FHs require very little in terms of setup...flat rock or clay plate, filter & heater and of course the tank...lol. With this simple setup, you can breed flowerhorns. Letting the pair have the tank to themselves also helps.

100% Agree

 

[the animal guy]

That's what fun and enjoyment is about with your hobby. Breed what sparks your interest.

But Im against culling. We bring hundreds o them into life to find a fish we want then kill them because they dont LOOK like what we want. I feel it's abusing the power of being a superior being